[History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom by Andrew Dickson White]@TWC D-Link bookHistory of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom CHAPTER III 7/115
618 et seq. Wrought into this foundation, and based upon it, there was developed in the Middle Ages, mainly out of fragments of Chaldean and other early theories preserved in the Hebrew Scriptures, a new sacred system of astronomy, which became one of the great treasures of the universal Church--the last word of revelation. Three great men mainly reared this structure.
First was the unknown who gave to the world the treatises ascribed to Dionysius the Areopagite. It was unhesitatingly believed that these were the work of St.Paul's Athenian convert, and therefore virtually of St.Paul himself.
Though now known to be spurious, they were then considered a treasure of inspiration, and an emperor of the East sent them to an emperor of the West as the most worthy of gifts.
In the ninth century they were widely circulated in western Europe, and became a fruitful source of thought, especially on the whole celestial hierarchy.
Thus the old ideas of astronomy were vastly developed, and the heavenly hosts were classed and named in accordance with indications scattered through the sacred Scriptures. The next of these three great theologians was Peter Lombard, professor at the University of Paris.
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