Do you find some mathematical activities useless?

[Dan]

(04-07-2018 10:42 AM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  

(04-07-2018 08:14 AM)Dan Wrote:  I read somewhere that Isaac Newton wrote more on theology than on science.

This is because the universities back then were centered around the theology departments. Every other subject, be it medicine or natural science, was regarded as a specialisation of theology and one had to study theology (or attend a priest seminar) first.

Actually that's not quite right. The overarching dogma in European universities at the time wasn't Christianity, it was Aristotelianism. Newton wasn't in agreement with all of the doctrines of the Church of England and asked King Charles II to exempt him from the requirement to be ordained as a minister in order to continue to teach at Trinity, which (unusual for the time) was granted. He wrote prolifically on religion and theology, including works on Trinitarianism, Biblical chronology and interpretations of the prophecies of Daniel and St. John. It is important to note that none of these works were published during his lifetime, probably because he was afraid of being charged with the crime of heresy. There is no doubt Newton had a deep belief in God. He wrote "I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by men who were inspired. I study the Bible daily".