Preface

The relationship between religion and science has for a long time been a central area in the history of science and ideas.

Introduction: Cosmo-theology before Einstein

It is sometimes said that there is nothing new under the sun, which
is surely an exaggeration. The proverb generally fails miserably in
the history of science—after all, to make new discoveries is the
business of science, and a quite successful business it is. On the other
hand, for centuries astronomy and cosmology have been concerned
with essentially the same kind of questions. These can be identified at
the time of Kepler, or even earlier, and 350 years later they were still
subjects of debate.