Stefano Bigliardi - Böcker

This Element shows how New Religious Movements variously conceptualize science and provides readers with an overview of the scholarly conversation surrounding this phenomenon. The first section describes five movements that, in different ways, include relevant references to science in their doctrines: Dianetics/Scientology, the Raëlian Movement, Falun Gong, Stella Azzurra (an Italian Santo Daime group), and Bambini di Satana (an Italian Satanist group). The conceptualization of science within such movements is examined in reference to official beliefs conveyed by the writings and claims of their respective leaders, but ethnographic work among affiliates is included as well. The second section reconstructs academic contributions by scholars who identify notable trends in the conceptualization of science within new religious movements, or have developed typologies to describe that very understanding. The third section concludes the discussion of new religious movements and science by offering suggestions regarding novel directions that the study of their relationship may take.

This first Element in the series Islam and the Sciences is introductory and aims to give readers a general overview of the wide and rich scope of interactions of Islam with the sciences, including past disputes, current challenges, and future outlooks. The Element introduces the main voices and schools of thought, adopting a historical approach to show the evolution of the debates: Khan's naturalism, al-Jisr's hermeneutics, Abduh's modernist Islam, Nasr's perennialist and sacred science, al-Attas's Islamic science, Sardar and the Ijmalis' ethical science, al-Faruqi's Islamization of knowledge/science, Bucaille's and El-Naggar's 'miraculous scientific content in the Qur'an,' Abdus Salam's universal science, Hoodbhoy's and Edis's secularism, and the harmonization of the 'new generation.' The Element also maps out new and emerging topics that are beginning to reignite the debates, before a concluding section examines how issues of Islam and Science are playing out in the media, in public discourse and in education.

Pseudoscience includes any practice or argument that is presented as scientific but systematically violates criteria that distinguish science, particularly experimental verification. This Element discusses, in critical fashion, different ideas and approaches that combine pseudoscience and Islam. It begins by historically reconstructing the debate on Islam-related pseudoscience developed by Muslim and non-Muslim critics. It then analyzes three areas which these critics have identified as pseudoscience: iʿjāz ʿilmī or the "miraculous scientific content of the Qur'an"; Islamic creationism; ideas and approaches related to hygiene, nutrition, health, and illness. Each area is dissected, identifying the exact reasons that characterize some of its versions as pseudoscientific. After a section discussing other malpractices and erroneous approaches, which do not strictly qualify as pseudoscience but accompany and foster it, the Element ends with the discussion of overarching questions constituting an agenda for future discussions of Islam-related pseudoscience.

Pseudoscience includes any practice or argument that is presented as scientific but systematically violates criteria that distinguish science, particularly experimental verification. This Element discusses, in critical fashion, different ideas and approaches that combine pseudoscience and Islam. It begins by historically reconstructing the debate on Islam-related pseudoscience developed by Muslim and non-Muslim critics. It then analyzes three areas which these critics have identified as pseudoscience: iʿjāz ʿilmī or the "miraculous scientific content of the Qur'an"; Islamic creationism; ideas and approaches related to hygiene, nutrition, health, and illness. Each area is dissected, identifying the exact reasons that characterize some of its versions as pseudoscientific. After a section discussing other malpractices and erroneous approaches, which do not strictly qualify as pseudoscience but accompany and foster it, the Element ends with the discussion of overarching questions constituting an agenda for future discussions of Islam-related pseudoscience.