Spherical Earth….or not!

I have been involved in many discussions with so-called “Flat-Earthers”. They tend to quote the Bible verbatim and explain how these cherry-picked verses define the flatness of the earth.

1. Isaiah 40:22 – “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth…”

The Hebrew word chug used here can mean “circle” or “vault.” Some scholars argue it suggests a spherical shape, while others say it simply refers to a flat disc. Either way, it conveys the idea of completeness and order in creation.

2. Job 26:10 – “He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.”

This verse is often linked to the concept of the Earth’s terminator—the line dividing day and night. The “circle” could be seen as describing the curved horizon or the Earth’s rotation, though again, it’s poetic language.

3. Proverbs 8:27 – “When he drew a circle on the face of the deep…”

Here, wisdom is personified and present at creation. The “circle” imagery may symbolize the Earth’s shape or the divine order imposed on the chaotic waters.

4. Psalm 104:5 – “He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.”

This verse emphasizes stability rather than shape. In ancient cosmology, “foundations” were a metaphor for permanence, not literal pillars.

These verses don’t describe a globe in the modern scientific sense, but they do reflect a worldview where the Earth is ordered, bounded, and purposeful. Some theologians see this as compatible with a spherical Earth, while others view it as metaphorical.

Let’s take a quick journey through how early Christian thinkers viewed the shape of the Earth—and spoiler alert: most of them didn’t think it was flat.

What Early Christian Thinkers Believed

• Augustine of Hippo (4th–5th century): Augustine didn’t focus much on the Earth’s shape, but he didn’t oppose the idea of a spherical Earth. He was more concerned with spiritual truths than scientific models, but he acknowledged that educated people believed in a round Earth.
• Boethius (6th century): In The Consolation of Philosophy, he refers to the Earth as a sphere, echoing classical Greek thought.
• Bede the Venerable (8th century): Bede was crystal clear. In The Reckoning of Time, he wrote that the Earth is “not merely circular like a shield…but resembles more a ball, being equally round in all directions”.
• Thomas Aquinas (13th century): Aquinas accepted the Earth’s sphericity as a given, drawing on Aristotle and other classical sources. He saw no conflict between faith and reason.

Contrary to the myth that medieval Christians believed in a flat Earth, most educated thinkers in the Church accepted the Earth’s roundness. This idea was inherited from Greek philosophers like Aristotle and reinforced by observations like the curved shadow of the Earth during a lunar eclipse.

Even medieval art and maps often depicted the Earth as a sphere. For example, God is sometimes shown holding a compass, symbolizing the creation of a round world

Modern Day Thinkers

Modern thinkers overwhelmingly affirm the Earth’s roundness—not just as a scientific fact, but as a testament to centuries of observation, reasoning, and exploration. Here’s how some contemporary voices approach it:

Scientific Consensus

Physicists and astronomers like Neil deGrasse Tyson and Jason Steffen (UNLV) emphasize that the Earth’s roundness is observable and measurable. From satellite imagery to the curved shadow Earth casts on the Moon during a lunar eclipse, the evidence is overwhelming. Steffen notes that gravity naturally pulls matter into a sphere, which is why all large celestial bodies—including Earth—are round.

Historical Perspective

Writers like Ethan Siegel at Big Think debunk the myth that people in Columbus’s time believed in a flat Earth. In fact, educated people had accepted a spherical Earth since ancient Greece. Columbus wasn’t proving the Earth was round—he was just wrong about how big it was.

Philosophical Insight

Modern philosophers and educators often use the round Earth as a metaphor for critical thinking. The fact that ancient people deduced Earth’s shape without modern tools—by watching ships disappear over the horizon or observing lunar eclipses—shows the power of observation and logic.

And to Summarize…..

Many “Flat-Earthers” cite specific Bible verses as proof of a flat Earth. However, these passages—such as Isaiah 40:22, Job 26:10, Proverbs 8:27, and Psalm 104:5—use poetic and symbolic language that has been interpreted in various ways. While some view terms like “circle” as implying a flat disc, others argue they align with a spherical Earth or convey divine order rather than physical shape.

Historically, early Christian thinkers like Augustine, Boethius, Bede, and Thomas Aquinas either accepted or didn’t dispute the Earth’s roundness, often drawing from Greek philosophy. Contrary to common myth, medieval Christians largely did not believe in a flat Earth.

In modern times, scientists such as Neil deGrasse Tyson and Jason Steffen emphasize overwhelming empirical evidence for a spherical Earth, supported by satellite imagery and gravitational physics. Historians and philosophers also use the history of this belief to highlight the importance of observation, logic, and critical thinking in confronting misinformation.

Always use the Bible as your basis for anything, but be sure to not just cherry-pick verses but understand the historic and cultural context of verses and in this case scientific evidence.

Feel free to add your comments and questions.