Science vs. religion : what scientists really think - File PDF

104Society and Broader PublicsPrize–winning physicist50—one of six Nobel Prize-winners who were part ofthe study—explained that while he does not think the religious communityshould be barred completely from the university, he also does not see a placefor religion being “favored in the university context.” According to him, religionis “just different”:It’s not what the university is all about. It was at one time, of course. Even atplaces like Cambridge University, where its origin was to prepare people for theministry . . . . It’s still pervasive [at Cambridge], the services and the music and thechapels and so on. It’s charming in a way, but I don’t think we want to go backthere.Scientists who think that religious studies departments and divinity schoolsshould exist still often believe that these departments and institutes ought notto be given the same legitimacy or resources as science departments. Our NobelPrize winner explained that the reason religion should not be a central part ofknowledge making in universities is because we have more advanced forms ofinquiry now:In some ways, when that tradition was founded, it was the most advanced, incisiveview of the way the world works. So it would’ve been very unnatural to separateit off from inquiry at the forefront of knowledge. But that’s not the caseanymore. These [religious traditions] can be treasured and practiced for whatthey are but not as the vanguard of knowledge.For this physicist, there is no room for religion as a living force in people’sacademic lives, but it can hold a minor place as an object of study and sentiment.It is difficult for him to imagine that faith might play an active role forstudents, staff, or faculty on university campuses.A named-chair professor in political science 51 at an Ivy League school couldsee some place for religion in divinity schools. But he did not think that thosewho pursued divinity degrees tended to be engaged in rigorous study or to haveadvanced intellect, compared to their scholarly peers:I think the days of theology departments as such are probably numbered in mostplaces—most serious places. Talented people don’t go into those kinds of departmentsanymore. I mean, I do recall as an undergraduate that if you wanted to goto Oxford and you were lazy, and you did not do that much work as a high-schoolstudent, the best strategy was to apply to the theology [program], because it hadthe highest rate of acceptance. And then, having done a year or so of theology,