Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
History and Religion
Christians or Theists Were the Founders of 115 Scientific Fields

Christians or Theists Were the Founders of 115 Scientific Fields

Last updated on: June 6, 2026 at 12:26 am by Dave Armstrong

Christians or Theists Were the Founders of 115 Scientific Fields 2026-06-06T00:26:22-04:00 Dave Armstrong

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

+ 34 Prominent Priest-Scientists and Mathematicians

(8-20-10)

Georges Lemaître, Belgian Catholic priest (1894-1966), c. 1933. He proposed the theory of the expansion of the universe, widely misattributed to Edwin Hubble. He was the first to derive what is now known as Hubble’s law and made the first estimation of what is now called the Hubble constant, which he published in 1927, two years before Hubble’s article. Lemaître also proposed what became known as the Big Bang theory of the origin of the Universe, which he called his “hypothesis of the primeval atom” or the “Cosmic Egg”[public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

***

This constitutes Chapter Nine of my book, Science and Christianity: Close Partners or Mortal Enemies? (2010, 301 pages).

* * * * *

[asterisk after dates signifies a Catholic priest]

Acoustics Joseph Henry (1797-1878)
Lord Rayleigh (1842-1919)

Aerodynamics / Aeronautics Francesco Lana de Terzi (c. 1631-1687*)
George Cayley (1773-1857)

Analysis Leonhard Euler (1707-1783)
Augustin-Louis Cauchy (1789-1857)
Karl Weierstrass (1815-1897)

Anatomy Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564)

Anatomy, Comparative Georges Cuvier (1769-1832)

Anesthesiology James Simpson (1811-1870)

Antiseptic Surgery Joseph Lister (1827-1912)

Applied Science Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716)

Astronautics Robert Goddard (1882-1945)
Hermann Oberth (1894-1989)

Astronomy, Big Bang Cosmology Georges Lemaître (1894-1966*)

Astronomy, Galactic William Herschel (1738-1822)

Astronomy, Heliocentric Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)

Astronomy, Physical Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

Astronomy, Solar Arthur Stanley Eddington (1882-1944)

Atomic Theory Roger Boscovich (1711-1787*)
John Dalton (1766-1844)

Bacteriology Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)

Biochemistry Franciscus Sylvius (1614-1672)
Antoine Lavoisier (1743-1794)

Biogeography Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859)

Biology / Natural History John Ray (1627-1705)

Biology, Molecular Oswald Avery (1877-1955)
George Wells Beadle (1903-1989)

Botany Otto Brunfels (1488–1534)
Carolus Clusius (1526-1609)
Carol Linnaeus (1707-1778)

Calculus Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Calculus, Infinitesimal Pierre de Fermat (c. 1607-1665)
Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716)

Cardiology William Harvey (1578-1657)

Chemistry Robert Boyle (1627-1691)

Chemistry, Agricultural Joseph Henry Gilbert (1817-1901)

Chemistry, Isotopic William Ramsay (1852-1916)

Chemistry, Nuclear Otto Hahn (1879-1968)

Chemistry, Organic Thomas Anderson (1819-1874)

Chemistry, Physical Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839-1903)

Computer Science Charles Babbage (1792-1871)
George Boole (1815-1864)

Cryology Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)

Cytology Robert Hooke (1635-1703)
Jean Baptiste Carnoy (1836–1899)

Dimensional Analysis Lord Rayleigh (1842-1919)

Dynamics Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

Ecology Carol Linnaeus (1707-1778)

Electrical Engineering William Gilbert (1544-1603)
Michael Faraday (1791-1867)
Thomas Edison (1847-1931)

Electrochemistry Alessandro Volta (1745-1827)
Humphrey Davy (1778-1829)
Michael Faraday (1791-1867)

Electrodynamics André-Marie Ampère (1775-1836)
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)

Electromagnetics André-Marie Ampère (1775-1836)
Michael Faraday (1791-1867)
Joseph Henry (1797-1878)
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)

Electronics Michael Faraday (1791-1867)
John Ambrose Fleming (1849-1945)

Electrophysiology John Eccles (1903-1997)

Embryology Julius Caesar Aranzi (1529-1589)
William Harvey (1578-1657)
Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694)

Energetics Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)
Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839-1903)

Entomology William Kirby (1759-1850)

Entomology, of Living Insects Henri Fabre (1823-1915)

Epidemiology Girolamo Fracastoro (1478-1553)

Evolution / Natural Selection Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

Field Theory Michael Faraday (1791-1867)

Fluid Mechanics George Stokes (1819-1903)

