| Re: New Scientist on evolution
Having read the Malleus Maleficarum, I'd say there's more to it than that; but I did have to grit my teeth to get through large chunks of it, and the rationalizations (even given the period) were amazing examples of cloud-architecture. The most interesting section of the book, for me, is the second, where it deals with the folklore beliefs and legendry -- that is some very interesting stuff. The religiolegalistic rigamarole simply made my head ache.... Believe me, in comparison, I'll take Cotton Mather any time!
Incidentally, for anyone interested, both of these little historical tomes are easily available these days; and they do give a great deal of insight into the mindset of the times.... |