David Charles Lindberg (November 15, 1935 – January 6, 2015) was an American historian of science. His main focus was in the history of

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

and early modern science, especially physical science and the relationship between religion and science. Lindberg was the author or editor of many books and received numerous grants and awards. He also served as president of the History of Science Society and in 1999 was the recipient of its Sarton medal.

Early life and education

Lindberg was born on November 15, 1935, in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, Minnesota. He would go on to obtain a degree in physics from

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

and a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

in history and philosophy of science from Indiana University Bloomington.

Biography

Lindberg was the Hilldale Professor Emeritus of History of Science and past director of the Institute for Research in the Humanities, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Lindberg was the author or editor of more than a dozen books, received grants and awards from organizations that included the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the

National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...

, the

Institute for Advanced Study The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry located in Princeton, New Jersey. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent scholars, including Albert Ein ...

in Princeton, New Jersey, the History of Science Society, the Medieval Academy of America, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. With Ronald Numbers, he co-edited two anthologies on the relationship between religion and science. Also with Numbers, Lindberg was general editor of the eight-volume Cambridge History of Science and with Michael Shank editor of its volume on medieval science. He served as president of the History of Science Society and was awarded its highest prize for lifetime scholarly achievement: the Sarton medal.

Selected publications

*''John Pecham and the Science of Optics: Perspectiva Communis'' (1970) *''Theories of Vision from al-Kindi to Kepler'' (1976) ASIN B000OPS4RC; (1996) *''Science in the Middle Ages'' (1978) *''Studies in the History of Medieval Optics'' (1983) *''Roger Bacon's Philosophy of Nature'' (1983) ; (1997) *''The Genesis of Kepler's Theory of Light: Light Metaphysics from Plotinus to Kepler'' (1976) ASIN B00073BMM0 *''God and Nature'' (editor, with Ronald Numbers) (1986) *''Reappraisals of the Scientific Revolution'' (editor, with Robert S. Westman) (1990) *'' The Beginnings of Western Science, 600 B.C. to A.D. 1450'' (1992) *''Roger Bacon and the Origins of Perspectiva in the Middle Ages'' (1996) *''When Science and Christianity Meet'' (editor, with Ronald Numbers) (2003)

References

External links

Archived academic homepage
* ttp://gundersonfh.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=377097#/obituaryInfo Obituary {{DEFAULTSORT:Lindberg, David 1935 births 2015 deaths Northwestern University alumni Indiana University Bloomington alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty American historians of religion American historians of science Writers from Indiana Historians from Indiana Historians from Illinois Historians from Wisconsin Fellows of the Medieval Academy of America