Gas Dynamics Robert Boyle (1627-1691)

Genetics Gregor Mendel (1822-1884*)

Genetics, Clinical Medical Victor A. McKusick (1921-2008)

Genetics, Population Ronald Fisher (1890-1962)

Geology Blessed Nicolas Steno (1638-1686*)
James Hutton (1726-1797)

Geometry, Analytical René Descartes (1596-1650)
Pierre de Fermat (c. 1607-1665)

Geometry, Differential Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855)

Geometry, Non-Euclidean Bernhard Riemann (1826-1866)

Geophysics Jose de Acosta (1540-1600*)

Glaciology Louis Agassiz (1807-1873)
Arnold Henry Guyot (1807-1884)

Gynecology James Simpson (1811-1870)

Histology Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694)
Marie François Xavier Bichat (1771-1802)

Hydraulics Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Hydrodynamics Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Hydrography Matthew Maury (1806-1873)

Hydrology Edme Mariotte (c. 1620-1684*)

Hydrostatics Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Ichthyology Louis Aggasiz (1807-1873)

Immunology Edward Anthony Jenner (1749-1823)
Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)

Laser Science Charles Hard Townes (b. 1915)
Arthur Schawlow (1921-1999)

Mathematical Analysis Leonhard Euler (1707-1783)

Mechanics, Celestial Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

Mechanics, Classical Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

Mechanics, Quantum Max Planck (1858-1947)
Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976)

Mechanics, Wave Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961)

Medicine, Modern William Harvey (1578-1657)

Meteorology Evangelista Torricelli (1608-1647)
Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799*)
Matthew Maury (1806-1873)

Microbiology Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680*)
Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694)
Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)

Mineralogy Georgius Agricola (1494-1555)

Mineralogy, Optical David Brewster (1781-1868)

Model Analysis Lord Rayleigh (1842-1919)

Morphology Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Nanotechnology Richard Smalley (1943-2005)

Neurology Charles Bell (1774-1842)

Number Theory Leonhard Euler (1707-1783)
Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855)

Obstetrics William Smellie (1697-1763)

Oceanography Matthew Maury (1806-1873)

Optics Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
Francesco Maria Grimaldi (1618-1663*)
James Gregory (1638-1675)
Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

Ornithology John Ray (1627-1705)

Paleontology John Woodward (1665-1728)

Paleontology, Vertebrate Georges Cuvier (1769-1832)

Pathology Marie François Xavier Bichat (1771-1802)
Thomas Hodgkin (1798-1866)

Physics, Atomic Joseph J. Thomson (1856-1940)

Physics, Classical Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

Physics, Experimental Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

Physics, Mathematical Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695)
Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

Physics, Nuclear Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937)

Physics, Particle John Dalton (1766-1844)

Physiology William Harvey (1578-1657)

Probability Theory Pierre de Fermat (c. 1607-1665)
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695)

Scientific Method Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655*)

Seismology John Michell (1724-1793)

Stellar Spectroscopy Pietro Angelo Secchi (1818-1878*)
Sir William Huggins (1824-1910)

Stratigraphy Blessed Nicolas Steno (1638-1686*)

Surgery Ambroise Paré (c. 1510-1590)

Taxonomy Carol Linnaeus (1707-1778)

Thermochemistry Antoine Lavoisier (1743-1794)

Thermodynamics James Joule (1818-1889)
Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)

Thermodynamics, Chemical Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839-1903)

Thermodynamics, Statistical James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)

Thermokinetics Humphrey Davy (1778-1829)

Transfinite Mathematics Bernard Bolzano (1781-1848*)
Augustin-Louis Cauchy (1789-1857)
Karl Weierstrass (1815-1897)
Georg Cantor (1845-1918)

Transplantology Alexis Carrel (1873-1944)
Joseph Murray (b. 1919)

Volcanology Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680*)
Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799*)
James Dwight Dana (1813-1895)

Zoology Conrad Gessner (1516-1565)

[for further reference, see: Wikipedia: “List of persons considered father or mother of a scientific field”]

