Bernard Lightman, Author at International Research Network for the Study of Science and Belief in Society

a black and white picture of Bernie Lightman

S3 Episode 2: Reflections on the History of Science & Religion with Prof. Bernard Lightman

In this episode (our first recorded in-person) we talk with distinguished historian of science Professor Bernard Lightman. We discuss his wide-ranging contributions to the historical study of science and religion, from his early work on the origins of agnosticism, to his views on more recent shifts and trends in the field – and the differences between T.H. Huxley and Richard Dawkins. (This episode was recorded in October 2022) This podcast is 53 minutes and 59 seconds long. The keywords associated with this episode are: To learn more about Prof Lightman’s work, we recommend you check out: Lightman, B. (2001). Victorian sciences and religions: Discordant harmonies. Osiris, 16, 343-366. Lightman, B. (2009). Victorian Popularizers of Science. University of Chicago Press. Lightman, B. (2010). Darwin and the Popularization of Evolution. Notes and Records of the Royal Society, 64(1), 5-24. Lightman, B. (2012) Does the History of Science and Religion Change Depending on the Narrator? Some Atheist and Agnostic Perspective. Science &

Newspaper cartoon from 1875 depicting Draper wearing Eastern costume

Tyndall, Draper, and “Eastern” Religions

By Bernard Lightman When John Tyndall, well known physicist and superintendent of the prestigious Royal Institution, delivered his “Belfast Address” in 1874 as President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science he touched off a storm of controversy that lasted for several years. The lecture was a tour de force, covering the entire history of science and its complicated relationship to philosophical materialism, particularly with reference to three new areas of research in nineteenth century science: the conservation of energy in physics, the theory of evolution in biology, and developments in the study of physiological psychology. Near the end of the lecture Tyndall argued forcefully for the intellectual autonomy of science. Any systems which infringed “upon the domain of science,” including theological systems, must “submit to its control.”

Evolution as a Trojan Horse

By Bernard Lightman With the benefit of hindsight, we can now see that over the course of the past 150 years a remarkable reversal has taken place. Whereas once the investigation of nature had derived status from its intimate connections with the more elevated disciplines of ethics and theology, increasingly during the twentieth century these latter disciplines have humbly sought associations with science in order to bask in its reflected glory—whence bioethics and science-and-religion. Professor Peter Harrison In July 2019 I attended a fascinating colloquium at Cambridge titled “After Science and Religion.” It was organised by Paul Tyson and Peter Harrison of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Queensland. The ambitious goal was to straighten out Christian theology’s relationship with modern science. The overwhelming majority of those present were theologians. Peter and I were the two token historians. It was an intense two days