A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom, Volume One

Andrew Dickson White

Read by John Greenman

(5 stars; 3 reviews)

The 21st Century, so far, has seen a dramatic and widespread questioning of "Science", much of it from "Evangelicals". But this attack on science is nothing new! Author White, in the late 1800's put it this way: from his introduction: "In all modern history, interference with science in the supposed interest of religion, no matter how conscientious such interference may have been, has resulted invariably, in the direst evils both to religion and to science; on the other hand, all untrammeled scientific investigation, no matter how dangerous to religion some of its stages may have seemed for the time to be, has invariably resulted in the highest good, both of religion and of science."

In these volumes, White chronicles the gradual emancipation of science from theology in various fields.

But White's work has been condemned by modern researchers! Historian of science and agnostic Ronald Numbers has stated, in a collection dealing with inaccuracies made by White and others, "Historians of science have known for years that White's ... accounts are more propaganda than history."

Biographer Albert Bigelow Paine mentioned that this book was one of Mark Twain's favorite books, near the end of his life. Barbara Schmidt, in her TwainQuotes.com says, "Mark Twain referred to Dickson's book saying, 'When you read it you see how those old theologians never reasoned at all'" Twain's personal copy of White's two volumes are heavily marked with his marginalia. - Summary by John Greenman & Wikipedia

Note: White's voluminous reference notes and commentary have been edited out for this recording. Here, they are referred to as "note one...note two...etc." and can be found in the original transcription at the Gutenberg Project link: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/505 (16 hr 45 min)