A follower of Pierre Gassendi or his philosophical and scientific theories, which combined empiricism with religious faith.
From Pierre Gassendi (French philosopher, 1592-1655) plus -ist (suffix denoting follower). Named directly after the historical figure and his intellectual movement.
Gassendists were 17th-century philosophers who believed observation and experiment—not pure reason—revealed nature's truths, making them intellectual ancestors of modern science who also kept their faith intact.
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