author
William Whiston
1667–1752
A lively early champion of Newtonian science, this English theologian and mathematician wrote for readers who wanted faith and natural philosophy to make sense together. He is still remembered for his widely read translation of Josephus and for the controversy that cost him his Cambridge chair.
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About the author
Born in 1667 in Leicestershire, William Whiston studied at Cambridge and went on to succeed Isaac Newton as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. He became known as an energetic popularizer of Newton's ideas, bringing new science to a broader public at a time when those ideas were still fresh and debated.
Whiston wrote across theology, history, astronomy, and natural philosophy. Among his best-known works are A New Theory of the Earth, which tried to reconcile biblical history with scientific explanation, and his English translation of the writings of Josephus, which remained influential for generations.
His career was also marked by religious controversy. After defending views that clashed with accepted Church doctrine, he was removed from his professorship, yet he continued publishing and debating for the rest of his life. That mix of scientific curiosity, theological boldness, and relentless public argument makes him a striking figure in the intellectual world of early eighteenth-century Britain.