Religion vs. Science: What Religious People Really Think

TLDR

The study examines the relationship between science and religion, noting that while conflict is limited to a few areas and largely concerns morality, knowledge of how religious people perceive science remains incomplete and largely based on case studies. The authors aim to identify the underlying causes of conflict, assess the prevalence of divisions, and explore ways to bridge gaps between science and religion.

Abstract

In Religion vs. Science: What Religious People Really Think, Elaine Howard Ecklund and Christopher P. Scheitle provide a fresh look at an old problem, namely, how do people understand the relationship between science and religion? Once thought to represent opposing frameworks for organizing social life, sociologists now mostly agree that conflict between science and religion is limited to a few areas (like evolution), and that it is largely about morality rather than epistemology. Yet, our understanding of how religious people think about science is spotty. And much of what we do know comes from case studies, leaving unanswered pressing questions about wider patterns in perceptions of these two critical sources of knowledge and values. While not necessarily incompatible, there are real tensions between scientific and faith communities. What are the bases of conflict, and how widespread are the divisions? Perhaps more important, how can the fissures be overcome? Religion vs. Science takes on these questions and more.