Johannes Kepler

December 27, 1571 – November 15, 1630

Astronomer & Mathematician

Thinking God's thoughts after Him through planetary motion

Biography

German astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer who discovered the three laws of planetary motion, foundational to Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation.

Faith & Testimony

A devout Lutheran who saw his scientific work as a form of worship. He wrote, 'I was merely thinking God's thoughts after Him. Since we astronomers are priests of the highest God in regard to the book of nature, it benefits us to be thoughtful.'

Sources

Johannes Kepler — Wikipedia — Biography including his Lutheran faith and view of science as worship
Harmonices Mundi (The Harmony of the World) — Johannes Kepler — Kepler's masterwork describing planetary motion as God's geometric harmony — he wrote: 'I was merely thinking God's thoughts after Him'
Johannes Kepler: His Life, His Laws and Times — NASA — NASA profile noting Kepler's deep Lutheran faith and his conviction that studying astronomy was a form of worship