Religion and Science

To be human is to seek an understanding of the world in which we live, how it works and why. Empirical science explains our observations of the natural world, whereas religion provides answers about meaning and purpose for such a world. The encounter between reason and faith, the mind and spirit, have the appearance of polarity. In actuality, there is fluidity between the two. Organized into four volumes, this new title in the Routledge Major Works series, Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, is a landmark collection of foundational and cutting-edge scholarship in the field.

Integral to human nature is the need to seek understanding of the world in which we live, to discover how it works and why. We find our answers to these fundamental questions through different methods; empirical science justifies our observations of the natural world, but religion offers explanations to its meaning and purpose. On the surface of it the encounter between reason and faith, the mind and spirit, have the appearance of polarity, in reality there is fluidity between the two. It is a dynamic and constantly changing relationship, and for that reason it is an important and thriving academic area that needs careful and intentional study. This new collection answers that need with scholarship brought together in four volumes. Taking the combined experience of Sara Fletcher Harding and Nancy Morvillo, experts in religion and science respectively, this new Routledge Major Work presents an abundance of the very best cutting-edge scholarship that has been written about this fragile relationship.

Volume I of this collection is focused on ‘Histories and Methodologies in Science and Religion’ and Volume II on ‘Cosmological Considerations in Science and Religion’. Volume III is entitled ‘The Imperative of Evolution in Science’ and finally Volume IV brings together the best scholarship on ‘Religion Human Actions at the Intersection of Science and Religion’. With individual introductions for each volume placing the collected material into its relevant intellectual and historical context and a full index, this is an accessible and thorough reference resource.