1st Edition

Science and Religion One Planet, Many Possibilities

Edited By Lucas F. Johnston, Whitney Bauman Copyright 2014
    356 Pages 9 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    This collection offers new perspectives on the study of science and religion, bringing together articles that highlight the differences between epistemological systems and call into question the dominant narrative of modern science. The volume provides historical context for the contemporary discourse around religion and science, detailing the emergence of modern science from earlier movements related to magic and other esoteric arts, the impact of the Reformation on science, and the dependence of Western science on the so-called Golden Age of Islam. In addition, contributors examine the impacts of Western science and colonialism on the ongoing theft of the biological resources of traditional and indigenous communities in the name of science and medicine. The volume’s multi-perspectival approach aims to refocus the terms of the conversation around science and religion, taking into consideration multiple rationalities outside of the dominant discourse.

    Introduction Lucas F. Johnston Section 1: Science and Religion: Historical Overview and Varied Influences 1. The Scientific Search for Sources of Religion James W. Haag 2. A Brief History of Western Rationality Dan Alvarez 3. The Myth of the Secular and the Shift toward Secularisms Whitney A. Bauman Section 2: Cosmology, Creation, and Boundary Questions 4. Contemporary Cosmology Richard Randolph 5. From Natural Theology to the New Atheism: Constructing the Link Between Modern Science and Unbelief Bernard Lightman 6. Intelligent Design in Public Schools Glen Branch 7. The Strange Story about Evolution in America Chris Doran 8. Religious Issues, Great Apes and Human Nature Nancy Howell Section 3: East Meets West: Holism and Health 9. Asian Systems of Knowledge Christopher Key Chapple 10. Chinese Medicine: Health and Balance for the Whole Person Jan Wang 11. Ayurveda and Early Indian Medicine Jay Kumar 12. The Future of Soil, Carbon, and Food: Emergent Properties of Sustainable Foodsystems in the Anthropocene Epoch Pramod Prajuli Section 4: Understanding Relationality 13. Science and Religion: A Cognitive Scientific Perspective Ilkka Pyysiäinen 14. Scientific Explanations for the Emergence of Love and Altruism Jeremy Sherman 15. Religious Power and Knowledge: Questions Raised on the Presuppositions of 'Perspectivism' Among Indigenous Peoples Robin M. Wright 16. Relational Health: Animists, Shamans and the Practice of Well-being Graham Harvey Section 5: Ethics and Technology: Thinking Through their Applications 17. Magic, Astrology, Alchemy Michael York 18. Ritual and Technology Sarah E. Fredericks 19. Ethical Issues at the Beginning and End of Life B. Andrew Lustig 20. Aging Populations and Hazards to Informed Consent Christine E. Gudorf Afterword Lucas F. Johnston

    Biography

    Lucas Johnston is Assistant Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies at Wake Forest University.  He is the author of Religion and Sustainability: Social Movements and the Politics of the Environment (2012), and editor of Higher Education for Sustainability: Cases, Challenges and Opportunities (2012).

    Whitney Bauman is Undergraduate Program Director and Assistant Professor at Florida International University specializing in the area of Religion and Science. He is the author of Theology, Creation, and Environmental Ethics: From Creatio Ex Nihilo to Terra Nullis (2009), and co-editor of books including Grounding Religion: A Field Guide to the Study of Religion and Ecology (2010).