The Anatomy of a Conversion

The Anatomy of a Conversion: Nicolaus Steno and the Search for Religious Certainty in the "Scientific Revolution"

Join us for an Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion Lecture featuring Dr Nuno Castel-Branco from All Souls College, University of Oxford.

This fascinating lecture explores the life and work of Nicolaus Steno, a pioneering 17th-century scientist who made groundbreaking contributions to anatomy and geology before his dramatic conversion to Catholicism. Dr Castel-Branco examines how Steno navigated the tensions between scientific inquiry and religious faith during one of history's most transformative periods.

Discover how one of the Scientific Revolution's most brilliant minds sought to reconcile empirical observation with spiritual certainty, and what his journey reveals about the relationship between science and religion in early modern Europe.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, 4 March
• Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
• Location: Room 10.30, Schwarzman Centre, University of Oxford
• Wine reception for attendees after the lecture in the Faculty of Science and Religion (third floor, Schwarzman Centre).

This lecture is part of the Ian Ramsey Centre's ongoing series exploring the intersection of theology and religion with scientific thought.

About the Speaker: Dr Nuno Castel-Branco is a historian of early modern culture and science, specializing in the interdisciplinary exchanges between physics, medicine, and theology in seventeenth-century Europe. He is completing a book on Nicolaus Steno that explores how the scientist integrated mathematics and chemistry into anatomy while navigating complex networks of scholars, princes, and artisans. His research examines the relationship between scientific innovation and religious thought, with ongoing work on early modern Italy, Iberian expansion, and collaborations between mathematicians, anatomists, and patrons.

For any queries, please contact: irc.admin@theology.ox.ac.uk

All are welcome to attend.

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