Behind the Scenes at Galileo's Trial: Including the First English Translation of Melchior Inchofer's Tractatus syllepticus

by Richard J. Blackwell

Overview

Galileo's trial in 1633 before the Roman Inquisition is one of the most frequently mentioned topics in the history of science. Galileo's encounter with the Catholic Church was not only a major turning point in the history of western culture; it is the paradigm case of the clash between the institutional authority of religion and the authority of scientific reason, a clash that has helped to define the modern era.

Blackwell's new contribution to "the Galileo affair" concerns the official theological position against Galileo. The centerpiece of his project is the treatise entitled Tractatus syllepticus, written by Melchior Inchofer, S.J., whose judgment of the orthodoxy of Galileo's Dialogue had been requested earlier by the Holy Office and was then incorporated into the proceedings of the trial. At the time, Inchofer's judgment against Galileo's book was both detailed and harsh. That judgment formed the basis for Inchofer's subsequent Tractatus, the first English translation of which is included in this volume. Inchofer's text provides a new and fascinating way of looking at the defense of the guilty verdict. Blackwell's analysis of this material greatly enriches our knowledge of Galileo and his trial.

Both legal and theological behind-the-scenes aspects of Galileo's trial are discussed. Because of a weak legal case, a plea bargain was arranged, extrajudicially, then sabotaged in the Holy Office before the final decision of the case. Through his close scrutiny of the specifics of the trial, Blackwell renders a picture that is more complex, and ominous, than the usual portrayal of the trial.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780268022105
Publisher:	University of Notre Dame Press
Publication date:	09/15/2008
Edition description:	1st Edition, 1st paperback edition
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

RICHARD J. BLACKWELL is professor emeritus of philosophy, Saint Louis University. He is the author of numerous books, including Galileo, Bellarmine, and the Bible (University of Notre Dame Press, 1991), and is translator of A Defense of Galileo, the Mathematician from Florence (University of Notre Dame Press, 1994).

Table of Contents

Preface     ix
Note to the Reader     xi
The Legal Case at Galileo's Trial: Impasse and Perfidy     1
Melchior Inchofer's Role in the Galileo Affair     29
The Scriptural Case against Copernicanism in 1633     45
Christopher Scheiner's Dilemma: Between Galileo and the Church     65
Fallibilism and Religion     93
Documents in Translation
Melchior Inchofer, Tractatus syllepticus (1633)     105
Jesuit Rules on Theology and Philosophy     207
Fifth General Congregation of the Society of Jesus (1593-94), Decree 41     207
Letter on the Solidity and Uniformity of Doctrine (1611)     209
Letter on Implementing the Ratio studiorum and on Following the Teachings of St. Thomas (1613)     212
Christopher Scheiner's Prodromus pro sole mobile, (1633; pub. 1651), book 1, chapter 1     219
Notes     223
Bibliography     233
Index to the Book (Chapters 1-5)     237
Index to the Translations (Appendices 1-3)     241

Editorial Reviews

It was faith against reason, entrenched religious orthodoxy against radically new scientific fact. Richard J. Blackwell (St. Louis, emeritus) is an expert on philosophy but here he diligently presents the complex religious and scientific details of the matter within the historical context of Galileo’s time.” — Bibliotheque d’Humanisme et Renaissance

“There are many reasons why this 'Galileo affair' is uniquely important in modern history. One is that it is instructive for understanding the interaction between science and religion. Blackwell adds some nuances to the conflictualist thesis. . . . The main theme of Blackwell's book is that of exploring 'behind the scenes at Galileo's trial.'. . . This trial is one of the best-documented episodes emblematic of modernity . . . this book makes a valuable contribution and provides a model for this type of inquiry.” —Journal of Modern History

“If the evidence does not support a plot in Galileo’s sense, Blackwell’s account provides a scenario for a spellbinding novel. The story leaves enough latitude for the reader to draw his own conclusions. Although scholars both acquit and condemn the Church, the underlying issue remains: what constitutes a demonstration?” — The Review of Metaphysics

“Richard Blackwell’s latest foray into scholarship on the Galileo affair contains detective history, careful scholarship, theological ruminations, and excellent translation work. The most tantalizing piece is chapter 1, titled ‘The Legal Case at Galileo’s Trial: Impasse and Perfidy,’ which pushes a thesis that involves plea bargains, mysterious saboteur(s), and a miscarriage of justice.” —The Sixteenth Century Journal

"Blackwell exposes details of the infamous trial that are not universally known: Galileo's explanation in the first session that he did not know there was a warning against writing the book that brought him to the Inquisition, his premature admission of guilt in the second session, and the misreporting of court proceedings to the cardinal in terms that would resonate with them. . . . Recommended." —Choice

“Though the conduct of Galileo's trial was probably less sinister than Blackwell has suggested, with these two defenses of the Church's condemnation of Copernicanism we have a new, intriguing glimpse behind the scenes.” —The Renaissance Quarterly

From the Publisher

"Though the conduct of Galileo's trial was probably less sinister than Blackwell has suggested, with these two defenses of the Church's condemnation of Copernicanism we have a new, intriguing glimpse behind the scenes."

The Renaissance Quarterly

"There are many reasons why this 'Galileo affair' is uniquely important in modern history. One is that it is instructive for understanding the interaction between science and religion. Blackwell adds some nuances to the conflictualist thesis. . . . The main theme of Blackwell's book is that of exploring 'behind the scenes at Galileo's trial.'. . . This trial is one of the best-documented episodes emblematic of modernity . . . this book makes a valuable contribution and provides a model for this type of inquiry."

Journal of Modern History

"Richard Blackwell offers yet another important volume for our understanding of the context and thought around the trial of Galileo and more broadly the interaction of theology and science in the early modern era. Blackwell's scholarship is well known to Galileo scholars. . . . This latest volume makes Melchior Inchofer's Tractatus syllepticus (1633) available in English for the first time, affording those lacking Latin better insights into the mind of the advisor to the Holy Office of the (Roman) Inquisition who gave the most detailed analysis of Galileo's Dialogue. Blackwell's five introductory chapters set Inchofer and other dramatis personae in Galileo's life in the context of the history of theology as well as of science. Blackwell especially considers the biblical hermeneutics that prompted figures like Inchofer to conclude that the Bible in fact taught the immobility of the Earth."

Journal for the History of Astronomy

"Richard Blackwell's latest foray into scholarship on the Galileo affair contains detective history, careful scholarship, theological ruminations, and excellent translation work. The most tantalizing piece is chapter 1, titled 'The Legal Case at Galileo's Trial: Impasse and Perfidy,Æ which pushes a thesis that involves plea bargains, mysterious saboteur(s), and a miscarriage of justice."

The Sixteenth Century Journal

"Richard Blackwell . . . is a distinguished scholar whose work has often focused on the theological and biblical issues raised by Galileo's discoveries and writings. His translation of Inchofer's treatise is a very important contribution by itself, but he also provides translations for four short texts that shed further light on the trial. . . . The remainder of the book reviews the legal and scriptural case against Galileo, describes the activities and ideas of Inchofer and Scheiner, and closes with Blackwell's own thoughts about science and religion."

Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith