1.
The condemnation of Galileo
In “Galileo's condemnation: The real and
complex story”, author E. T. McMullen states that there is more to the story of
Galileo’s condemnation
than a simple conflict or “war” as he puts it, regarding
science and religion. There are charges
of atomism (a doctrine that
the physical or
physical and mental universe is composed of simple indivisible
minute
thing he was charged with in the end. The
staunchest reason for Galileo’s
condemnation was atomism. It was deemed by the
Church, as instigated by
the Jesuits, that this belief was in direct conflict
with the Eucharist as
scientifically announced by Aristotle and as accepted by
the Church. Things went truly awry when Galileo began attacking Aristotle in
writing via his “Dialogue.” Many other occurrences took place that would lead
one to believe that it was the Church that caused Galileo to live out his days
under house arrest (interestingly enough where he would earn his greatest
scientific acclaim), but it seems, according to the author, that it was betrayal
that caused his end; the betrayal of Pope Urban VIII, Galileo’s one time friend
and supporter.
2.
The radical Reformation (the
Anabaptist portion of the Reformation)
The Anabaptist was a member of a radical
movement of the Protestant Reformation that stems from issues with infant
baptism. In the 16th Century the Papacy was in full control of
Church doctrine that was to be upheld by all believers. Not everyone agreed
with this notion. Many noted groups would emerge to contest what they believed
was inaccurate doctrine and sought reform. One such group became known as
Anabaptist because they believed baptism should be done to adults that professed
Jesus Christ as Lord. Not accepting infant baptism and becoming re-baptized
however, was a crime was punishable by death. They persisted despite this. They
also claimed that because they were displaying public shows of faith in Christ,
they should be separate from the state and not adhere to its authority. The Anabaptist
was a Pacifist that opposed war and refused to swear by oaths. For this they
were persecuted and expelled from city after city; until Moravia, a city that
embraced the Anabaptist. It flourished. The Catholics and Protestants took the
city and executed its leaders. Anabaptist survive today in the form of
Baptists, Mennonites, and Quakers.
3. The
Jesuit missions to China in the sixteenth century
The Jesuit missions to China were deemed a great
success in the 16th Century as they managed to establish
Christianity as a “permanent minority religion.”[2]
The Jesuits were Catholic missionaries from the Society of Jesus. They became a
religious force in China with 920 serving members from 1552-1800. The highly
educated Jesuits figured it would be most beneficial to use brain rather than
coercion with the Chinese so they sought their counterparts which were the
Confucian literati and endeavored to fuse Christianity and Confucianism. Most
of the Jesuits hailed from Portugal. Others arrived from France and Italy, the
most notable Jesuit missionary was Matteo Ricci. By the 17th
Century, some 300,000 Chinese were converted to Christianity. This would soon
change.
[1]
Miriam-Webster Online Dictionary, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atomism
accessed January 21, 2013).
[2] Encyclopedia
of Western Colonialism since 1450.
Bibliography
Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s. v. “Anabaptist,” http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/22160/Anabaptist.
Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450 s. v. “Missions, China,” ed. Thomas Benjamin. 2007. Vol. 2:789-791, http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ps/i.do?action=interpret&id=GALE%7CCX2587300287&v=2.1&u=vic_liberty&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&authCount=1.
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