Athanasius Kircher's thought is complex, motivated by the reasons of his time, and references many sources (Christianity, Platonism, Pythagorism, to name only the clearest sources). It must be carefully analyzed to be understood. Kircher turns out to be a colorful character, how did not back away from criticism or engaging in certain strategies to gain recognition from his peers.
Caption
At the foot of the Divina Sophia (in Greek) :
Μηδὲν κάλλιον ἢ πάντα εἰδέναι
Athanasius translated into Latin this quotation that he attributed to Plato (p.2) :
Nil dulcius sit quam omnia scire. « Nothing is sweeter than knowing everything. »
Athanase Kircher was celebrated in his lifetime, but he became despised after his death, and eventually completelyforgotten. According to Giunia Totaro, researchers find new interest in Kircher in the mid-twentieth century, but old controversies remain, as well as a strong adherence to tradition and a lack of knowledge of thework. This gives rise to gaps, misinterpretations, or even misunderstandings. Carlos Camenjetzki explains that the work of Athanasius is troublesome for modern researchers: it does not fit in the traditional academic patterns and it is extremely difficult to understand. Calling upon forgotten notions is probably yet another drawback.
Yet, Athanasius Kircher is a scientific monument of his time. He exemplifies a model of thought from the european 17th century taking into account many widely different cultures. Many long-abandoned aspects of his work prove to be extremely interesting and useful for research.
Thus, scholars who study the work of Athanasius Kircher are likely to experience the same sensation as the Jesuit himself as he was facing the mysteries of science: both apprehension and emulation caused by a complex and fascinating monument, for which the decryption key was lost and long ago must be urgently found.