Fr. Paschal Scotti, a monk at Portsmouth Abbey in Rhode Island, was ordained a priest in 1989 and teaches at his monastery's prep school, Portsmouth Abbey School, in the History and Humanities departments. He has a Licentiate in Canon Law (J.C.L) from Catholic University of America. Besides various journal and encyclopedia articles, he has a written a study of the Edwardian English Catholic editor, Wilfrid Ward.
The Galileo case is often misunderstood as the simple opposition of
modern science to blind faith. This valuable volume not only puts
that myth to rest by presenting what were the real scientific,
philosophical, and theological questions at stake. It's
comprehensive in explaining the history, culture, conflicts, and
personalities involved in this crucial episode in Western and
Christian civilization.
-- Robert Royal, Author, A Deeper Vision: The Catholic Intellectual
Tradition in the Twentieth CenturyThis exquisite history of a
defining moment at the birth of modernity resists the temptation to
idealize or villainize, treating both Galileo and his opponents as
the flesh-and-blood creatures they actually were. The Galileo
Affair is thus revealed to be not so much the clash of ideas or
ideals we are so often told it was, as the clash of limited and
imperfect people. Of the many versions of this story that I've
encountered, this is the wisest and most balanced.
-- Michael Augros, Ph.D., Author, Who Designed the Designer? A
Rediscovered Path to God's ExistenceDom Scotti has mastered all of
the historical details of the great saga of Galileo and the Church,
and he does not spare any of the players in his critical but
fair-minded and thoughtful assessment of how the tragic
confrontation unfolded and might have been avoided.
--John Farrell, Author, The Day without Yesterday: LemaOEtre,
Einstein and the Birth of Modern CosmologyThere is nothing like the
facts to squelch a juicy rumor or a sensational story - especially
one whose contour has been carefully crafted to embarrass the
Church or keep her off balance. This book brings to bear the many
new discoveries that have recently been made in the Galileo Affair.
An open-minded reader will have abundant evidence for debunking the
notion that the Church is against science.
-- Rev. Joseph Koterski, S.J., Department of Philosophy, Fordham
UniversityMany people today think of Galileo in simplistic,
black-and-white terms, as either a great and heroic scientist or a
tragic, arrogant figure. As Dom Scotti demonstrates in this richly
researched and often surprising work, the truth is both far more
complex and far more interesting.
-- Carl Olson, Editor, Catholic World Report; Author, Did Jesus
Really Rise from the Dead?The Galileo Affair was a clash of ideas,
but it was also a complex human drama that unfolded in extremely
tense and turbulent times. Geopolitical struggles, Reformation and
Counter Reformation, personal ambition, zeal for truth, scientific
rivalries, gossip and scandal, status and celebrity, and even an
outbreak of plague were all parts of the story. Dom Scotti's
profoundly learned, wonderfully readable, and richly detailed book
brings that vibrant world to life.
-- Stephen Barr, Ph.D., Department of Physics, University of
DelawareThe image of Galileo kneeling before the Inquisition,
forced to recant his views, is exaggerated in the modern mind. But
Dom Scotti paints the truthful setting of Galileo's time, not a
mere recounting of facts, but a journey into the Medici family, the
Papal States of the 1600s, Galileo's desire for clarity, his tastes
in the arts, the multifaceted trial, and his conflicts to the last
breath. For those excited about how Catholics can lead scientific
progress, the visit with Galileo, the man, is a requisite
pilgrimage.
-- Stacy Trasancos, Author, Particles of Faith: A Catholic Guide to
Navigating Science
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