Geocentric theory

In ancient times, you could not have as much knowledge about the universe given the limited observation technology that was available at that time. Given the little that could be known about the exterior of the Earth, it was thought that our planet was the center of the universe and that the rest of the plants together with the Sun revolved around us. This is known as geocentric theory and its creator was Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer who lived in 130 AD

In this article you will learn everything about geocentric theory and its characteristics. You will also be able to know which theory brought down this one.

Earth as the center of the universe

Human beings have spent thousands and thousands of years looking at the stars. The conception of the universe has been modified so many times that it could be enumerated. At first the Earth was thought to be flat and surrounded by the Sun, the Moon, and the stars.

With the passage of time it was known that the stars they weren't spinning and that some of them were planets like Earth. It was also understood that the Earth was round and some explanations began to be given about the movement of celestial bodies.

The theory that explained the movement of celestial bodies as a function of the position of our planet was the geocentric theory. This theory explained how the Sun and the moon together with the rest of the planets revolved around us in the sky. And, just like you look at the horizon and see something flat that makes you think that the Earth is flat, thinking that the Earth is the center of the universe is also something natural.

For ancient people this is very understandable. You only have to look at the sky to see how the Sun moves throughout the day, along with the stars and the moon. Without being able to see our planet from the outside, it is impossible to know that the Earth is not the center of the universe. For the observer on the surface, he was a fixed point that watched the rest of the cosmos circulate.

The belief of geocentric theory was later overthrown by the heliocentric theory proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus.

Characteristics of geocentric theory

It is a model that makes up the universe in relation to the position of the Earth. Among the basic statements of this theory we find:

• Earth is the center of the universe. It is the rest of the planets that are in motion on it.
• Earth is a fixed planet in space.
• It is a unique and special planet if we compare it with the rest of the celestial bodies. This is because it does not move and has unique characteristics.

In the Bible the statement that the Earth is a special planet with unique characteristics can be observed in the first chapter of Genesis. The rest of the planets were created on the fourth day of creation. For this reason, God had already created the Earth with the rest of the continents, had formed the oceans and produced the vegetation on the surface. After that, he focused on creating the rest of the Solar system. In the bible the idea that the creation of the Earth was very different from the rest of the planets, the Milky Way, etc. is totally clear.

So far, all the efforts of science to try to find life on another planet is failing. While on our planet there is a lot of biodiversity and ecosystems with a lot of life, on other planets in space there seems to be no life of any kind. They are hostile environments. All this indicates that the Earth had different creation conditions than the rest and that it is for this reason that we are at the center of the universe.

Although it seems contradictory, in the Bible it does not say anywhere that the Earth is the center of the universe, it only claims to be created in a special context.

Affirmations of the Bible

Other evidence for this in the Bible is that it is not stated whether the universe is finite or infinite. According to geocentric theory, the universe ends in the wall of fixed stars. Beyond this layer of stars there is nothing. At no time will has said or given explanations about whether or not the Earth moves through space in Genesis. All this type of information would be necessary to contrast it with the Bible to know to what extent it affirms the position of the Earth and the formation of the universe.

The physical form of the universe is a scientific topic that attracts researchers quite a bit. However, this does not matter biblically. Given the In the Bible nothing is explained about the physical aspects of the Earth and the formation of the universe, we cannot claim that there is a biblical point of view.

Geocentric and heliocentric theory

These two theories are completely different, as they are models that look at astronomy with different patterns. While geocentrism claims that the Earth is the center of the universe, Heliocentrism states that it is the Sun that has a fixed position and the rest of the planets, including ours, are rotating around it.

Although Aristotle is related to this theory, it is Ptolemy who wrote it in the Almagest. Here various theories of planetary movements were compiled, including the use of epicycles that helped describe the orbits. This system was modified and became more complex since it was in force for 14 centuries. By the time Nicolaus Copernicus created the heliocentric theory, he only exchanged the Earth for the Sun as the center of the universe.

Both theories are wrong in the fact that the universe ends at the wall of fixed stars. Today it is known that the universe is infinite and that there is much beyond our Solar System.

As you can see, notions about outer space change as technology increases. I hope this information helps you to know more about geocentric theory.