Navigating the Conflicts Between Science and Religion

Michael R. Slater provides a model for how to understand and resolve potential conflicts between science and religion.This book attends to long-standing scholarly and philosophical conversations about the compatibility, and in-compatibility, of science and religion. Slater builds upon the assumption that the rival narratives of fundamental conflict and fundamental harmony between science and religion are both misleading when viewed in closer detail, and examines some of the most significant and enduring “hotspots” or areas of tension between modern science and traditional religions. Across seven chapters, Slater assists readers in better understanding how and why conflicts between science and religion occur whilst challenging some of the current models for thinking about the relationship between science and religion. Recognizing that these conflicts between science and religion are too complex for a "simple fix," Slater strives to manage rather than eliminate these disagreements, revealing a space for fruitful dialogue across scientific and religious contexts. At its core, this book seeks to reconcile and navigate epistemological differences between science and religion, purposefully considering what these gaps reveal not only about humanity's conceptions of the world and knowledge but morality and virtues.