Abstract:This article seeks to delineate some of the fundamental philosophical traits that are special characteristics of the Indian cultural soil. Tracing these from the Vedic period, it is shown that this heritage is still alive and gives a distinctive flavor to the sciencereligion dialogue in the Indian context. The prevalent attitude is not to view science and religion as antagonistic, but rather as forces that together could create a world where the persistent epistemological and ethical problems can get resolved … Show more
“…This is less of an issue with Islam and Judaism, but in the case of traditions such as Buddhism can lead to deep confusions (Lopez ; Harrison ). Fuller's own example of Balslev () again suggests that our categories just may not fit the relevant phenomena.…”
Section: Future Prospects For the Field Of Science‐and‐religionmentioning
I am grateful to the four reviewers of The Territories of Science and Religion for their careful and insightful readings of the book, and their kind words about it. They all got the central arguments pretty much right, and thus any critical comments are not the result of fundamental misunderstandings. While there are some common themes in the assessments, each reviewer, happily, has offered a distinct perspective on the book. For this reason I will deal with their comments in turn, but with a focus throughout on a generally expressed concern about the broader implications of the book's historical analysis, and what positive or concrete proposals might follow from it.
OBJECTIVITY AND THE OBJECT "RELIGION"Peter Kjaergaard has provided a thoughtful and generally positive account of the book, but has also set out a number of challenges. Rather than rehearse the significant points of agreement, let me address three of his main concerns.First, Kjaergaard notes that I have restricted myself to what in his estimation is a relatively "safe" historical perspective, and one that avoids
“…This is less of an issue with Islam and Judaism, but in the case of traditions such as Buddhism can lead to deep confusions (Lopez ; Harrison ). Fuller's own example of Balslev () again suggests that our categories just may not fit the relevant phenomena.…”
Section: Future Prospects For the Field Of Science‐and‐religionmentioning
I am grateful to the four reviewers of The Territories of Science and Religion for their careful and insightful readings of the book, and their kind words about it. They all got the central arguments pretty much right, and thus any critical comments are not the result of fundamental misunderstandings. While there are some common themes in the assessments, each reviewer, happily, has offered a distinct perspective on the book. For this reason I will deal with their comments in turn, but with a focus throughout on a generally expressed concern about the broader implications of the book's historical analysis, and what positive or concrete proposals might follow from it.
OBJECTIVITY AND THE OBJECT "RELIGION"Peter Kjaergaard has provided a thoughtful and generally positive account of the book, but has also set out a number of challenges. Rather than rehearse the significant points of agreement, let me address three of his main concerns.First, Kjaergaard notes that I have restricted myself to what in his estimation is a relatively "safe" historical perspective, and one that avoids
“…In March 2016, Zygon dedicated a whole issue to East Asian Voices on Science and the Humanities, with contributions, among others, on Confucianism (Chen ; Hsu ), Shintoism (Kamata ), and Japanese Christianity such as developed by Toyohiko Kagawa (Hastings ; Hisakazu ; Kim ). South Asia, with a particular emphasis on Hinduism, was the focus of earlier contributions (Brown ; Edelman ; Ellis ; Gosling ; Raman ; Balslev ).…”
“…These, together with Brooke and Numbers's Science and Religion around the World (), are signposting important future directions for science and religion research. For further examples of this broadening of the science and religion dialogue across different religious traditions, one need look no further than the pages of this journal, in which articles by Nidhal Guessoum (), by Anindita Niyogi Balslev (), and by Seung Chul Kim () have recently addressed the relationships of science with Islam and with Indian and Japanese religious traditions and concepts, respectively. In taking the dialogue of science and religion into these new contexts, which may be more or less free from the historical baggage of Western Christianity (depending on the influence on them of Western colonialism), it is clear that new insights and possibilities for that dialogue may emerge.…”
Section: Extending the Boundaries: “Science” And “Religion” As More Tmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…For example, Balslev notes that in order to appreciate science‐religion samvada (communication/conversation) in the Indian context, it is crucial to know the distinction between what is described in the Upanisads as “higher knowledge” ( para‐vidya ) and “lower knowledge” ( apara‐vidya ) … both science and religion—as conventionally understood—belong to the category of “lower forms of knowledge.” … It is tempting to observe here that the Indian cultural heritage being what it is, the debate of “science versus religion” is bound to be considered pretty much a useless endeavor if reasoning, logic, observation, thought‐experiment, and so on are taken to be exclusively part of scientific methodology, whereas religion is seen as based on mere dogmas, belief, or blind faith that cannot be questioned. (Balslev , 882–83)…”
Section: Extending the Boundaries: “Science” And “Religion” As More Tmentioning
Peter Harrison's The Territories of Science and Religion throws down a serious challenge to advocates of dialogue as the primary means of engagement between science and religion. This article accepts the validity of this challenge and looks at four possible responses to it. The first—a return to the past—is rejected. The remaining three—exploring new epistemic frameworks for the encounter of science and religion, broadening out the engagement beyond the context of the physical sciences and Western culture, and looking at ways in which scientific and theological practitioners may collaborate on practical problems—are all offered as potential ways in which science and religion may engage with one another, in ways which move beyond Harrison's critique.
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