Knowledge Hegemonies in the Early Modern World Sources and Interpretations

Series | Knowledge Hegemonies in the Early Modern World
Monograph | Geo-Heliocentric Controversies
Chapter | 4 • The Jesuit Rejection of Copernicanism

4 • The Jesuit Rejection of Copernicanism

Abstract

The College of Santo Antão's mathematics professors knew that the heliocentric model put forward by Copernicus was not the sort of solution Clavius had in mind when he urged astronomers to work out a different planetary rearrangement. Additionally, the Catholic Church condemned the heliocentric theory of Copernicus, in 1616, a process in which the Jesuit theologian Robert Bellarmine played a crucial role. The Copernican system nevertheless remained an issue for teaching and criticism in Jesuit colleges and universities. Just like their confreres in Rome and throughout Europe, the professors of Santo Antão also delved into the Copernican theory. This chapter focuses on the Jesuit refutation of Copernicus based on astronomical, physical, and biblical arguments.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Published March 22, 2023 | Language: en


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