Astronomy, Religion and Art in Western Culture
- Recounts the battle between religion and science over the celestial dome and its depictions
- Explains the “Christianizing of the Heavens” movement using first-ever Latin translations
- Written by a professor of astronomy at Boston University
In this book, Boston University Professor of Astronomy Michael Mendillo takes readers deep into the annals of history, showing how visual depictions of the heavens evolved in tandem with science and religion throughout much of Western culture.
With unprecedented scope and scale, Professor Mendillo explores how cave art, illuminated manuscripts, sculptures, paintings and architecture reflected some of the great religious and secular battles taking place over the course of centuries. Enter a world of biblical proportions, where constellations of ancient heroes and pagans were thoroughly recast as Christian saints and the Twelve Apostles.
This nontechnical narrative brings vitality and accessibility to some of the most enduring subjects in human history, offering a lively new exploration of the visual connections between celestial phenomena and artistic expression.
"A brilliant study of constellations and culture." (Neil deGrasse Tyson)
The author Michael Mendillo is Professor of Astronomy at Boston University. His science career deals with research in solar-terrestrial space physics, planetary science, and newly discovered planets orbiting stars in our galaxy.
