Theories of the Earth

1. Theories of the Earth Thomas Burnet’s ‘Sacred Theory’

2. Title Page and Frontispiece

3. Stages of the Earth’s Development • Chaos. A turbulent mixture of water, earth, etc. • Paradise. A smooth sphere of fertile soil, with the waters (waiting) beneath. • The Flood. Brought about by natural (‘secondary’) causes, even though it served a Divine purpose. The soil dried out, cracked and foundered in the depths. • The Present (a wreck…). The natural world seen as in decay, mountains seen as horrible & threatening rather than beautiful. Explanations of various geological phenomena are offered here.

4. The Changes to Come • Destruction by Fire. Armageddon & coal fires. A link between volcanoes & the Catholic Church. • Paradise Restored. • The Earth becomes a star.

5. The Relationship between Religion and Science At this point (late 17th Century) the idea that science and religion could wind up in opposition to each other is strongly resisted: No “truth concerning the natural world cannot be an Enemy to Religion; for Truth cannot be an Enemy to Truth, God is not divided against Himself”

6. Two Books • One important tradition in Christian theology emphasizes the notion that we have received two principle sources of knowledge, in effect two books: • The bible, of course, is one. • The world is the other. • Burnet clearly belongs to this tradition.

7. Push-back • Other views of the present earth: Providential accounts of the present state of the earth are coupled with more generous aesthetic opinions. • In particular, a more positive take on mountains begins to emerge (for example, in the work of John Ray– an important English naturalist.)

8. A Wider Concern • For some, the act of mixing scientific ideas and explanations with the stories of Genesis was itself sacrilegious. • But similar views and alternative positions continued to emerge despite the condemnations (and ridicule) Burnet encountered. • Still, the attempt to bring scripture and scientific/causal stories together clearly caused serious difficulties for Burnet.

9. Where to from here? • Others would take a different tack, treating the scientific story in its own terms, without any direct attempt to link it to the bible. • But efforts to link the two remained significant in geology up until the diluvialists of the early nineteenth century. • The main leader of the Diluvialists (Buckland) finally recanted around 1830, declaring the attempt to link geological evidence to the flood “A scientific heresy”. But we have a few more stories to tell before we get there.