Museum of the Bible - Part VIII - The Impact of the Bible In the World

The BIBLE'S Influence spread from its Middle Eastern origins to surrounding cultures and eventually to Europe, America, Asia, and Africa.

Today the Bible's far-reaching impact can be discovered worldwide.  Its presence can be discerned in art, literature, film, music, and much more.  Its ideas of compassion and justice influence social and political systems.  The exhibits here illuminate the Bible's role in the world and explore how knowledge of the Bible can provide a deeper appreciation of human nature and cultural experiences.
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This section of the museum had quite a bit going on, but I'm afraid that I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked.  It wasn't quite as much my cup of tea as other areas, being less artifact focused, and I was preoccupied for part of our time as I kept our two-month old occupied.

 Here you can see the backside of the front wall of the entryway.

These three figures represent science and the Bible working together.  In the foreground here is Isaac Newton.
"Newton (1642-1727) is considered the greatest scientist of his age, perhaps of all time.  He is renowned for his theories of motion and gravitation, which he believed were fully consistent with biblical teachings.  For Newton, to understand nature was to understand God.  The structure of the physical universe, he maintained, revealed an omnipotent God who created the world and intervenes to keep it on track."
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To the right is Galileo Galilei.
"Galileo (1564-1642), a Renaissance scientist, is famous for his defense of the heliocentric (or sun-centered) system.  At the time, most people believed the sun revolved around the earth, and they used the Bible to support their claim.  When church officials challenged Galileo's theory, he countered that the Bible was not meant to teach astronomy.  He quoted a cardinal who said that the Bible tells us 'how to go to Heaven, not how the heavens go.' "
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Of course I'd make the argument that the Bible teaches a correct view of astronomy wherever it touches on the topic.  Just because others picked verses that supported their incorrect views of science doesn't mean that the Bible actually teaches those views--it was inspired by the Creator of the universe and displays a correct understanding of the cosmos and everything in it.

 On the other side of Newton and Galileo is George Washington Carver.
"George Washington Carver (ca. 1865-1950), born into slavery, rose to prominence as a scientist, botanist, and inventor.  After graduating from Iowa State College, he became head of the agricultural department at Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama.  For Carver, the Bible was a guide to the natural world.  He often referred to his lab as "God's little workshop."
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 More on the perspective that science and the Bible are not mutually exclusive but rather are complementary.

 Verses frequently quoted and in languages from around the world.

This model shows how many religious orders have been involved in medicine over the centuries.
"Hospitals based on biblical ministries have evolved into modern health institutions.  The Nazareth Hospital, formerly part of the Edinburgh Medical Mission Society, traces its roots to 1866.  The hospital's mission is to "heal in the name of Jesus."  Today, the hospital and its School of Nursing welcome both Israelis and Palestinians.  As an institution dedicated to science, Nazareth provides a beacon of peaceful co-existence in a ruptured social landscape."
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This exhibit contains examples of many different calendars, many of which were based upon the Bible, and also explains the current year system, Anno Domini.
"Anno Domini (AD) means 'in the year of our Lord.'  The Christian calendar uses the term to number the years since the conception of Jesus.  Dionysius Exiguus, a Christian monk, invented this method of calculation around AD 525.  To create his calendar, he counted past years to a time when he thought Jesus had been conceived and then counted years forward from that point.  Previously, Roman historians had used the founding of Rome as the start of their calendar."
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"Many universities today were established on the teachings of the Bible.  Some were originally created by religious orders but evolved into secular universities.  They can be found in every part of the world."
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This quiz was a great example of the integration of technology into the exhibit as visitors were challenged to a quiz about the Bible.

Here you can see some models and artwork from beautiful church buildings around the world.


This video from Museum of the Bible covers the area described above, including some areas in more detail since I didn't photograph them.



All of the pictures that I took in this exhibit and the preceding one can be found in my MOTB - The Impact of the Bible album.

Tomorrow's post will conclude this coverage of our Museum of the Bible visit.

~Matt