Roger Bacon, a Man Ahead of His Time
Today is the anniversary of the death of one of the most fascinating thinkers of the Middle Ages. In addition to his extensive discoveries in the sciences, Roger Bacon revolutionized how the Bible was studied. His influence can still be seen today.
Born in 1214 to a well-off family in England, Bacon first attended Oxford and then studied for a short while at the University of Paris. After he returned to England, he joined the Franciscan order.
Bacon believed in direct, firsthand observation. He disagreed with the theologians of the University of Paris who taught theology from Peter Lombard’s Sentences, a sort of study guide to Scripture and works of the Early Christian Fathers. By this method, students learned to look at the Bible after their ideas had been formed by Sentences. Also, these scholars refused to learn or teach the biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek but instead relied on defective Latin translations of the Bible.
Bacon advocated a text-based approach to theology. He believed that the Bible should be studied first, before studying Lombard’s Sentences. He also believed the Bible should be studied in the original languages in order to make firsthand observations of the text. That order, first Bible then Sentences, became the standard approach at Oxford. Prioritizing the study of original languages, however, would not happen for nearly 300 years.
To aid in the study of Scripture, Bacon developed a sophisticated theory of language and logic that brought together elements of philosophy and theology. As a Franciscan, however, he was prohibited from publishing any of these ideas. In 1265, Pope Clement IV asked Bacon to write a book on the relationship of philosophy and theology. He responded with a major treatise that covered a range of subjects entitled Opus Majus.
Bacon’s belief in firsthand observation extended beyond the study of Scripture. Though he appreciated the work of ancient thinkers, he did not believe their ideas should be automatically trusted. Rather, they should be confirmed through experience and experimentation. Like other medieval thinkers, he was open to the possibility of miracles but rejected them as an explanation for normal events. To him, reliance on supernatural explanations was intellectually lazy. Instead, Bacon believed that natural events generally have natural causes, though God might occasionally overrule them.
He also believed that mathematics was foundational for understanding the natural world, and he used it to quantify his observations. Some of his most important work was in astronomy and optics. He studied mirrors and different kinds of lenses, making observations that would lead to an explanation of rainbows.
Bacon’s work in the sciences extended beyond optics. He studied the eye and the brain and also predicted technological breakthroughs that are reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci and Jules Verne. He was the first European to discuss gunpowder, after firecrackers were brought from China by fellow Franciscans. He figured out its chemical makeup, though he may not have been correct about the proportions. He anticipated microscopes, telescopes, and eyeglasses, which were invented shortly after his death. He also predicted the development of hydraulics, automobiles, steamships, submarines, and “flying machines.” His achievements in so many arenas have earned him a place in science fiction and fantasy novels as a time traveler or wizard.
Bacon believed that God wrote two books, the book of nature and the book of Scripture. He also believed that they must be read together. Thus, studying the natural world was, for Bacon, a theological activity. To study either nature or Scripture required direct observation.
His methodology honored the integrity of the Creation and the primacy of Scripture in theology. These ideas came from a worldview based on biblical ideas about the world and the nature of humanity, ideas that he understood and applied far more than his contemporaries.
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John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 – 2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a variety of audio formats: on the web, the radio, or your favorite podcast app on the go.
