Analysis of Religious Bias among Christian Students in Science

Abstract

Christians are notably underrepresented in science in part due to long‐standing public perceptions of science‐religion incompatibility and antireligious bias in science. This research explores whether undergraduates at a Christian university perceive and impose anti‐Christian cultural stigma in science. Survey results from 126 biology students revealed that though students generally perceived the culture of science to be anti‐Christian, they perceived Christians to have equal opportunities for scientific achievement. Results from a quasi‐experimental audit study, in which students evaluated one of two profiles for mock prospective Ph.D. applicants (Christian or undisclosed faith) showed that students did not project anti‐Christian stereotypes in terms of competence, hireability, or likeability, but showed some evidence of pro‐Christian favorability. Together, this study suggests that the affirmational community of a Christian University may alleviate some negative impacts of anti‐Christian stereotypes in academic biology, even as students perceive discrimination against Christians in science and atheists as more scientifically competent.

Understanding Christians' underrepresentation in STEM and why it matters

“…But additional research is needed on the degree to which non-evangelical Christians, or members of religious minority groups, encounter bias in STEM fields. Furthermore, context can matter: Recent evidence suggests that undergraduate students at a Christian university are less likely to perceive anti-Christian discrimination in the sciences than students at secular universities (Soneral et al, 2023). We encourage researchers to continue examining the pervasiveness (and consequences) of both real and perceived biases against religious individuals in STEM.…”

Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account

“…6For instance, religious students and educators are a minority in the sciences (Ecklund and Scheitle 2007; Ecklund et al 2016). As a recent study by Paula Soneral, Sara E. Brownell, and M. Elizabeth Barnes shows, “a majority (61 percent) of the scientific community hold no religious affiliation compared to the general public (34 percent)” (Soneral, Brownell, and Barnes 2023). We also know that among academic philosophers, the majority are atheists and agnostics; one survey shows that only 18.93% accept or lean toward theism, whereas 66.95 accept or lean toward atheism, and 7.18% are agnostic or undecided (Bourget and Chalmers 2020), and the majority of those who reject theism also “lean toward” naturalism (Bourget and Chalmers 2020).…”