253In recent years the effort to arrive at an understanding of the relationship
between science and religion has generated enormous interest within An-
glo American culture. Courses in the subject have proliferated and are now
taught at hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the United
States and Great Britain. The volume of inquiry and the need for scholarly
outlets through which to disseminate the results of that inquiry have led
to the publication of several journals and numerous newsletters dedicated
to “science and religion.” Interdisciplinary organizations and think tanks
have arisen to foster innovative ways of relating science and religion, and
organizations such as the Templeton Foundation and the Discovery Insti-
tute regularly provide these institutions, as well as numerous individuals,
with sizable sums of money for their efforts. A seemingly endless stream
of books and magazine articles dealing with everything from the religious
implications of the big bang to Catholic perspectives on bioethics pours
off the presses. Thinkers who have advanced their careers by pontifi cating
on the relative merits of science and religion have attained near- celebrity
status. There is even discussion in some circles about the desirability of
creating a new discipline out of the study of science and religion. “Science
and religion” has become hot.
CHAPTER 10Science and Religion
Jon H. Roberts