34 Prominent Catholic Priest-Scientists and Mathematicians: 1500-1950

Francesco Maurolico (1494-1575; Benedictine abbot) Mathematician, astronomer.
Christopher Clavius (1538-1612; Jesuit priest) Mathematician, astronomer.
Jose de Acosta (1540-1600; Jesuit priest) Geophysicist, meteorologist.
Christopher Scheiner (1575-1650; Jesuit priest) Astronomer, optician.
Benedetto Castelli (1577-1644; Benedictine abbot) Mathematician; hydraulics.
Nicolas Zucchi (1586-1670; Jesuit priest) Optician.
Johann Baptist Cysat (c. 1587-1657; Jesuit priest) Astronomer (expert on comets).
Giovanni Battista Zupi (c. 1590-1650; Jesuit priest) Astronomer.
Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655; priest) Astronomer.
Giovanni Battista Riccioli (1598-1671; Jesuit priest) Physicist.
Jacques de Billy (1602-1679; Jesuit priest) Mathematician, critic of astrology.
Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680; Jesuit priest) Geologist, microbiologist, inventor, Egyptologist, medical theorist (infectious disease).
Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz (1606-1682; Cistercian and archbishop) Mathematics, astronomy, physics, and probability theory.
André Tacquet (1612-1660; Jesuit priest) Mathematician.
Francesco Maria Grimaldi (1618-1663; Jesuit priest) Optician.
Jean-Felix Picard (1620-1682; Jesuit priest) Geologist (size of the earth), astronomer, inventor.
Edme Mariotte (c. 1620-1684; priest) Physicist, chemist, optician, hydrology.
Francesco Lana de Terzi (c. 1631-1687; Jesuit priest) Aeronautics.
Blessed Nicolas Steno (1638-1686; bishop) Geology (particularly stratigraphy), mineralogist.
Pierre Varignon (1654-1722; Jesuit priest) Statics and mechanics.
Giovanni Girolamo Saccheri (1667-1733; Jesuit priest) Mathematician.
Jean-Antoine Nollet (1700-1770; priest) Electricity, osmosis.
Vincent Riccati (1707-1775; Jesuit priest) Mathematician.
Roger Joseph Boscovich (1711-1787; Jesuit priest) Physicist (atomic theory), astronomer, field theory.
Christian Mayer (1719-1783; Jesuit priest) Astronomer.
Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799; priest) Microbiologist, volcanologist, meteorologist, biologist.
Juan Molina (1740-1829; Jesuit priest) Biochemist; anticipator of evolution.
Giuseppe Piazzi (1746-1826; priest) Astronomer.
Bernard Bolzano (1781-1848; priest) Mathematician and philosopher of science.
Pietro Angelo Secchi (1818-1878; Jesuit priest) Astronomer (especially spectroscopy and the sun).
Gregor Johann Mendel (1822-1884; Augustinian priest) Father of genetics.
Blessed Francesco Faà di Bruno (1825-1888) Mathematician.
Armand David (1826-1900; Lazarist missionary priest) Zoologist and a botanist in China.
Monsignor Georges Lemaître (1894-1966; priest) Astronomer and mathematician; first developed the Big Bang Theory in cosmology.

Philosophy & Science

Christian scientists

Christians and science

Faith and Reason

history of science

priest-scientists

science and Catholicism

science and Christianity

Previous Post

September 9, 2015

Was the Renaissance a Good or Bad Thing, Overall?

Next Post

September 10, 2015 Mary as the “Spouse of the Holy Spirit”: Is it Blasphemy?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category & Last Things About Me Anti-Catholicism Atheism & Agnosticism Baptism and Sacramentalism Bible and Tradition Blessed Virgin Mary Books by Dave Armstrong C. S. Lewis Calvinism & General Protestantism Catholic Apologetics Catholic Apologists Catholic conversion Catholic converts Christmas Church (Ecclesiology) Church History Conversion and Converts Development of Doctrine Eastern Orthodoxy Ecumenism & Christian Unity Eucharist & Liturgy Fathers of the Church French Translations G. K. Chesterton Hell Hell & Satan Hell & Satan & Last Things Heresies & Comparative Religion Holistic Health Inquisition & Crusades & Scandals James White Jews & Judaism & Old Testament John Calvin John Henry Newman Liberal / Modernist Theology Life Issues Literary Resume Lutheranism Mariology Martin Luther Music Orthodoxy Papacy & Infallibility Personal Page Philosophy & Science Political & Ethical & Moral Issues Protestant Persecution & Intolerance Protestantism Purgatory Purgatory & Penance Romantic & Imaginative Theology Saints & Purgatory & Penance Salvation Salvation & Justification Satan & Last Things Sexuality and Gender Issues Spanish Translations Traditionalism vs. Radical Catholic Reactionaries Traducciones al español / tradução para português Trinitarianism & Christology Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 April 2010 March 2010 December 2009 October 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 March 2009 February 2009 October 2008 September 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 May 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 October 2005 June 2005 April 2005 February 2005 July 2004 May 2004 April 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz