The Study of Science and Religion: Sociological, Theological, and Philosophical Perspectives

by Carl Reinhold Brakenhielm

Overview

The main aim of this book is to contribute to the relationship between science and religion. This book aims to do constructive theological work out of a particular cultural context. The point of departure is contemporary Swedish religion and worldviews. One focus is the process of biologization (i.e., how the worldviews of the general public in Sweden are shaped by biological science). Is there a gap between Swedes in general and the perceptions of Swedish clergy? The answer is based on sociological studies on science and religion in Sweden and the United States.   Furthermore, the book contains a study of Swedish theologians, from Nathan Soderblom to the present Archbishop Antje Jackelen, and their shifting understanding of the relation between science and religion. The philosophical aspects of this relation are given special consideration. What models of the relation inform the contemporary scholarly discussion? Are science and religion in conflict, separate, or in mutual creative interaction?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498246163
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	06/06/2018
Series:	Church of Sweden Research Series , #16
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	346
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Carl Reinhold Bråkenhielm is Professor Emeritus in the study of worldviews at Uppsala University. His research concerns worldviews and values in contemporary society as well as sociological, theological, and philosophical problems related to the relationship between science and religion. He is the author of Forgiveness (1993). His latest writings in English include “Theology and the Origins of Customized Science” (included in The Customization of Science, 2014).

Table of Contents

Tables and Figures ix

Preface and Acknowledgments xi

Abbreviations xvii

Part 1 Perceptions of Science and Religion in Sweden and Beyond Introduction to Part 1 1

1 Biology and Worldviews 5

2 Swedish Public and Clergy on Biology and Religion 21

3 Public and Clergy on Science and Religion 39

4 Swedish Clergy on Science and Religion; a Cluster Analysis 52

5 A Comparison between Sweden and the U.S. 60

Part 2 From Söderblom to Jackelén; Swedish Twentieth Century Theology on Science and Religion Introduction to Part 2 77

6 Early Twentieth Century-Theological and Philosophical Transformations 85

7 Theological Responses to Axel Hägerström 94

8 A Model of Independence and Its Critics 107

9 Lundensian Models of Contact 117

10 New Philosophical Perspectives on Science and Religion 132

11 From Generalities to Specifics 154

Part 3 Main Models in the Dialogue between Science and Religion Introduction to Part 3 169

12 Models of Incompatibility 175

13 Models of Independence 205

14 Models of Contact 222

Appendices 265

Bibliography 297

Author Index 313

Subject Index 319

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Bråkenhielm presents a valuable contribution to the understanding of the relationship between science and religion. Especially important is his research of how this relationship is perceived by the general public. His is among the few studies that in detail show how it is ‘out there’—how science and religion interact in the minds of ordinary people. He also discloses striking differences between the contexts in Sweden and the United States, which tell us that there is more than one way to understand how science, religion and faith interact in the present.”


—Jan-Olav Henriksen, Professor of Philosophy of Religion, MF Norwegian School of Theology, Oslo





“This is a challenging and stimulating book which explores the relationship between science and religion. It integrates philosophical, theological, and empirical studies in a very illuminative and unique way.”


—Mikael Stenmark, Professor of Philosophy of Religion, Uppsala University

Editorial Reviews

Bråkenhielm presents a valuable contribution to the understanding of the relationship between science and religion. Especially important is his research of how this relationship is perceived by the general public. His is among the few studies that in detail show how it is ‘out there’—how science and religion interact in the minds of ordinary people. He also discloses striking differences between the contexts in Sweden and the United States, which tell us that there is more than one way to understand how science, religion and faith interact in the present.”


—Jan-Olav Henriksen, Professor of Philosophy of Religion, MF Norwegian School of Theology, Oslo





“This is a challenging and stimulating book which explores the relationship between science and religion. It integrates philosophical, theological, and empirical studies in a very illuminative and unique way.”


—Mikael Stenmark, Professor of Philosophy of Religion, Uppsala University

From the Publisher