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Toto · 02-01-2005, 12:06 PM

Some here might be interested in this.

Newton the Bible scholar

Quote:

Newton’s non-scientific writings are astonishingly modern. Newton’s exhaustive forays into the prophecies of Revelation and Daniel have been bolstered by new and massive "apocalyptic" manuscripts that include his working out the end-time date of 2060. Though Newton was a devoted Anglican, he held the belief that Jesus and God were not one — a heretical viewpoint.

In newly-released, immense church histories focusing on the Council of Nicaea and probing the lives of Constantine, Arius and Athanasius, Newton shows how the concept of the Trinity surfaced well after the time of the Gospels. In correspondence with John Locke (available to the public since 1970 and slated to go online in 2005), Newton anatomizes 27 "corruptions" of the original New Testament text, putting forth that the Gospels never said Jesus was divine. In densely detailed pre-Christian histories and chronologies, Newton argued that his discoveries were actually re-discoveries, in that they had been known to the ancients such as Plato and Pythagoras.

Newton’s writings revealed he believed all religion was a corruption of the primordial "Religion of the Prytaneum," which was part of the Prisca Sapientia, or "pristine wisdom." This ancient wisdom, that Newton claimed was rescued from the Flood by Noah, formed a perfect whole with primordial science.

The new documents suggest Newton may even have been trying to create a "unified field theory" with his non-scientific writings, one meant to ensure spiritual knowledge would be on par with the new sciences he had created, said Snobelen.

It is not clear to me what you can say about someone who believed in alchemy, the flood, etc., or why this would rescue Newton's reputation from having descended into religious lunacy at the end of his life, but Britain’s Arts and Humanities Research Board, or AHRB, is investing £504,000 (about $1 million American), after an initial grant of £330,000, to put all of this documentation on line, and

Quote:

At the beginning of 2004, the National Science Foundation gave $1 million to a sister project in the United States — at Indiana University College of Arts & Science to begin similar work on the alchemical papers.

Where are the fiscal conservatives when you need them to complain about the NSF investing $1 million in alchemy?

Clivedurdle · 02-01-2005, 12:15 PM

I thought Newton was a member of a wierd religious sect.

Quote:

He was a secret adherent of a dangerously heretical sect called Arianism, whose principal tenet was that the belief that there had been no Holy Spirit

From Bryson - Short History

Dark Knight Bob · 02-01-2005, 12:38 PM

All I know about newton is that he was a devout catholic who was critisised for trying to get his university to prioritise catholic students over others.

Even so that fact that he allowed Hubble, a devout atheist, to help fund his publication of the principilia at least shows he still had a loyalty to science that transcended the religious divide.

Got that from:

Science on trial : the case for evolution / Douglas J. Futuyma.

Ideas about sects and such for me start to tend towards conspiracy sensationalism and I would be very critical of any heresay on such ideas.

Clivedurdle · 02-01-2005, 02:17 PM

Newton ,

Jehanne · 02-01-2005, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

Some here might be interested in this.

Newton the Bible scholar

It is not clear to me what you can say about someone who believed in alchemy, the flood, etc., or why this would rescue Newton's reputation from having descended into religious lunacy at the end of his life, but Britain’s Arts and Humanities Research Board, or AHRB, is investing £504,000 (about $1 million American), after an initial grant of £330,000, to put all of this documentation on line, and

Where are the fiscal conservatives when you need them to complain about the NSF investing $1 million in alchemy?

Newton was a product of his own time and place, just as we are today. He probably would be utterly shocked by women "wearing pants" in addition to Fox News, live football, cell phones, toasters, etc. Of course, he "believed" in God, and would have been burned alive if he had stated otherwise.

Vorkosigan · 02-01-2005, 10:47 PM

Another interesting connection. The translator of Josephus, Whiston, who thought Josephus was a closet Christian, was persuaded to Arianism by Newton.

Vorkosigan

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02-01-2005, 12:38 PM	#3
Dark Knight Bob Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 787	All I know about newton is that he was a devout catholic who was critisised for trying to get his university to prioritise catholic students over others. Even so that fact that he allowed Hubble, a devout atheist, to help fund his publication of the principilia at least shows he still had a loyalty to science that transcended the religious divide. Got that from: Science on trial : the case for evolution / Douglas J. Futuyma. Ideas about sects and such for me start to tend towards conspiracy sensationalism and I would be very critical of any heresay on such ideas.

02-01-2005, 02:17 PM	#4
Clivedurdle Contributor Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: London UK Posts: 16,024	Newton ,

02-01-2005, 10:47 PM	#6
Vorkosigan Contributor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Barrayar Posts: 11,866	Another interesting connection. The translator of Josephus, Whiston, who thought Josephus was a closet Christian, was persuaded to Arianism by Newton. Vorkosigan

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