History of the Conflict between Religion and Science

John William Draper's "History of the Conflict between Religion and Science" argues that the development of modern science repeatedly collided with religious authority, especially when established doctrines were threatened by new evidence. Draper traces a long sequence of clashes in which scientific findings—ranging from astronomical discoveries to advances in medicine and natural philosophy—were met with resistance from institutions that claimed spiritual and intellectual control. He portrays these disputes not as isolated misunderstandings, but as a recurring pattern shaped by power, interpretation, and the struggle over who gets to define truth. By linking major historical turning points to the broader theme of competing worldviews, the book aims to show how scientific progress often required challenging inherited beliefs. History of the Conflict between Religion and Science is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1875.