A major study of both the written and pictorial work of a neglected genius whose breadth of interest made him the last Renaissance man • Fully examines every area of Kircher’s wide field of study and accomplishments • Magnificently illustrated with stunning engravings from Kircher’s work Jesuit, linguist, archaeologist, and exceptional scholar, Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) was the last true Renaissance man. To Kircher the entire world was a glorious manifestation of God. His exploration was both a scientific quest and a religious experience. Credited with being the first Egyptologist, his…mehr
A major study of both the written and pictorial work of a neglected genius whose breadth of interest made him the last Renaissance man • Fully examines every area of Kircher’s wide field of study and accomplishments • Magnificently illustrated with stunning engravings from Kircher’s work Jesuit, linguist, archaeologist, and exceptional scholar, Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) was the last true Renaissance man. To Kircher the entire world was a glorious manifestation of God. His exploration was both a scientific quest and a religious experience. Credited with being the first Egyptologist, his works on Egyptology, music, optics, magnetism, geology, and comparative religion were the definitive texts of their time--and yet they represent only a part of his vast range of knowledge. A Christian Hermeticist in the style of Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola, his work also examined alchemy, the Kabbalah, and the Egyptian mystery tradition exemplified by Hermes Trismegistus. The Hermetic cast of Kircher’s thought, which was foreign to the concerns of those propelling the Age of Reason, coupled with the breadth of his interests, caused many of his contributions to be widely overlooked--an oversight now masterfully rectified by Joscelyn Godwin. It has been said that Kircher could think only in images. The stunning engravings that are a distinguishing feature of his work are included here so we may fully appreciate and see for ourselves the life work, philosophy, and achievements of “the last man who knew everything.”
Educated at Cambridge and Cornell, Joscelyn Godwin, Ph.D., is a professor of music at Colgate University and the author, editor, and translator of many books on Hermeticism and music, including Cosmic Music, The Golden Thread, The Harmony of the Spheres, Arktos, and Atlantis and the Cycles of Time. Known for his translations of the works of Fabre d’Olivet and Julius Evola as well as Francesco Colonna’s Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, he lives in Hamilton, New York.
Inhaltsangabe
Preface Prologue: Interesting Times 1 Kircher's Life and Work: an Overview 2 Frontispieces 3 The Illustration of Kircher's Works 4 Antiquity Misread 5 Antiquity Preserved 6 Antiquity Imagined 7 Naturalia: Fire and Water 8 Naturalia: Air and Earth 9 Music 10 Machines of Past and Present 11 Machines: Magnetic and Optical 12 Maps and Plans 13 Exotica 14 Images of the Gods 15 Didactic Images Athanasius Kircher's Writings Bibliography of Works Cited Sources of Illustrations Index
Preface Prologue: Interesting Times 1 Kircher's Life and Work: an Overview 2 Frontispieces 3 The Illustration of Kircher's Works 4 Antiquity Misread 5 Antiquity Preserved 6 Antiquity Imagined 7 Naturalia: Fire and Water 8 Naturalia: Air and Earth 9 Music 10 Machines of Past and Present 11 Machines: Magnetic and Optical 12 Maps and Plans 13 Exotica 14 Images of the Gods 15 Didactic Images Athanasius Kircher's Writings Bibliography of Works Cited Sources of Illustrations Index
Rezensionen
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung | Besprechung von 06.12.2009Wissen Schönes Gesellschaftsspiel für die Adventssonntage: Themen suchen, zu denen sich Alleswisser Athanasius Kircher nicht geäußert hat. Man wird bis Weihnachten keins finden. Zum Trost kann man dann ja "Athanasius Kircher's Theatre of the World" von Joscelyn Godwin (Thames & Hudson, 47,99 Euro) unter den Baum legen. Es gibt im Moment vermutlich nichts Besseres, ganz sicher nichts schöner Aufgemachtes als dieses Buch. So erfreulich das ist, so deprimierend ist es gleichzeitig, weil man am liebsten gleich eine Neuauflage der Kircher'schen Originaltraktate haben möchte, die sicher auch deshalb die ersten wissenschaftlichen Bestseller waren, weil Kircher, der, schon weil er im Vatikan etwa die Rolle spielte, die bei James Bond "Q" innehat, selber nicht anders als in Bildern dachte, sie dermaßen üppig durchillustrieren ließ, dass man Comics des abendländischen Denkens vor sich zu haben meint. Und nein: Auch "das Internet" ist nicht die richtige Antwort. Kannte Kircher natürlich schon. Schrieb: "Alles ist durch geheime Knoten miteinander verbunden." Und ja: Godwin schreibt genauso angelsächsisch cool, wie ein derart katholisch überkochender Gegenstand es verdient hat.
