Some of the greatest scientists in modern history were also people of tremendous faith. Season 2 of Great in God’s Sight kicks off with renowned astronomer Johannes Kepler. Although his heart was set on becoming a minister, God had other plans for this scientific and mathematical genius.

<p>Some of the greatest scientists in modern history were also people of tremendous faith. Season 2 of Great in God’s Sight kicks off with renowned astronomer Johannes Kepler. Although his heart was set on becoming a minister, God had other plans for this scientific and mathematical genius.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

GYC Southeast

Rhonda Grakov

Great in God's Sight Season 2

Johannes Kepler: Thinking God’s Thoughts

Blaise Pascal: Where Faith and Reason Intersect

Sir Robert Boyle: Christian Virtuoso

Sir Isaac Newton: On the Shores of the Ocean of Truth

The Celestial Railroad: Part 1

The Celestial Railroad: Part 2

The Celestial Railroad: Part 3

The Celestial Railroad: Part 4

Johann Sebastian Bach: This Art Still Lives

John Bunyan: Progress in Prison


Hello and welcome to Greating God's Sight, the podcast that explores underrated heroes. This is Season 2, and we're so glad you've joined us for this episode entitled Johannes Kepler, Thinking God's Thoughts. Please be sure to subscribe and check out the terrific artwork that goes along with today's story on our website, thegreatpodcast.org. Thanks for listening! It was an inky black night, but in the dim light of a crescent moon 1 could just make out the silhouette of a man with telescope pointed to the heavens.

His eye remained glued to the scope as he delicately adjusted the dials and peered into the dark oblivion, seeking the celestial objects of his research. Thus, Johannes Kepler scanned the star-studded heavens all night, returning his attention to Earth only long enough to occasionally scribble some notes. Kepler was not the first person to use a telescope or study the stars and planets, yet over the course of his scrupulous research and mathematical calculations, he made many original contributions to astronomy. His work laid the foundation for many future scientists, most notably Sir Isaac Newton. But now, the first streaks of dawn were visible in the sky, and Johannes Kepler's night of observation came to an end.

He quickly scooped up his notes and instruments and rushed off to teach a class in mathematics. So continued the life of a busy professor who conducted research in whatever spare time he could scrape together. Born in southwestern Germany in 1571, Johannes Kepler grew up in the shadow of Europe's Reformation. He entered life encumbered with several disadvantages, including a sickly constitution, family poverty, and an unsupportive father. However, even as a youth, his intelligence and genius for mathematics did not go unnoticed, and he earned a Ducal scholarship to study at a prestigious Lutheran University.

Although Johannes was in school to become a Lutheran minister, he studied a broad range of subjects. His mathematics professor secretly introduced him to the writings of Nicolaus Copernicus. This had to be done covertly because Copernicus was a controversial figure and had been branded a heretic. He was the first scientist to argue that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the solar system. We now accept this as a basic fact, but It was a scandalous notion in Kepler's day.

However, Johannes Kepler cared more for truth than popular opinion, and he embraced the Copernican model. At this point in his life, Kepler had every intention of becoming a Lutheran pastor. That was the end goal of his studies. Astronomy and mathematics, although he was terrifically good at them, were merely extraneous activities. However, when he was 23 years old, Johannes was offered a position as a mathematics teacher at a Lutheran school in Austria.

He accepted the job. Later he said, I wanted to be a theologian. For a long time I was unhappy. But now I see how God is by my endeavors, also glorified in astronomy, for the heavens declare the glory of God." Several years later, Kepler went to study under Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer and imperial mathematician of the Holy Roman Empire. By all accounts, Kepler's new mentor was an especially flamboyant figure.

He wore a shiny brass nose, as he had lost the original in a duel many years before. At 1 point, it appears he also kept a pet moose. However, for all his eccentricity, Tycho Brahe was an accomplished scientist, and from him Kepler received a solid foundation for his later astronomical endeavors. And when Tycho Brahe died, Johannes Kepler replaced him as imperial mathematician. Kepler's God-given intelligence resulted in numerous firsts in many fields.

He was the first to accurately define planetary motion, and the first to explain how refraction occurs in the eye. Additionally, he designed eyeglass lenses to correct nearsightedness and farsightedness. He used his aptitude for math to calculate the exact year of Jesus's birth, the date we still accept today. He discovered how the location of the moon causes tides, learned the formulas behind a functioning telescope, and coined the term satellite. But perhaps Johannes Kepler's most notable contribution was his 3 laws of planetary motion, which were as groundbreaking in their time as Newton's law of gravity.

