In 1667, at the peak of his scientific career, the Danish anatomist Nicolaus Steno (1638-1686) converted to Catholicism. Since then, much has been written about it. His Protestant friends and modern historians alike found this conversion perplexing. On the other hand, his Florentine friends and Catholic apologetics rejoiced and used Steno’s conversion as an argumentative tool. Yet, most accounts fail to contextualize Steno’s conversion in light of his research interests in anatomy and, later on, in geology. Did Steno convert only to please the Medici family, his new patrons? Did he experience a religious experience that suddenly made him want to convert? Or does his conversion, instead, follow gradually from his pursuit of truth in science? In this lecture, I explain that Steno’s conversion happened due to a particular moment in his scientific career in which he was obsessed with finding rigorous scientific knowledge about the world. This search for certainty, in combination with new friendships, made him leap into the Catholic Church.
29 October 2024
Stepping with Science to Sainthood: Nicolaus Steno’s Conversion and His Unity of Life
With Nuno Castel-Branco, PhD, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford.
In 1667, at the peak of his scientific career, the Danish anatomist Nicolaus Steno (1638-1686) converted to Catholicism. Since then, much has been written about it. His Protestant friends and modern historians alike found this conversion perplexing. On the other hand, his Florentine friends and Catholic apologetics rejoiced and used Steno’s conversion as an argumentative tool. Yet, most accounts fail to contextualize Steno’s conversion in light of his research interests in anatomy and, later on, in geology. Did Steno convert only to please the Medici family, his new patrons? Did he experience a religious experience that suddenly made him want to convert? Or does his conversion, instead, follow gradually from his pursuit of truth in science? In this lecture, I explain that Steno’s conversion happened due to a particular moment in his scientific career in which he was obsessed with finding rigorous scientific knowledge about the world. This search for certainty, in combination with new friendships, made him leap into the Catholic Church.
In 1667, at the peak of his scientific career, the Danish anatomist Nicolaus Steno (1638-1686) converted to Catholicism. Since then, much has been written about it. His Protestant friends and modern historians alike found this conversion perplexing. On the other hand, his Florentine friends and Catholic apologetics rejoiced and used Steno’s conversion as an argumentative tool. Yet, most accounts fail to contextualize Steno’s conversion in light of his research interests in anatomy and, later on, in geology. Did Steno convert only to please the Medici family, his new patrons? Did he experience a religious experience that suddenly made him want to convert? Or does his conversion, instead, follow gradually from his pursuit of truth in science? In this lecture, I explain that Steno’s conversion happened due to a particular moment in his scientific career in which he was obsessed with finding rigorous scientific knowledge about the world. This search for certainty, in combination with new friendships, made him leap into the Catholic Church.
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