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

112Society and Broader Publicswords, “I consider it a quite legitimate topic for academic study—no doubt aboutthat. It’s impossible to understand [the] history of the world or society withouttaking a close look at religion. It’s got a huge effect on all kinds of things.”The Model of Legitimacy, however, is not without consequences to religion.Historian Darryl Hart and sociologist Nancy Ammerman argue that by relegatingthe study of religion only to religious studies departments, those in otherdisciplines are often allowed to ignore the relationship of religion to their owndisciplines.17And I found evidence to support this scholarly assertion. Some ofthe scientists I interviewed clearly thought that religion ought to be a subject ofstudy in religious studies departments in order to insulate it from science. Inone sense, they hold religion legitimate enough to warrant its own department.In another sense, as with some of the colleagues we met in the last chapter, theygenerally consider religion dangerous to the free intellectual pursuit of scienceon university campuses. So while they don’t see religion as totally withoutvalue, it’s a value they want absent from their own departments.A chemist18explained that he certainly thinks religion ought to be a subjectof study in universities—and also surrounded by rigid boundaries. This scientist,who is a professor at a large midwestern state school, is very interested inissues of public science and mentioned writing an op-ed piece against theteaching of intelligent design in schools. He would “like to see [religion] constrainedto a defined field of study”:Just like intelligent design should be taught in religion classes, there should be adepartment of religion on a campus, and they can teach sophisticated classes onall aspects of religion and spirituality. I don’t think it has any place . . . in sciencedepartments. I suspect that religion intersects with . . . humanities and social sciences,and that ranges from [the] field of sociology all the way to art. Religion andhaving courses related to religion is very important in those fields, but I just don’tsee a need for religion in the science curriculum at all.THE MODEL OF CONNECTED KNOWLEDGE:UNIVERSITIES OUGHT TO SUPPORT THECONNECTION OF RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGETO OTHER FORMS OF KNOWLEDGEAbout 10 percent of the scientists I interviewed who see a positive role for religionon campuses also think that faith insights can meaningfully connect withtheir own actual scholarship. Some believe they have a responsibility to talk