BOOK REVIEW: “Galileo” is a compelling story of theology meets new science

Forget the short, uninformative bios in textbooks. If you want a real glimpse into the life of a great genius, pick up a copy of “Galileo” by Mitch Stokes (published by Thomas Nelson).

Stokes does an excellent job of opening up the lives of great men as a writer for Thomas Nelson’s “Christian Encounters” series, an offering of biographies of great Christian men and women in history. I first had read (and previously posted a review on) Stokes’ book, “Isaac Newton,” and found his work on “Galileo” to be just as compelling.

For most of us, the only exposure we have to such intellectual giants (who were also devout Christian men) such as Galileo and Newton come from a paragraph or two in a history book. Stokes does a remarkable job of telling the life story of Galileo from his birth to his death, capturing both the greatest of moments to the saddest of trials.

Stokes is particularly talented at helping the reader understand the great achievements of Galileo without the reader having to have any kind of background in science or mathematics, a fortunate thing for a guy like myself whose least favorite subject is math! He also highlights how faith was an intimate, and intricate, part of Galileo’s life.

For a significant part of history, the church was actually the leader in supporting scientific thought and developments. But soon after the Protestant Reformation, as a part of the Catholic church’s counter-reformation, a negative tension would develop between the church and some scientists, and Galileo would find himself the target of this new struggle. Stokes does an admirable job of telling how Galileo tried to “go along, to get along” with the church while also remaining true to his scientific beliefs. The result was fairly tragic during Galileo’s lifetime, only to finally receive some exoneration more than three centuries later.

“Galileo” is a compelling story of a greatly flawed — and greatly gifted — man working out his faith, his feelings, and his genius where theology meets science. You’ll likely come away informed and inspired by reading this worthwhile book.

Scotty

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”