Johannes Kepler Research Paper

The story of Johannes Kepler is the life of an earthbound explorer of the cosmos. As a sickly child Kepler grew into a prominent scholar who helped developed the way we view the starry abyss above. Johannes Kepler is a cosmos driven scholar who lived in a developing secular world and whose works have made his legacy immortal. Johannes Kepler lived through a period where state and government were one and the church had huge influence over all aspects of life. The Holy Roman empire was a conglomeration of territories who swore fidelity to the pope. The pope controlled those who were in the Holy Roman Empire which made pope the most influential person in Europe. The Pope had immense power which meant the Holy Roman Empires grip was tight and very

“It was a time of upheaval, superstition, and fear – a time when court astrologers were powerful, and the stars were thought to predict and guide one's destiny.” (The Astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler). Kepler faced predjudice because of his beliefs about the solar system. Kepler followed the heliocentric theory like a religion. Kepler was a curious man who questioned other ideas because questioning was the mindset during the Scientific Revolution. The Scientific Revolution was in action which started the division between secular and religious beliefs. “In 1613, Kepler was excommunicated because he believed the moon was a solid body. The Lutheran theologians said this contradicted Scripture, where the moon is described as a “lesser light to rule the night.” Since the moon is a “light,” the theologians said, it could not be a solid body.” (Excommunicated For Scientific Beliefs). Kepler was a Christian who practiced Lutheranism but did not follow everything the church said. Kepler was a firm believer in the heliocentric system. The Heliocentric theory is the idea that all the planets revolve around the Sun instead of the earth. Kepler was one of the few who believed in the heliocentric theory and faced prejudice because of it. “His belief in the Copernican concept of a heliocentric universe was a dangerous one. With the coming of the 30 Years' War, Kepler and his wife were exiled due to their Protestant beliefs.” (The Astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes