This text traces the development of modern thought in history as far back as what is acknowledged as its turning point. It follows the first establishment of the morally bankrupt ideology of the post-Nicaean Christianity and its implementation in societies. Within this historical background the figure of Michael Servetus is examined, together with his programme, his struggle to express his ideas, their repression, and their impact on the intellectual spheres of the epoch. The author asserts that Servetus' sacrifice induced another humanist, Sebastian Castellio, to rethink the issue of heresy and its repression and was a crucial step in forcing people to evaluate the morality of prevailing church ideology. Servetus' theological inquiry, initiated the study of the Bible and an attempt to uncover the real religious doctrines contained in it. Both these aspects led to a chain reaction - development of the Antitrinitarian movement - the Socinianism - the Enlightenment - American democracy, and the French Revolution.
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Marian Hillar, philosopher, theologian, scientist, and linguist is the author or coauthor of several books books and a leading expert on Michael Servetus and his legacy, and the Socinianism. Together with Christopher A. Hoffman he is translating for the first time into English major work of Servetus, Christianismi restitutio, of which four parts were already published. He published numerous papers in the area of history of philosophy, theology and ethics. His specialties are origin and evolution of Christian theology and Radical Reformation (Socinianism). He is listed in "Who's Who In Theology and Science." He lectured on theological issues, evolution, science and religion at the Atlanta Bible College and debated the questions related to origin of the universe and evolution. Marian Hillar has M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University Medical School of Gdańsk and studied at the Jagiellonian University and at Sorbonne. He did research and taught in Europe at the University Medical School of Gdańsk and Università degli studi di Camerino, and in the USA at Baylor College of Medicine and Ponce School of Medicine. He is currently professor of philosophy/religious studies and the director of the Center for Philosophy and Socinian Studies. He is also professor of biochemistry/molecular biology at Texas Southern University in Houston. He is editor-in-chief of Essays in the Philosophy of Humanism, a publication of American Humanist Association.
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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An enormous and fascinating compendium...,
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This review is from: The Case of Michael Servetus 1511-1553 : The Turning Point in the Struggle for Freedom of Conscience (Texts and Studies in Religion, Vol 74) (Hardcover)
This 402-page volume is very densely written. (It is more than 235,00 words in length!) Let it be made clear most of this book is NOT a biography of Michael Servetus (1511-1553). That is only one-third of the volume... It is a wide-ranging, mind-bogglingly detailed, idiosyncratic history of an idea: freedom of conscience. ---- The first third of the work, entitled "Institutionalized repression of freedoms: religion, thought, and conscience, from Constantine to Vatican II and beyond" is historical in nature. Covering more than 1,000 years of history in 150 pages is a daunting task, and the general reader can best approach this overview as that -- as a guide to `further reading I'd better find time to do.' Nonetheless there's a lot of fascinating material here. Just one of scores of gems strewn through this section of Dr. Hiller's work is the text of the first Imperial decree (43 years AFTER Constantine's death!) making the Christian the obligatory religion of the realm. It calls non-conformists "demented and insane". To give you an idea of the Dr. Hiller's writing style, let's look at page 102 (selected at random), describing Mohammed: "He was born in Mecca of the Quraaysh tribe, and since he was orphaned at an early age, he was reared by his uncle, Abu Talib, a teacher. In his youth he had a chance to travel extensively with the trading caravans...." Direct and to the point! Another example, from page 323: "Calvin differentiates between two types of victims of religious persecution: those who are martyrs and those who are blasphemers. Though both meet similar punishment, they differ in their offense: the just and righteous zealot follows knowledge, but the perverse and unconscionable one follows temerity and blind impulse." Again, telegraphic in style ---- Part II (about one-third of the work) directly deals with Servetus's fascinating life and death, in the 16th century. Caught between the Catholic Church (during the Inquisition) and fanatic John Calvin, Protestant pioneer, this man was considered a dangerous heretic by both camps. John Calvin had the satisfaction of having him burnt alive in 1553. Much like the millions who perished under Stalin 400 years later, his crime was telling people what he really thought. Like all true believers, Calvin couldn't stand the fact that someone disagreed with him - and took the usual route: extermination. ---- The last third of Dr. Hiller's book is entitled "The significance of Servetus' supreme sacrifice, the bankruptcy of post-Nicaean Christianity, and the struggle for freedom of conscience." It examines the lives of Sebastian Castellio, Bernardino Ochino, Laelius Socinus, Matteo Gribaldi, and others. Dr. Hiller makes his point in his Preface: "Michael Servetus [was] the central figure in history whose martyrdom initiated new trends in religious mentality and inspired Sebastian Castellio to his critical analysis of the pervasive repression of religious thought and intellectual investigation. The ferment that Servetus and Castellio originated eventually found its expression first in the religious movement of Socinianism and later in the Enlightenment." Whether or not one agrees with this thesis, the mass of fascinating material he has assembled in overwhelming and fascinating!
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