Homework 6, Due December 3, 2010

Welcome back from Thanksgiving break! Only a few weeks left in the semester, so be sure to keep up with your assignments! We'll be studying some very interesting history over the next few weeks, and I know you'll be interested in some of the individuals we discuss. One such individual is a true "Renaissance Man" - Galileo.

As most of you already know, Galileo was, among other things, a scientist who was tried for an unusual crime (by today's standards) - teaching "non-biblical" beliefs, namely that the earth orbited the sun! Although he was convicted and forced to publicly declare that he had been wrong, he was never tortured or imprisoned (his principle punishment was the requirement that he do penance, which his daughter did for him). Since no equipment had been invented that allowed anyone to see the orbits, both sides based their arguments on other things, such as math (both sides were wrong) and the interpretation of scriptures. So how did this get started?

As we learned previously, the discovery of ancient Greek and Roman history by the Crusaders absolutely revolutionized Europe. In a few short centuries Europe would go from being woefully primitive in comparison to the Arabs, Chinese and Indians (people from India), to being the dominant military, commercial, and educational force in the world. However, it's important to point out the the ancient Greeks and Romans weren't exactly foolproof - their own information was sometimes nothing more than an educated guess. The biggest perpetrator was Aristotle himself. The great man is responsible for so much wisdom and creativity, but his greatest contributions to history are probably the things he got wrong! For example, he believed that the heart circulated air through the body, not blood. For centuries, despite the increasing evidence to the contrary, many people refused to accept the fact that Aristotle was wrong. And he had another guess that was wrong also - the order of the universe.

Aristotle was at least inciteful enough to realize that many of the ancient myths about the night sky were wrong, but he was responsible for convincing many people that the earth stood still and the sun, moon and stars orbited around it. The Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy claimed to have proof that Aristotle was right (therefore the earth-centered theory was called the Ptolemaic Model). When this theory was brought back from the Crusades in the 1300s, many Europeans automatically accepted that it was true, and even found scripture that, the believed, backed up his assertions. For example, Psalm 93:1: “Thou hast fixed the earth immovable and firm ...” and Psalm 96:10: “He has fixed the earth firm, immovable ...”.

Although the 16th century astronomer Copernicus described a "heliocentric", or sun-centered, universe as being the only model that explained the movement of the stars, by the time people were exposed to this view the Ptolemaic Model was considered sacred. When Galileo Galilei came along, he wrote a book called "Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences" in which he had two smart characters (one believed the Copernican Model, the other was smart enough to listen to him) and one character that was obviously supposed to be simple (named Simplicio), and he argued for the geocentric model with ridiculous and shallow arguments. It was open opposition to what the Catholic Church held to be true, and the dumb character seemed to resemble the Pope (Galileo's longtime, and soon to be ex-, friend).

Galileo's trial in the 1630s was complex because a great deal of politics was involved and ended in the manner I mentioned earlier. Within fifty years of his death the Catholic Church reversed its decision and embraced the Copernican Model (of course, we know now that neither the sun nor the earth is fixed, nor is our solar system the center of the universe). Why it concerns us today is that we still face questions about the compatability of scripture and science. While many people today embrace faulty science in order to argue that the Bible isn't true, we Christians have seen over and over that science proves the Bible's teaching.

Your assignment this week is to consider the story of Galileo and answer the following questions: How should Christians have acted toward the Copernical Model in the 1600s, and why? If the scriptures in Psalms do not imply that the earth literally stands still, what do they mean? (you'll need to read the verses around them for context). And, finally, what can Christians do today to ensure that mistakes like these don't occur again?

I look forward to reading your answers. The requirements for this assignment are exactly as those that have preceded it. Thanks and have a good week!

Homework 5, Due November 26, 2010

As you can see by the due date, this assignment may be completed any time over the next two weeks (as a result of the holiday and all the extra-curricular activities going on). As we discuss the Crusades this week you will learn that, as military endeavors, they were mostly failures. Given the fact that nearly a thousand years later these events still shape the identity of Christianity in the minds of many people world-wide, one might be tempted to believe that the brutality and loss of life and fortune were without benefit. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

The returning European crusaders brought back two things that would forever change the world - Bubonic Plague and knowledge from a very advanced society. Prior to the Crusades Europe operated under the feudal system, where power rested in the hands of the wealthy and the vast number of poor people were individually unimportant (they had no valuable skills and could easily be replaced should anyone decide not to comply with the demands of the lord). However, after the devastation of the plague, workers were in high demand - giving them much more bargaining power. While the Bubonic Plague destroyed the economic system, the new knowledge acquired from their Muslim enemies gave Europeans the opportunity to build new systems, both political and economic.

You can read more about the crusades at the following link: http://history-world.org/crusades.htm . Since we'll be spending so much time in class discussing the information and technology that Europe gained from the Crusades, I'd like to take this homework assignment to ask you to consider the possibility and effects of a global pandemic like the Bubonic Plague occuring in our own life times.

You have heard dire predictions about things like bird flu, etc. Suppose that disease hits humanity and we are unable to stop it before it rapidly spreads. Remember, due to air travel, a disease can become intercontinental in a matter of hours. Assume 50 percent of the world’s population is killed off in a matter of a few months. Discuss some general ways that you think the United States might change and support your ideas with information you learned during the study of what the bubonic plague did to Europe in the Middle Ages. The link http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/plague.htm should provide you with all the materials you'll need for your research. Remember to respond to the work of others, and that this isn't due until the 26th. Thanks!

Homework 4, Due November 12, 2010

As we've studied the history of Christianity in the days of the Roman Empire and the centuries after its fall, I hope you've had an opportunity to consider the incredible price that was paid by early Christians as they faced terrible persecution for their beliefs. The bravery of these men and women is astounding, and modern Christians should be mindful that we have the Word of God preserved only by His grace and their faithfulness. Of course, people are still being martyred and imprisoned today for their Christian beliefs.

This week I'd like you to research a Christian martyr and share his/her story along with a personal lesson we can learn from them. Here are a couple of good websites you can access to begin your work.

http://www.biblebelievers.com/foxes/findex.htm
http://www.allaboutfollowingjesus.org/voice-of-the-martyrs.htm

Remember that your response must be at least 200 words and that you must respond to at least two others (a total of 150 words). Failure to complete your homework assignments can have a dire effect on your grade!