Academic essay on religious humanism and science‑religion dialogue

& eo) § religious.22: anes tog arse fic 8 me scientif ar — ‘Germes: 3" rah ifitne i 2) Sespeci ally § i 5 @) 8 dialogue § 5 Chapter 3° Science, Religion, and a Revived Religious Humanism For over 150 years there has been a vital, and often contentious, dialogue between science and religion. In recent 3 The lead author is Don Browning, Ph.D., the Alexander Campbell Professor of Religious Ethics and the Social Sciences, Emeritus, Divinity School, University of Chicago. He has interests in the relation of the social sciences to religious ethics for the purpose of addressing various challenges facing modern life. His books include Generative Man (1973, 1975; National Book Award Finalist, 1974), Religious Thought and the Modern Psychologies (1987, 2004), the co-authored From Culture Wars to Common Ground: Religion and the American Family Debate (1997, 2000), Christian Ethics and the Moral Psychologies (2006), and Equality and the Family (2007). He co-edited Sex, Marriage, and Family in the World Religions (2006), American Religions and the Family (2006), Children and Childhood in American Religions (2009), and Children and Childhood in World Religions (2009). He is the co-principal investigator with Jean Bethke Elshtain of a Templeton Foundation funded $4,000,000 New Science of Virtue project. In this essay, Browning acknowledges the antagonistic relationship that can be found between science and religion, but he proposes that the dialogue between science and religion can now be conducted on philosophical grounds that promote a new religious humanism that will honor the core ideas of the great religions, refine their view of nature, and increase the values of health, wealth, education, and general well- being. Page |31 years, new energy and fresh public interest have been injected into this conversation. This largely has come about due to the new insights into religion and ethics achieved by collaboration between evolutionary psychology and cognitive and social neuroscience. What are the likely social consequences of this new interest in the relation of science and religion? There are at least three possible answers. One might be the new atheism exemplified by the writings of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens. In this approach, the alleged defective thinking of the world religions is exposed, and a worldview and way of life based strictly on science are offered as replacement. A second option might be the return of a hegemonic dominance of religion over science. However, polarizing rhetoric from advocates for the exclusive interpretive priority of either science or religion has long since ceased to be culturally or academically productive. Instead, through dialogue about common issues, scientific and theological thinkers may pose questions that lead to more sophisticated inquiry in both fields. Confidence in the productive possibilities of reciprocal questioning is a hallmark of the long tradition known as religious humanism. Here I illustrate the potential contribution of religious humanism by bringing recent psychological research into dialogue with the religious concept of love. What would this religious humanism be like? The major world religions would remain visible and viable as religious movements. But the contributions of science would help these religions refine their interests in improving the health, education, wealth, HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021277