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

Andrew Dickson White

Read by John Greenman

(4.7 stars; 3 reviews)

"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 (15 hr 15 min)