David Charles Lindberg (November 15, 1935 – January 6, 2015) was an American

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

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 late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

and early modern science, especially

physical science Physical science is a branch of natural science that studies non-living systems, in contrast to life science. It in turn has many branches, each referred to as a "physical science", together called the "physical sciences". Definition Phys ...

and the

relationship between religion and science The relationship between religion and science involves discussions that interconnect the study of the natural world, history, philosophy, and theology. Even though the ancient and medieval worlds did not have conceptions resembling the modern u ...

. 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 The History of Science Society (HSS) is the primary professional society for the academic study of the history of science. It was founded in 1924 by George Sarton, David Eugene Smith, and Lawrence Joseph Henderson, primarily to support the publi ...

and in 1999 was recipient of its Sarton medal.

Early life and education

Lindberg was born on November 15, 1935, in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

. He would go on to obtain a degree in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which ...

from

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

and a Ph.D. in

history and philosophy of science The history and philosophy of science (HPS) is an academic discipline that encompasses the philosophy of science and the history of science. Although many scholars in the field are trained primarily as either historians or as philosophers, there ...

from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

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 A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

. 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 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Olga and Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died on April 26, 1922. The organization awards Guggenheim Fellowships to professionals who have demonstrated exceptional ...

, the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...

, 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), located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States, is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent schola ...

in Princeton, New Jersey, the

, the

Medieval Academy of America The Medieval Academy of America (MAA; spelled Mediaeval until c. 1980) is the largest organization in the United States promoting the field of medieval studies. It was founded in 1925 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The academy publishes ...

, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. With

Ronald Numbers Ronald Leslie Numbers (born 1942) is an American historian of science. He was awarded the 2008 George Sarton Medal by the History of Science Society for "a lifetime of exceptional scholarly achievement by a distinguished scholar". Biography ...

, 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 Northwestern University alumni Indiana University alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty American historians of religion Historians of science Writers from Indiana Historians from Indiana Historians from Illinois Historians from Wisconsin 1935 births 2015 deaths Fellows of the Medieval Academy of America