A book about art is not the unusual undertaking that it might seem for the Vatican Observatory. As a scientific research institute of the Church it is dedicated to research in astrophysics and cosmology. But it has also over the past decade or so ventured into areas of interdisciplinary interest. Such adventuresome efforts are actually deeply rooted in the Observatory's traditions which can be traced back to the Tower of the Winds, a sixteenth-century monument to both art and science, that arises above the Vatican Museums in Rome. There we find beautiful frescoes depicting the four winds and serving as a backdrop to a meridian line which was used to observe the passage of the Sun with the seasons. The foreshadowings of the Vatican Observatory are here. In June 1994 the Observatory explored new territory as it entered for the first time into organized dialogue with the arts, literature, history, and the social sciences. The occasion was a conference on "The Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena" to study how celestial events have influenced humans throughout history. As an artist in residence during the conference, John David Mooney created a number of outdoor sculptures at the Observatory's rooftop telescopes and in the adjoining Papal gardens. The sculptures were temporary creations. This book preserves in over 100 beautiful four-color photographs, designs, and text the original work of Mooney as an inspiration for future dialogue between astronomy and the arts. It is in itself a work of art.

Vatican Observatory and the Arts: The Sculpture of John David Mooney at Castel Gandolfo (ND From Vatican Observatory Found)

Arts & Photography

Mooney, John David

History & Criticism

Vatican Observatory FND NDUP

International Symposium on Astrophysics Research and on the Dialogue between Science and Religion presents the results of a meeting sponsored by the Vatican Observatory and inspired by its recent devotion to two major new initiatives. In addition to continuing its programs of research in astro- physics, during the past decade the Vatican Observatory has sought to provide (1) scholastic dialogue between science and religion, and (2) education and research in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology for aspiring young scholars, particularly those from developing countries. The symposium itself was designed to promote dialogue between science and religion among established scholars that would also find a place in the work and lives of such young scholars. The result is this unique contribution to literature that combines presentations of research results by young scientists with discussions on modern topics in the interdisciplinary area of science and religion.

International Symposium on Astrophysics Research and on the Dialogue between Science and Religion (ND From Vatican Observatory Found)

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

In 1982 Olaf Pedersen gave a series of lectures at the University of Aarhus, Denmark, and in 1988 at Cambridge University. In the course of those lectures he developed The Two Books: Historical Notes on Some Interactions between Natural Science and Theology. After Pedersen's death in 1997, the work was prepared for publication, making available in English as complete and accurate a version as possible of Pedersen's monumental work. There is a lingering impression that the field of natural science and theology is new and that, except for such passing episodes as those associated with such figures as Galileo Galilei, Giordano Bruno, and Charles Darwin, there is little or no historical continuity to the science-religion dialogue. This book by Olaf Pedersen definitively corrects that impression by tracing with scholarly precision the historical roots from pre-Socratic times to today's pursuit of the interactions between the natural sciences and religion. In doing so it makes a unique and important contribution to the field.

Two Books: Historial Notes on Some Interactions Between Natural Science and Theology (From the Vatican Observatory Foundation) (ND From Vatican Observatory Found)

Pedersen, Olaf

Science & Math

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Books by Vatican Observatory FND NDUP