For the last fifty years, virtually all historians of science— including A. C. Crombie, David Lindberg, Edward Grant, Stanley Jaki, Thomas Goldstein, and J. L. Heilbron—have concluded that the Scientific Revolution was indebted to the Church.
The Catholic contribution to science went well beyond ideas—including theological ideas—to accomplished practicing scientists, many of whom were priests.
For example, Father Nicholas Steno, a Lutheran convert who became a Catholic priest, is often identified as the father of geology. The father of Egyptology was Father Athanasius Kircher. The first person to measure the rate of acceleration of a freely falling body was yet another priest, Father Giambattista Riccioli. Father Roger Boscovich is often credited as the father of modern atomic theory. Jesuits so dominated the study of earthquakes that seismology became known as “the Jesuit science.”
And that is far from all. Even though some thirty-five craters on the moon are named for Jesuit scientists and mathematicians, the Church’s contributions to astronomy are all but unknown to the average educated American.
Thomas E. Woods Jr., Ph.D., How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization (Regnery Publishing, Inc., 2005) p. 4
This episode is dedicated to the life and memory of Ed McHale (1979-2022).
Edward Andrew McHale, age 42, born in Phoenix, AZ, left this world too soon on January 16, 2022. Ed is survived by his wife, Christine McHale, and five children, Ruby, Declan, Mikey, Frances and Theo. He is preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence McHale and Madeleine McHale. The baby of six siblings, this father and legend is known to many as “Coach Ed.”
He was a man who truly lived his life for others; for his family, his students and anyone he met. He knew everyone by name and no one who knew him could forget his contagious laugh or famous ‘dad jokes.’ A man of great faith, he loved to walk and pray his rosary, meet with other dads to pray, and take his family to mass on Sunday. He loved to teach, swim, wrestle, hike, play volleyball, and play catch with his kids, and of course cheer on his Cardinals and Suns! He would always tell his wife that she made him a better man but truly it was he who made her better and his love for life and appreciating the small things and every moment made everyone around him better.
May we learn from his example to count your blessings and love every moment, to soak up every hug with your children, to live life to the fullest even when everything around you tells you, you need more when right in front of you, you already have it all. He will truly be missed by many and will forever leave his print of love and laughter on this world.
*Help his widow and five children here*: Go Fund Me
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Guest: Andrew of the Popular Liberty Show
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