Athanasius Kircher’s Theatre of the World: His Life, Work, and the Search for Universal Knowledge

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Description

A big study of both the written and pictorial work of a neglected genius whose breadth of interest made him the last Renaissance man

• Fully examines each and 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 once the last true Renaissance man. To Kircher all of the world was once a glorious manifestation of God. His exploration was once both a scientific quest and a non secular 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 part of his vast range of knowledge. A Christian Hermeticist within 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 once 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 overpassed–an oversight now masterfully rectified by Joscelyn Godwin. It has been said that Kircher could think only in images. The stunning engravings which can be 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 the whole thing.”

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