Religion and Science: The Basics

Philip Clayton is Ingraham Professor and Director of the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability at Claremont School of Theology, and affiliated faculty at Claremont Graduate University, USA. Author or editor of several dozen books, he is widely recognized internationally as a leading figure in the field of religion and science.

'Religion and Science: The Basics is a fantastic primer that engagingly conveys clear historical, scientific, and religious-ethical approaches to key topics at the intersection of western science and religions. Clayton's approach is accessible to those who are new to the topic, and it is useful and engaging for experts and teachers. Spanning topics from physics to biology and research ethics to warfare technologies, readers will find important information and questions to consider from several world religious traditions, with an emphasis on monotheisms.' Christiana Zenner, Fordham University, USA'This well-written introduction to the relationships between religion and science by a leading scholar of the field is an excellent choice for undergraduates. Compact yet comprehensive, and engaging with both Western and Eastern faiths, this guide ranges through a series of contemporary topics, including the interaction between religion and physics, biology, the mind sciences and medical ethics. A new chapter on historical and philosophical dimensions of science and religion relations complements an updated discussion of contemporary debates about belief and unbelief that resonate in popular culture. Deftly handling the warfare thesis and other models for the interaction of science and religion, the book also looks to the future of this interaction and offers incisive questions for classroom discussion.'Stephen D. Snobelen, King’s College, Halifax, Canada

• Preface1. The basic question: science or religion, or science and religion? The debate that no one can avoid A naturalist and a theist in debate Taking stock 2. Expanding the options Theism and naturalism at odds God, design, and delusion A broader (and more interesting) exchangeConstructive skepticism: Michael ShermerTheistic evolution: Francis CollinsAgnostic naturalism: Neil DeGrasse TysonNew vistas 3. Science and the world’s religionsChristianity Judaism Islam Hinduism Buddhism Conclusions and further questions to explore 4. PhysicsWhy the religious interest in cosmology? Fundamental physics Fine-tuning and the multiverse What physics does and doesn’t show 5. The biological sciencesThe origins of life Evolution and creation Are genes the fundamental units of evolution? Are humans unique? 6. The neurosciencesBrains, minds, and consciousness Can thoughts and intentions do anything? Whatever happened to the soul? Challenging the boundaries between mind and brainReligious experience7. Religion and science in historical and philosophical perspectiveThe history of religion and science Are science and religion intrinsically at war?The philosophy of science Is science really objective?Separationists and IntegrationistsChange the names, solve the problem?8. Science, technology, and ethics Stem cell research Modifying our genesEthical issues at the end of life The rights of subjects in scientific experiments and medical care Warfare technologies 9. The future of science and religionSummarizing the options Making the case for partnerships They’re your questions now... GlossaryIndex