Can you please tell me when and how you came to know Father Stanley Jaki and/or his work?
In 2001, I reviewed the updated edition of The Savior of Science, one of Jaki’s most significant works, for an English journal. This led me to get in touch with Jaki himself, as well as with Antonio Colombo, his closest collaborator. I continued reading Jaki’s writings, and their arguments steadily convinced me of the importance of his critique of the dogmatic assumptions underlying modern science.
What would you highlight from Jaki’s work that you consider to be very relevant in today’s world?
The Catholic faith is indisputably under attack in the contemporary world. One of the most prominent criticisms directed at Catholics is the false notion that science represents the only reliable form of knowledge, while Christian faith lacks empirical support. In all his works, Jaki rigorously examined the limitations of science and emphasized the Christian roots of scientific thought.
What do you think is the reason why Jaki is being rediscovered today?
The renewed interest in Jaki’s work stems primarily from the inability of scientific discourse—and, more broadly, of naturalist approaches to knowledge—to address the deeper needs of the human person. Human thought is inherently oriented toward meaning and purpose, which transcend the scope of science, as they are not grounded in quantifiable data.
How is your research area related to Jaki’s work?
Since 2001, I have published several works and participated in various conferences on Jaki’s thought. My most significant contribution to the study of his views is the book Stanley Jaki: Science and Faith in a Realist Perspective (IF Press, Rome, 2019). This volume is a collection of essays originally published in various English-language philosophical journals.
Alessandro Giostra is a teacher of Philosophy and History in Italian high schools and the author of approximately 210 publications—including books and articles—on the history of science, the history of philosophy, and contemporary history. He has maintained a long-standing interest in the relationship between science and the Christian faith, which explains the prominent role that Jaki’s thought has played in his personal research. His published works include:
- Stanley Jaki: science and faith in a realist perspective, IF Press, Rome 2019.
- Stanley Jaki and the Medieval Christian Thought, in Faith, Science and Community. Studies in Honor of the 52th International Eucharistic Congress, Budapest 2021, pp. 453-462.
- The rationality of miracles, in Reviews in Religion & Theology, Vol. 26 Issue 4 2019, pp. 545-552.
- Theology and Science in Copernicus’ Universe, Scientia et Fides, n. 9, Vol. 1, 2021, pp. 131-147.