Quakers, Jews, and Science: Religious Responses to Modernity and the Sciences in Britain, 1650-1900 - Hardcover

...a fascinating picture of the interactions and interrelations of science and religion in a way that has been rarely explored. For the nuances and varying facets of this intriguing history, the reader is advised to read the book. (Ruth Watts Quaker Studies)

Cantor's book is a masterly piece of research. There can be no doubt that it will stand the test of time as a definitive account of Quaker and Jewish views of science. There is a dizzying variety of sources, and particularly strong use of the periodical press. This counts as an important intervention in the study of science and religion. (Sujit Sivasundaram, Nuncius)

excellent new book...Cantor skilfully reveals the role of religious communities in shaping attitudes towards science and scientific practice, constantly demonstrating the importance of local contexts and contingencies...I enthusiastically recommend Quakers, Jews, and Science not only to historians of the particular subject matter, but to all those interested in the broad questions of the interaction of science and local culture. (Matthew Stanley, BJHS)

[Cantor] has opened a new way of viewing the history of science and religion - as a single symphony, with unexpected harmonies. (Roy MacLeod, The English Historical Review)

Cantor has provided an invaluable contribution towards achieving a proper historical understanding of science in its relationship to religion. (Frank A. J. L. James, THES)

Here is a book to make us think about the members of minority religious communities who took an interest in science during its formative decades...[an] important book (The Friend)

How do science and religion interact? This study examines the ways in which two minorities in Britain - the Quaker and Anglo-Jewish communities - engaged with science. Drawing on a wealth of documentary material, much of which has not been analysed by previous historians, Geoffrey Cantor charts the participation of Quakers and Jews in many different aspects of science: scientific research, science education, science-related careers, and scientific institutions. The responses of both communities to the challenge of modernity posed by innovative scientific theories, such as the Newtonian worldview and Darwin's theory of evolution, are of central interest.