Description
Based on a five year journey to find out what religious Americans think about science, Ecklund and Scheitle tell the real story of the relationship between science and religion in the lives of ordinary citizens. It is a story that is more nuanced and complex than the media and pundits would lead us to believe. As the title of the book suggests, the way religious Americans approach science is shaped by two fundamental questions: What does science mean for the existence and activity of God? and what does science mean for the sacredness of humanity? How these questions play out as individual believers think about science both challenges stereotypes and highlights the real tensions between religion and science. As only good social science can, Religion Vs. Science adds depth and personality to a debate that has remained largely academic and abstract-and thus divorced from the lived experience of real people in the pews.
About the Author
Elaine Howard Ecklund is Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology at Rice University. Christopher P. Scheitle is Assistant Professor of Sociology at West Virginia University.
Reviews
There is something for everyone in this enjoyable book. The friendly, readable style means that a newcomer to the field will feel at ease. Meanwhile, the detail in the appendix offers plenty for more experienced researchers to study. The authors' self-imposed challenge of taking down myths means that they are picking up and weaving together a lot of threads, but attention is maintained by the liveliness of the text and by the characters in the interview vignettes. * Berry Billingsley, Canterbury Christ Church University, Modern Believing *
...a valuable foundation for conversations about religion in public life, both within the university and with a broader audience. The authors balance accessible prose and well-documented quantitative data, such that material from this book may be well-suited as an introductory text for courses on religion and science, survey methods in the study of religion, or for readers outside of higher education. * Journal of Religion *
It is essential reading for all scholars, scientists, and religious people interested in the current relationship between religion and science and the possibilities of where it can go in the future. * Antony Alumkal, Iliff School of Theology, Sociology of Religion *
It clearly demonstrates that we must move beyond general statements, to a nuanced view of questions around religious attitudes toward science ... The book's prose is clear, coherent, and succinct. The size is manageable and the scope broad enough to maintain the interest of the general reader ... For students of social science, it will provide a grounding in contemporary thinking, and methodological considerations, in studying religion and science. For communicators and educators, the book's lesson is clear: familiarity and dialogue fosters engagement and understanding. * James Riley, Science and Education *
Essential reading for all scholars, scientists, and religious people interested in the current relationship between religion and science and the possibilities of where it can go in the future * Antony Alumkal, Sociology of Religion *
this volume offers cogent insight, most especially for readers interested in one of the goals of this journal: engaging the intersections of science and religion as they function in the lives of individuals and in societies. * Christopher Hrynkow, Zygon *
One of the things I found most rewarding about reading Religion vs. Science * David Andrew Gilland, Journal of the American Academy of Religion *
Religion vs Science is not simply a welcome and highly engaging contribuion to the contemporary debates about science and religious faith - it is also a powerful illustration of the way in which the social sciences can deepen our appreciation of how human beings hold together ideas originating from quite different sources. * Alister McGrath, the Catholic Herald *
... the authors dig deep into the numbers to interpret [the statistics], and enliven the text by many brief and revealing quotations from the people whom they interview - opinions that could form the basis for many a congregational discussion. * The Revd Adam Ford, Church Times *
The book is a study of the replies to questionnaires which the authors compiled and a great number of interviews which they conducted ... It was clearly a very thorough study and the results are given in the book in the form of statistical tables and summaries of the interviews with representative individuals. * Christopher Moriarty, Irish Catholic *
[B]y overturning stereotypes and providing a positive impetus toward better communication and cooperation, Religion vs. Science comes as highly recommended reading for anyone interested and everyone involved in the dialogue between science and religion. * David Andrew Gilland, JAAR *
Throughout the book, Ecklund and Sheitle are able to use nationally-representative survey data to give a broad overview of the views of religious Americans, while using quotations from in-depth interviews to explain and elaborate on their statistical findings. Their research methods are carefully outlined in multiple appendices, but the authors also discuss their statistical research in the main text in a way that is readily accessible. The authors do an admirable job of explaining how they are able to include other factors in their analyses, such as demographics, in order to understand if a difference between groups is due to religion or some other cause... Religion vs. Science provides a thorough and accessible overview of this topic in America and can serve as a springboard for further research on this topic. * Emily McKendry-Smith, Reading Religion *
Religion vs. Science presents a nuanced picture of the American religious landscape. By showing that religious people generally like science, it provides an alternative to the bipolar maps of the past. By acknowledging the lingering tensions between science and faith, it suggests that the potential for conflict remains. * John Schmalzbauer, JSSR *
Book Information
ISBN 9780190650629
Author Elaine Howard Ecklund
Format Hardback
Page Count 240
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 458g
Dimensions(mm) 160mm * 236mm * 23mm
About the Author
Elaine Howard Ecklund is Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology at Rice University. Christopher P. Scheitle is Assistant Professor of Sociology at West Virginia University.