Fascinatingly, Kepler himself didn't refer to them as laws, but rather as harmonies, mirroring God's complete design of the universe. The first law states that the planets move in elliptical orbits around the Sun. The second and third are more complex and deal with elaborate geometric calculations. The laws of planetary motion owed much to what Kepler dubbed his War with Mars, a research project aimed at defining the slippery orbit of Mars once and for all. It required several years and a thousand pages of laborious arithmetic, but Johannes Kepler succeeded, not only in correctly mapping out the path of Mars, but in discovering the truth about planetary motion as well.

While it is undeniable that Johannes Kepler possessed a brilliant mind and abundant natural talent, his faith in God was the fountain of inspiration from which he drew liberally. When Johannes was a child, his grandfather, a godly man, cared for him and nurtured this faith, which he never let go. In Johannes' eyes, all his scientific and mathematical pursuits were merely ways for him to glorify and get to know his Creator better. In his own words, The chief aim of all investigations of the external world should be to discover the rational order and harmony which has been imposed on it by God and which he revealed to us in the language of mathematics. Kepler's writings are also brimful with exclamations of praise, such as, Great is God our Lord, great is His power, and there is no end to His wisdom.

Praise Him, you heavens, glorify Him, sun and moon and you planets, For out of him and through him and in him are all things. We know, oh, so little. To him be the praise, the honor and the glory from eternity to eternity." Interestingly, 1 of Kepler's favorite Bible verses was John 1, 14. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. Perhaps it was out of awe that The creator of the limitless starry expanse he studied so passionately would stoop to come down to insignificant planet Earth.

Or perhaps it was his love of geometry and the realization that God, who transcends time, matter, and space, would accept a physical body constrained by the very laws he had ordained. Perhaps it was both. However, Johannes Kepler's deepest theological thoughts centered around the Trinity. He compared the Godhead to a geometric sphere, with God the Father at the center point, Christ the Son at the circumference, and the Holy Spirit in the intervening space. It may take a moment to visualize, but Kepler's geometric idea carries with it some complex creative beauty.

Without his faith in God, it's difficult to imagine Johannes Kepler weathering the storms of life. He was a man who knew exactly what he believed, but this sometimes got him into trouble. Although he was a firm Protestant, he refused to accept the Lutheran position that Jesus' body and blood were physically present in the communion service. Consequently, for the rest of his life, he was banned from partaking of the sacrament, which was as devastating to a Lutheran as excommunication to a Catholic. Kepler also faced real persecution from the growing Counter-Reformation, which sought to coerce Protestant believers into rejoining the Mother Church.

There were personal pressures on Kepler, such as his forced resignation from a favored teaching position, but the general hostilities between Lutherans and Roman Catholics left most of Europe in a fragile state. The 30 Years' war was raging, and at least once, Johannes Kepler would be forced to flee changing territorial boundaries. Family tragedy also struck. In 1611, when Kepler was 40, his family contracted smallpox, and his wife and 1 of his young sons died. He eventually remarried, but in all, 8 of his 12 children would die young.

His mother was accused of witchcraft and would have been tortured and burned at the stake if Johannes had not abandoned his work and spent a year fighting in her defense. Finally, the astronomer himself succumbed to a fever and passed away at the age of 58. His grave was destroyed in a skirmish shortly thereafter. However, Johannes Kepler leaves us with a rich legacy as a man who was both a great scientist and a great Christian. As he said once, "'Let my name perish if only the name of God the Father is thereby elevated.

And as for his scientific discoveries, he said, I was merely thinking God's thoughts after him. Thank you for listening to Great in God Sight, a podcast by GYC Southeast. We hope you have enjoyed this adventure through time and pray it serves to deepen your relationship with God. While we strive to bring you a unique perspective on each believer, we encourage you to use your God-given curiosity to explore these topics for yourself. Please remember to hit the subscribe button and share this episode with your friends via text or social media.

You never know who might be encouraged! Until next time, we wish you God's blessing as you seek to be great in His sight too.

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Great in God's Sight Season 2

Johannes Kepler: Thinking God’s Thoughts

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Parent Series

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Other Teachings in Series

Johannes Kepler: Thinking God’s Thoughts

11m

Blaise Pascal: Where Faith and Reason Intersect

10m

Sir Robert Boyle: Christian Virtuoso

11m

Sir Isaac Newton: On the Shores of the Ocean of Truth

11m

The Celestial Railroad: Part 1

13m

The Celestial Railroad: Part 2

13m

The Celestial Railroad: Part 3

11m

The Celestial Railroad: Part 4

13m

Johann Sebastian Bach: This Art Still Lives

13m

John Bunyan: Progress in Prison

9m

Sound Doctrine