John Hedley Brooke – författare

Because the claim of universalism is associated with Western science, it is often taken for granted that, when exported, scientific knowledge simply diffuses unchanged into other regions. But what really happens when the science of one culture encounters that of another or becomes enmeshed in a different set of values? All too often scholars of science and religion have focused their attention almost exclusively on the Christian experience, mentioning Jews and Muslims only in passing. At a time when religious ignorance and misunderstanding have lethal consequences, such provincialism must be avoided. The wide range of possibilities in the study of science and religion makes it particularly desirable to look at both fields not parochially but around the world, and the goal of this book is to expand the knowledge of science and religion beyond its largely Christian base to include not only the other Abrahamic faiths but the indigenous traditions of Africa and Asia.

Because the claim of universalism is associated with Western science, it is often taken for granted that, when exported, scientific knowledge simply diffuses unchanged into other regions. But what really happens when the science of one culture encounters that of another or becomes enmeshed in a different set of values? All too often scholars of science and religion have focused their attention almost exclusively on the Christian experience, mentioning Jews and Muslims only in passing. At a time when religious ignorance and misunderstanding have lethal consequences, such provincialism must be avoided. The wide range of possibilities in the study of science and religion makes it particularly desirable to look at both fields not parochially but around the world, and the goal of this book is to expand the knowledge of science and religion beyond its largely Christian base to include not only the other Abrahamic faiths but the indigenous traditions of Africa and Asia.

The past quarter-century has seen an explosion of interest in the history of science and religion. But all too often the scholars writing it have focused their attention almost exclusively on the Christian experience, with only passing reference to other traditions of both science and faith. At a time when religious ignorance and misunderstanding have lethal consequences, such provincialism must be avoided and, in this pioneering effort to explore the historical relations of what we now call "science" and "religion," the authors go beyond the Abrahamic traditions to examine the way nature has been understood and manipulated in regions as diverse as ancient China, India, and sub-Saharan Africa. Science and Religion around the World also provides authoritative discussions of science in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- as well as an exploration of the relationship between science and the loss of religious beliefs. The narratives included in this book demonstrate the value of plural perspectives and of the importance of location for the construction and perception of science-religion relations.

The past quarter-century has seen an explosion of interest in the history of science and religion. But all too often the scholars writing it have focused their attention almost exclusively on the Christian experience, with only passing reference to other traditions of both science and faith. At a time when religious ignorance and misunderstanding have lethal consequences, such provincialism must be avoided and, in this pioneering effort to explore the historical relations of what we now call "science" and "religion," the authors go beyond the Abrahamic traditions to examine the way nature has been understood and manipulated in regions as diverse as ancient China, India, and sub-Saharan Africa. Science and Religion around the World also provides authoritative discussions of science in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- as well as an exploration of the relationship between science and the loss of religious beliefs. The narratives included in this book demonstrate the value of plural perspectives and of the importance of location for the construction and perception of science-religion relations.

John Hedley Brooke offers an introduction and critical guide to one of the most fascinating and enduring issues in the development of the modern world: the relationship between scientific thought and religious belief. It is common knowledge that in western societies there have been periods of crisis when new science has threatened established authority. The trial of Galileo in 1633 and the uproar caused by Darwin's Origin of Species (1859) are two of the most famous examples. Taking account of recent scholarship in the history of science, Brooke takes a fresh look at these and similar episodes, showing that science and religion have been mutually relevant in so rich a variety of ways that no simple generalizations are possible.