This week in Christian history: Third Crusade, Indian missionary baptized
Christian philosopher, scientist Henry More dies – Sept. 1, 1687
This week marks the anniversary of when Henry More, a notable 17th century Christian philosopher, theologian, scientist and poet, died at the age of 72.
More was known for being a prominent member of the Cambridge Platonist movement, which sought to reconcile Ancient Greek philosopher Plato’s ideas with Christianity.
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In 1671, More had his magnum opus Enchiridion metaphysicum published, which argued for what he called a “Spirit of Nature” as a driving force of how the world functioned.
“He advocated the existence of a ‘Spirit of Nature’ that controlled the universe of matter and was responsible for bringing order out of chaos,” explained the Linda Hall Library in Kansas City, Missouri.
“He became embroiled with Robert Boyle, who thought he could explain the workings of a vacuum pump perfectly well without calling on any guiding Spirit, and with Robert Hooke, who was completely baffled by an immaterial Spirit that obeyed no rules and could do whatever it wanted, and the nature of which we could not, by definition, ever comprehend.”
