Are there 100,000,000 creationists in the USA?
By James Riley In June, 2019, Gallup released their most recent poll of public attitudes on evolution and creation in the USA. According to their survey, 40% of the sampled US population were creationists. That is, when asked: “Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human […]
A Social Psychologist’s Journey into the Study of Science and Belief
By Jordan LaBouff Like most of us, I am often blind to my own biases – even in my research. Nothing has made that more clear to me recently than my wonderful experiences beginning to study the intersection of Science and Belief. In my first project, I was confronted by my biases about the relationship […]
Uniformity, biblical criticism and supernatural activity in the 19th century
By Nathan Bossoh In June 1887 the Canadian writer Grant Allen aptly summed up the evolution of science over the preceding fifty years in an article for the Fortnightly Review entitled “The Progress of Science from 1836 to 1886”. After providing an elaborate yet succinct overview of the immense expansion of science, Allen concluded that
Drawing boundaries: Reflections on the Science and Belief in Society conference, Birmingham 4th – 6th July, 2019
By James Riley A version of this article initially appeared on the International Society for Science & Religion website. Featured image credit: @CarolaLeicht From the 4th to 6th of July, 2019, the University of Birmingham, UK, hosted the inaugural conference of the International Research Network for the Study of Science and Belief in Society (INSBS). It was a multidisciplinary […]
How should we respond to prejudices about belief?
By Stephen H. Jones Reflections on Islamophobia: Still a Challenge for Us All The publication of The Runnymede Trust’s report Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All in 1997 was a watershed moment in the history of recognising and opposing anti-Muslim prejudice. The first British policy report to focus on the problem of Islamophobia, it is […]
One Nation, United? Science, Religion, and American Public Opinion
By Shiri Noy and Timothy L. O’Brien Debates about science and religion—whether they conflict and how they factor into public opinion, policies, and politics—are of longstanding interest to social scientists. Research in this area often examines how those in elite positions use science and religion to justify competing claims. But, more generally how do members of […]
Revelatory Evolution and Cosmological Creation Tales: when science is presented like a religion
By Will Mason-Wilkes When you sit down to watch a science documentary you’re probably expecting to learn something about science. You might even be hoping to pick up a few facts to impress your colleagues at the office or your friends at the pub. However, along with these nuggets of knowledge, a science programme will […]
Perpetuating the Myths
By Thony Christie ***This post originally appeared on The Renaissance Mathematicus on May 17th, 2017 – for the original click here*** Since the re-emergence of science in Europe in the High Middle Ages down to the present the relationship between science and religion has been a very complex and multifaceted one that cannot be reduced […]
Science and religion conflict for non-religious Britons and Canadians
By Rebecca Catto ***This original version of this post was published on the Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network website on 6th April 2017*** The “conflict thesis” is the label historians of science give to the purported essential and enduring incompatibility or clash between science and religion. However, today this thesis is considered historically inaccurate (Harrison, […]
Australian neo-Pentecostal perspectives on anthropogenic climate change
By Mairead Shanahan As the seriousness of the human impact on a changing global climate becomes evident, many religious movements are developing theological responses to such ecological issues. As one of the fastest growing Christian denominations on the globe, Pentecostal and Charismatic churches are now formulating theological positions on anthropogenic climate change. Australian neo-Pentecostal churches […]