Reviews
There is something for everyone in this enjoyable book. The friendly, readable style means that a newcomer to the field will feel at ease. Meanwhile, the detail in the appendix offers plenty for more experienced researchers to study. The authors' self-imposed challenge of taking down myths means that they are picking up and weaving together a lot of threads, but attention is maintained by the liveliness of the text and by the characters in the interview vignettes. * Berry Billingsley, Canterbury Christ Church University, Modern Believing *
...a valuable foundation for conversations about religion in public life, both within the university and with a broader audience. The authors balance accessible prose and well-documented quantitative data, such that material from this book may be well-suited as an introductory text for courses on religion and science, survey methods in the study of religion, or for readers outside of higher education. * Journal of Religion *
It is essential reading for all scholars, scientists, and religious people interested in the current relationship between religion and science and the possibilities of where it can go in the future. * Antony Alumkal, Iliff School of Theology, Sociology of Religion *
It clearly demonstrates that we must move beyond general statements, to a nuanced view of questions around religious attitudes toward science ... The book's prose is clear, coherent, and succinct. The size is manageable and the scope broad enough to maintain the interest of the general reader ... For students of social science, it will provide a grounding in contemporary thinking, and methodological considerations, in studying religion and science. For communicators and educators, the book's lesson is clear: familiarity and dialogue fosters engagement and understanding. * James Riley, Science and Education *
Essential reading for all scholars, scientists, and religious people interested in the current relationship between religion and science and the possibilities of where it can go in the future * Antony Alumkal, Sociology of Religion *
this volume offers cogent insight, most especially for readers interested in one of the goals of this journal: engaging the intersections of science and religion as they function in the lives of individuals and in societies. * Christopher Hrynkow, Zygon *
One of the things I found most rewarding about reading Religion vs. Science * David Andrew Gilland, Journal of the American Academy of Religion *
Religion vs Science is not simply a welcome and highly engaging contribuion to the contemporary debates about science and religious faith - it is also a powerful illustration of the way in which the social sciences can deepen our appreciation of how human beings hold together ideas originating from quite different sources. * Alister McGrath, the Catholic Herald *
... the authors dig deep into the numbers to interpret [the statistics], and enliven the text by many brief and revealing quotations from the people whom they interview - opinions that could form the basis for many a congregational discussion. * The Revd Adam Ford, Church Times *
The book is a study of the replies to questionnaires which the authors compiled and a great number of interviews which they conducted ... It was clearly a very thorough study and the results are given in the book in the form of statistical tables and summaries of the interviews with representative individuals. * Christopher Moriarty, Irish Catholic *
[B]y overturning stereotypes and providing a positive impetus toward better communication and cooperation, Religion vs. Science comes as highly recommended reading for anyone interested and everyone involved in the dialogue between science and religion. * David Andrew Gilland, JAAR *
Throughout the book, Ecklund and Sheitle are able to use nationally-representative survey data to give a broad overview of the views of religious Americans, while using quotations from in-depth interviews to explain and elaborate on their statistical findings. Their research methods are carefully outlined in multiple appendices, but the authors also discuss their statistical research in the main text in a way that is readily accessible. The authors do an admirable job of explaining how they are able to include other factors in their analyses, such as demographics, in order to understand if a difference between groups is due to religion or some other cause... Religion vs. Science provides a thorough and accessible overview of this topic in America and can serve as a springboard for further research on this topic. * Emily McKendry-Smith, Reading Religion *
Religion vs. Science presents a nuanced picture of the American religious landscape. By showing that religious people generally like science, it provides an alternative to the bipolar maps of the past. By acknowledging the lingering tensions between science and faith, it suggests that the potential for conflict remains. * John Schmalzbauer, JSSR *
Book Information
ISBN 9780190650629
Author Elaine Howard Ecklund
Format Hardback
Page Count 240
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 458g
Dimensions(mm) 160mm * 236mm * 23mm
