The dark side of the Scientific Revolution. The Biblical interpretation in Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton

This contribution investigates a hidden and
 surely singular – but far from marginal – aspect of
 the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century, in other
 words the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. First
 of all, this work analyzes the situation immediately
 before the advent of the fathers of the 17th Century
 Scientific Revolution like Galileo Galilei and Isaac
 Newton, starting from the Council of Trent. This
 reconstruction aims to throw light on the particular
 way that Galileo and Newton intended to approach
 the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures with respect
 to the main tendencies of the Catholic Reformation
 of biblical hermeneutics. Their way is important
 both in itself and in relation to the Scientific
 Revolution. In itself because Galileo and Newton
 elaborate original theories that are not entirely in
 agreement with the predominant views and that are
 decidedly no less interesting than their pure scientific
 theories. In relation to the Scientific Revolution
 because the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures
 is addressed in an original fashion by both Galileo
 and Newton, also with the intent of facilitating the
 spread and approval of their own scientific theories
 in their respective socio-cultural environments. The
 primacy of nature is not manifested only in contrast
 to and outside the book of Scriptures, but conditions
 the Book of Scriptures, locating it within a precise
 cultural perspective and religious sense that are by
 no means contrary to Galileo and Newton’s views