Magisteria (the word first coined by Stephen Jay Gould) is a book that tries to solve a dilemma that has plagued thinking people since the Renaissance: the rift between science and religion.
The thesis of the book written by Nicholas Spencer, a Research Fellow at Theo, part of the Goldsmith University in London, is that the rift is a myth, and that in fact this myth started in the 19th and 20th Century.
Prior to the scientific revolution, the role of religion was usually strangling and sometimes inspiring. However, since that time the relationship between the two Magisteria, has certainly not been uniformly harmonious1, but had its up and downs.
Currently, throughout the world, disbelief or rejection of science is on the rise, most recently the antivaxxers that rejected the COVID vaccines based on religious beliefs or refused the use of masks or congregating in large numbers because of the belief that science lies2,3. How do the stories of the Bible as portrayed by the Creationist theme parks in Kentucky stand up against the sciences of geology and anthropology4 ?
This SDG will cover the views of how various religions interface with science, either supportive or antagonistic, or in many cases, both. Similarly, we will discuss how many well known people of science can be both religious and great scientists. Think of Newton (Christian, Gravity), Isaac Rabi (Orthodox Jew, Atom Bomb), Francis Collings (Catholic, Director NIH) and many more.
1. Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life, Stephen Jay Gould
3. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/05/us/covid-vaccine-evangelicals.html
1. Introduction and Chapter 1- The Nature of Natural Philosophy
2. Chapter2 - A fragile Brilliance & Chapter 3 -Ambiguous and Argumentative
3. Chapter 4 - Science and Christendom & Chapter 5 -1543 and All That
4. Chapter 6 - Galileo & Chapter 7 - The Birth of Science
5. Chapter 8 - The Perils of perfect Harmony & Chapter 9 - Mechanising the Soul
6. Chapter 10 - About Time & Chapter 11 - The Balance
7. Chapter 12 - Globalisation & Chapter 13 - Peace and War
8. Chapter 14 - The Trial of the Century & Chapter 15 - Entanglement and Uncertain
9. Chapter 16 - Infantile Delusions & Chapter 17 - Storming of Heaven.
10. Chapter 18 - Irreducibly Complex & Chapter 19 - Artificial Anxieties.
1. Core Book: Magisteria: The Entangled Histories of Science & Religion Hardcover, Nicholas Spencer, One World Publications, 2023
2. Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life, Stephen Jay Gould, The Ballentine Publishing Group, 1999.
3. Relationship between Religion and Science, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_between_religion_and_science
4. A History of Natural Philosophy from the Ancient World to Nineteenth Century, https://ceulearning.ceu.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=373616
5. Aristotle's Natural Philosophy, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-natphil/
6. 10 Christians in Science on Science and Faith, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8XmXSMxXHQ
7. Christianity and Science - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_and_science#:~:text=Historically%2C%20Christianity%20has%20been%20and,to%20the%20development%20of%20science.
8. Science and the Early Christian Church David C. Lindberg https://www.jstor.org/stable/232210 (Preview only)
9. The Judeo-Christian Origins of Modern Science, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss-kzyXeqdQ
10. Christianity and Greek Philosophy(Did the early church destroy ancient science?).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn6XixUJUe8
11. Islamic Attitudes Towards Science, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_attitudes_towards_science
12. Science & Islam (Full) | by Jim Al-Khalili | BBC Documentary, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9eLxDm7mrE
13. Science and Islam - Ibn al-Haytham & Optics | Scientific Knowledge Documentary, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OscqoOobl_c
14. Integrating Science and Religion – A Jewish Perspective, https://www.bu.edu/mzank/STR/NSonIntegrating.htm
15. Why Judaism Embraces Science, https://sciencereligiondialogue.org/resources/why-judaism-embraces-science/
16. Friends Or Enemies: Science And Judaism as Partners In Wonder, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZGnfKbBYr4
17. On the Intersection of Science and Religion (Hinduism) https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2020/08/26/on-the-intersection-of-science-and-religion/
18. Hinduism and Science, https://www.reonline.org.uk/knowledge/hindu-worldview-traditions/hinduism-and-science/
19. Creation Science, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_science
20. Evolution and Creationism as Science and Myth, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt5TgJkBXxI
21. Creationism and Creation Science, https://member.theplatosociety.org/sdgs/proposals/1434/edit
22. Science and the Biblical Account of Creation - Christopher T. Baglow, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3MW5hl4AxQ