No later than the fourth day of the academic week, please respond to this thread by writing a thorough and thoughtful 300 word essay that addresses each item in one of the following question sets:

1. The progress of logic and knowledge of the physical world during the Scientific Revolution was constantly at odds with the oppositional force of religion and mysticism. How were average Europeans, and the scientists themselves, affected by the dilemma created by these forces?  
2. What were the conditions necessary to advance astronomical knowledge from Copernicus to Newton? How did they develop during the seventeenth century?
3. How do the following quotations illustrate the tension between science and religion in the Renaissance? How did new cosmological discoveries contribute to the establishment of the Church?
   • “The Bible shows the way to go to heaven, not the way the heavens go.” – Galileo Galilei
   • “In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.” – Galileo Galilei
4. One of our themes this semester is that before several transformations, people looked to the past in order to make sense of their universe; people lived in a world with little change; people were not particularly optimistic. All of this changed, however, over the course of several centuries. In the readings so far this semester, where do you see people beginning to look to other sources than an authority from the past; beginning to experience and expect more and more change in their lives; and beginning to expect the future to be better than the present? This question will appear again in Week 8.
5. Drawing on the readings, describe a day in the life of one of the following 16th-19th century people. You may use your historical imagination to prepare your post, but make sure you use the readings to provide evidence for the details you include in your account. You may cite from credible outside sources in addition to the required readings. Remember to cite the required readings at least 3 times.
   • Ruler
   • Church Authority – Protestant or Catholic – This can include a monk or nun, for anyone in the Church was seen as an authority by many in society.  
   • Intellectual – Scientist, Philosopher, Scholar, Writer, Musician, etc.
   • Merchant
   • Peasant / Farmer (The transition occurs in this period for most.)

Your Initial Post is expected to be a 300 word prose essay, with a thesis statement and 2-5 paragraphs supporting and explaining the thesis. Remember to base your response on information and analysis from the readings. Cite the required readings at least 3 times, and cite broadly from a broad range, not the same reading 3 times. Explain what you learned in your own words,and do your best to synthesize the authors’ analyses into your own original analysis; do not rely exclusively on quotations from the readings to make your points. Please change the title of your post to something unique. Note which question you choose to answer. 

Your Initial Post should be up by the fourth day of the academic week. 

So that our discussion is thoughtful and sustained, each peer response must be at least 100 words in length. Your Peer Responses should be posted by the last day of the academic week.