As the fifth day of July this year marked the 330th anniversary of the publication of Sir Issac Newton’s monumental Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, it seems appropriate that a new book about him should be published only a few days later. However rather than focusing on his mathematical ideas, this one takes his religious ones as its subject.

Professor Robert Iliffe‘s Priest of Nature; The Religious Worlds of Isaac Newton from Oxford University Press examines Newton’s remarkably non-conformist ideas about theology, the structure, history, and role of the Christian church, and a number of other topics about which Newton wrote – many of which could have cost him dearly.

And for those who may not think themselves quite yet up to such a full and in-depth look into Newton’s mind, it is worth noting that Professor Iliffe is also the author of Newton; A Very Short Introduction; just the thing for those wishing to brush up their knowledge of Newton prior to taking up this most recent work.

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