Astrology as Heresy in Contemporary Belief
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12901329 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Garry Phillipson (University of Wales Trinity Saint David, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 12-30 |
| Publication date | 2019-05-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal for the Study of Religion Nature and Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1749-4907 • E-ISSN: 1749-4915 |
| Publisher | Equinox Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1558/jsrnc.38056 |
| OpenAlex | W2944752416 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
Astrology has been characterised as a heresy by many Christian thinkers, from the time of the early Church Fathers to the present day. In contemporary discourse, astrology is often treated as if it were a heresy against science. I provide examples of astrologers being treated as heretics in the name of science, and an alternative conception of astrology as a form of divination, not dependent on scienti?c substantiation. I argue that the ‘astrology’ often criticised in the name of science may be de?ned as much by scientism’s need for a construction to de?ne itself against, as by the actual views of horoscopic astrologers. The emerging picture is that criticisms of astrology are typically based on a mixture of legitimate objections and scientistic belief. I conclude that scientism’s unspoken aspiration to orthodoxy emerges through the parallels between its approach to astrology and that of the Church
Astrology · Divination · Epistemology · Heresy · Orthodoxy · Parallels · Scientism · Theology · Evolution and Science Education · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · Philosophy · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |