July 15, 2014 2.08 pm This story is over 116 months old

Campaign to be launched for Robert Grosseteste statue in Lincoln

The Guild of Robert Grosseteste: A Lincoln theology lecturer is calling for a statue to be erected in the city to pay tribute to “Britain’s forgotten scientist philosopher”, Robert Grosseteste.

A Lincoln theology lecturer is calling for a statue to be erected in the city to pay tribute to “Britain’s forgotten scientist philosopher”, Robert Grosseteste.

The campaign will be launched this weekend as Dr Jack Cunningham addresses leading academic figures at the third international Robert Grosseteste Conference, titled Robert Grosseteste and the pursuit of Religious and Scientific Learning in the Middle Ages

The conference, at Bishop Grosseteste University, takes place from July 18-20 and celebrates the Lincoln medieval thinker.

Dr Cunningham will launch his campaign with a petition which he hopes will be signed by scholars from all over the globe.

The Guild of Robert Grosseteste will be established soon as the driving force behind the campaign, which in turn will lend greater weight to Dr Cunningham’s campaign for Robert Grosseteste to be canonised.

He said: “Robert Grosseteste was undoubtedly the most eminent figure associated with our city. One of his most famous biographers, Sir Richard Southern, called him the greatest product of Oxford University.

“Grosseteste was revolutionary in the history of science because he knew that everything was about mathematics and that good scientists should base their knowledge on what they observe and not what they think.

“He has been called the founder of the tradition of scientific thought and a minor planet has even been named after him!

“Yet very few people have even heard of Robert Grosseteste, and even in his home city of Lincoln his name is only known because of the university which took his name.”

The Ordered Universe Project at Durham and Oxford Universities is dedicated to re-examining mediaeval science using readings of the scientific works of Robert Grosseteste; scholars are currently translating, explaining and publishing his works, which were written in Latin.

“We’re sure they will have a marvellous time in Lincoln but we will not be at all surprised if many of them go home wondering why there is no statue of the city’s greatest thinker,” added Dr Cunningham.

“It is inconceivable that this would happen if Grosseteste had been born in Paris, Madrid or Milan.

“We’re calling on the city’s authorities to mark the achievements and growing recognition of Robert Grosseteste properly. A statue or appropriate commemoration of the great scientist and philosopher would not only be a wonderful addition to our city, it would also be a fitting tribute to a hugely important figure.”