Definition
Science and religion are two fundamental ways that we have of understanding ourselves and the universe within which we exist. Both science and religion assert authority in the world. That is, both have – and utilize – “the power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior” (Merriam-Webster) in their respective areas of purview.
Science is the systematic study of the physical and natural world.
Religion is defined in a number of ways. For the purpose of this discussion, we will define religion as a shared system of beliefs, moral code, faith, and worship, with a focus on a god or similar supernatural forces. It is relevant to highlight the distinction between the practice of religion as the perspectives and actions of groups of people in regard to their faith (i.e., praxis) and the tenets of a particular faith (i.e., theology). While the practice of faith can be studied using quantitative and qualitative research methods, the tenetsof faith are difficult, if not...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Barbour, I. G. (1997). Religion and science: Historical and contemporary issues. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
Benson, H., et al. (2006). Study of the therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer (STEP) in cardiac bypass patients: A multicenter randomized trial of uncertainty and certainty of receiving intercessory prayer. American Heart Journal, 151(4), 934–942.
Consolmagno, G. (2007). God’s mechanics: How scientists and engineers make sense of religion. Hoboken: Jossey-Bass.
Dawkins, R. (1986). The blind watchmaker (p. xvii). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-31570-3.
Galton, F. (1872, August 1). Statistical inquiries into the efficacy of prayer. The Fortnightly Review, LXVIII. Available at https://www.abelard.org/galton/galton.htm.
Haisch, B. (2006). The god theory: Universes, zero-point fields, and what’s behind it all. York Beach: Red Wheel/Weiser Books. ISBN 1-57863-374-5.
Ham, K. (1987). The lie: Evolution. New Leaf Publishing Group. ISBN 0890511586.
Hodge, D. R. (2007). A systematic review of the empirical literature on intercessory prayer. Research on Social Work Practice, 17, 174–187.
MacDougall, D. (1907, April). Hypothesis concerning soul substance together with experimental evidence of the existence of such substance. American Medicine.
Park, R. L. (2010). Superstition: Belief in the age of science. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN9780691145976.
Yasari, P., Arthur, S., Smith, M. U., & Mancy, R. (2013). Relating science and religion: An ontology of taxonomies and development of a research tool for identifying individual views. Science and Education, 22, 2679–2707.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Starratt, C., Starratt, G. (2019). Science and Religion Compatibility. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3282-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3282-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences