Overview
Throughout history, application rather than abstraction has been the prominent driving force in mathematics. From the compass and sextant to partial differential equations, mathematical advances were spurred by the desire for better navigation tools, weaponry, and construction methods. But the religious upheaval in Victorian England and the fledgling United States opened the way for the rediscovery of pure mathematics, a tradition rooted in Ancient Greece. In Equations from God, Daniel J. Cohen captures the origins of the rebirth of abstract mathematics in the intellectual quest to rise above common existence and touch the mind of the deity. Using an array of published and private sources, Cohen shows how philosophers and mathematicians seized upon the beautiful simplicity inherent in mathematical laws to reconnect with the divine and traces the route by which the divinely inspired mathematics of the Victorian era begot later secular philosophies.
Full Product Details
Author: Daniel J. Cohen (Digital Public Library of America)
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Imprint: Johns Hopkins University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 2.20cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.476kg
ISBN: 9780801885532
ISBN 10: 0801885531
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 03 June 2007
Recommended Age: From 17
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.
Reviews
The book is a good read. -- Barnabas Hughes Convergence Cohen's short, readable book is a study in the history of ideas, and can be welcomed as pointing the way to important new directions in the history of mathematics. -- Jeremy Gray Newsletter of the London Mathematical Society An extremely helpful book for anyone interested in the relationship between mathematics and religious belief. Journal of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences An excellent pick for college-level collections strong in science or spirituality. Midwest Book Review One can only welcome Equations from God. First Things A great book, full of lovely stories. It is an important contribution. -- Teun Koetsier Zentralblatt Math The main strength of the book comes from Cohen's archival research. -- Ivor Grattan-Guinness American Historical Review Well-researched and engaging... breaks through the traditional mold for writing history of mathematics. -- Calvin Jongsma Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith Cohen has offered food for thought for historians of Victorian science in general and of mathematics in particular. -- Karen H. Parshall Isis Equations from God is well researched and stylishly written... a most welcome addition to the growing literature. -- Tony Crilly Victorian Studies Cohen has successfully situated the work of Peirce, Boole and De Morgan in social and religious context, making this book a valuable contribution to the literature on the mathematics of the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. -- Judith V. Grabiner British Journal for the History of Science Welcome and informative book. -- Timothy Larsen Books and Culture: A Christian Review
Equations from God is well researched and stylishly written... a most welcome addition to the growing literature. -- Tony Crilly, Victorian Studies
Author Information
Author Website: www.dancohen.org
Daniel J. Cohen is an assistant professor of history at George Mason University and the coauthor of Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web.
