Our Approach

Writing a short biography is challenging because the same facts can be arranged into very different narrative structures, each shaped by its own ideological assumptions. At least four unhelpful patterns often appear in biographical writing. One is the smooth, heroic arc: student, achievement, honor, and finally the marble statue. Another is the narrative of struggle against obstacles or class prejudice. A third invents an imagined “oppressed” figure who supposedly resists those blocking progress. And finally, the allegedly anti‑hagiographical approach—a kind of neutral fairness—that casts a man into an abstract mold bearing little resemblance to his real self.

The fairest method, we believe, is different: to identify the inner motives that actually moved a man forward. Ultimately, the task comes down to discerning the deep motives that drove his life—his general direction, his professional aims, and the force with which he pursued difficult problems (cf. Collingwood, Essay on Metaphysics, 285). In real life, success often arrived to these men unexpectedly, or was interpreted by them as coincidence—something they never fully anticipated in its later magnitude. What mattered was that he advanced step by step, doing the best he could, driven by convictions rooted deep within him.

Our key proposal is then, for a number of brilliant men, these inner motives were profoundly Christian and Biblical—specifically, a deep seated desire to serve God since childhood. This produced a determined work ethic. Yes, they sought scientific truth, but this never overshadowed their conviction that God is Truth itself (Jn. 14:6).

In each case, we must confirm whether this assumption is true in the life of a scientist in the surviving evidence: how they treated their families, friends, colleagues, and students; the testimony of those who knew them; the letters they wrote; and the subjects that occupied their thoughts and affections. These traces reveal the motives that animated their lives.

This is the philosophy we adopt because we believe it is the most just and accurate way to follow the development of a scientist. With this in mind, we now turn to a concise biography that radiates outward from a man’s inner motives.