Church History

[Guest]

Greetings!
I was recently watching a PBS Nova program, I forget the actual title, "Isaac Newton: Secret" ...something or other. The suggestion was made, and was reported as fact, that Newton struggled with the church’s teaching on the Trinity. Newton concluded that the Trinity was a false doctrine and for fear of personal safety kept this secret (hence the programs salacious title) to himself, to his dieing day. He had other activities principally Alchemy that this program focused on that also fell under the rubric, “secret”.

Anyway, I had been aware that Newton wrote over 1 million words on theology, more than his total output on physics and math combined. The great scientists, explorers, statesmen, of history frequently receive their notoriety in a field that the modern mind feels completely at ease in compartmentalizing away from any religious component. This integration of faith and learning often turns out to be the catalyst and driving force behind great discovery and achievement. For example, Columbus who we are taught came to the new world “seeking a trade route to the West Indies”, was really explicitly moved by religion, “It was the Lord who put it in my heart to….”

I am wondering if Newton was the tortured soul this program portrayed him as. Did his Aryanism consume his religious thoughts and so cripple his life or is there evidence that his faith was integrated with his scientific pursuits?

I am persuaded that the mandate in Genesis 1:28 “… Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over, encompasses things like physics and calculus. God has placed himself into the universe therefore discovery reveals Him, or put simply “All Truth is God’s Truth”. The Christian faith is the friend of science and discovery. The post-modern man would have us believe that religion and science don’t mix but in reality the achievements of western civilization (ostensibly Christian history) could never have happened within a Hindu, or Muslim religious context. Islam teaches for example that the only pursuit worthy of study is the Koran, therefore scientific inquiry does not follow.

My specific questions are these:
Is there evidence that Newton was guided, impelled, inspired by, in harmony with, religion, the Christian faith in particular?
Or were his scientific pursuits compartmentalized away from, and hence unaffected by, religious thought?

[Guest]

From what I know of reading Newton and watching programs about him like the one you mentioned, he was deeply interested in theology and God. I believe the expanse of the universe is what birthed his intrigue in the supernatural and the man was clearly a theist. He apparently had his doubts about the trinity doctrine but so have I during my studies. Any serious student of the bible must grapple this issue sooner or later. I'm a trinitarian and believe the bible teaches it but I can see how others might not see this so clearly.

As to your specific question as to whether Newton's interest in God had a direct correlation to his scientific work, I think the answer is "yes." Again, I heard it said that his interest in theology sprung from the vastness of the universe that rested over his head. Anyone who has even briefly studied cosmology can't help but be in awe of this mysterious and grand expanse. The study of science has greatly strengthened my own faith so perhaps Newton was similarly minded. When people ask me to prove God exists I like to say, "Look up and ask me that again."

We don't see God, but we do see his handiwork..... and whoever created such a thing deserves to be worshipped. This was apparent to Newton as well, I guess. The study of science is simply observing and quantifying the universe that he made. So the more we understand the physical laws that govern our world the more we learn about our creator.

[_Evangelion]

Greetings!
I was recently watching a PBS Nova program, I forget the actual title, "Isaac Newton: Secret" ...something or other. The suggestion was made, and was reported as fact, that Newton struggled with the church’s teaching on the Trinity. Newton concluded that the Trinity was a false doctrine and for fear of personal safety kept this secret (hence the programs salacious title) to himself, to his dieing day. He had other activities principally Alchemy that this program focused on that also fell under the rubric, “secret”.

Anyway, I had been aware that Newton wrote over 1 million words on theology, more than his total output on physics and math combined. The great scientists, explorers, statesmen, of history frequently receive their notoriety in a field that the modern mind feels completely at ease in compartmentalizing away from any religious component. This integration of faith and learning often turns out to be the catalyst and driving force behind great discovery and achievement. For example, Columbus who we are taught came to the new world “seeking a trade route to the West Indies”, was really explicitly moved by religion, “It was the Lord who put it in my heart to….”

I am wondering if Newton was the tortured soul this program portrayed him as. Did his Aryanism consume his religious thoughts and so cripple his life or is there evidence that his faith was integrated with his scientific pursuits?

I am persuaded that the mandate in Genesis 1:28 “… Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over, encompasses things like physics and calculus. God has placed himself into the universe therefore discovery reveals Him, or put simply “All Truth is God’s Truth”. The Christian faith is the friend of science and discovery. The post-modern man would have us believe that religion and science don’t mix but in reality the achievements of western civilization (ostensibly Christian history) could never have happened within a Hindu, or Muslim religious context. Islam teaches for example that the only pursuit worthy of study is the Koran, therefore scientific inquiry does not follow.

Newton was not an Arian; he was a Biblical Unitarian.

He did not believe in the pre-existence of Christ (Arians do), he did not believe that Jesus created the world (Arians do) and he did not believe that Jesus is the Archangel Michael (many Arians do.)

My specific questions are these:
Is there evidence that Newton was guided, impelled, inspired by, in harmony with, religion, the Christian faith in particular?
Or were his scientific pursuits compartmentalized away from, and hence unaffected by, religious thought?

Newton's scientific work was influenced by his Christianity to some extent, but only in contexts where the two fields are logically related. Newton definitely saw creation as evidence of God's existence; one of his most famous sayings is "God is known from His works."

You can learn more about Newton's beliefs here and here.

[Guest]

See I told you guy's I'm in good company with my beliefs. Only the smartest a most discerning are Biblical Unitarians.

[_Evangelion]

See I told you guy's I'm in good company with my beliefs. Only the smartest a most discerning are Biblical Unitarians.

[Guest]

See I told you guy's I'm in good company with my beliefs. Only the smartest a most discerning are Biblical Unitarians.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

[Guest]

Yes we are boasting in the Lord, thanks.

[_Evangelion]

See I told you guy's I'm in good company with my beliefs. Only the smartest a most discerning are Biblical Unitarians.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Come on dude, cut the guy a little slack. It was a funny comment, and not intended to offend.

It certainly wasn't "boasting" in the sense that Paul condemns.

[Guest]

**stops and removes stuffy shirt**

Sorry, JF.

[_Evangelion]

That's the spirit!