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 A balanced approach to the subject
The subject matter of the interaction between science and religion is one fraught with misunderstandings. For a while now, there has been a growing tendency to view these two disciplines as polar opposites of each other, and to characterize the interaction as that of a conflict. It does not help that many scientists are atheists, and many believers are not well versed in science. Consequently, each field is perceived as a caricature of itself when viewed through the eyes of its opponents. And yet, what each one offers in its own right and with the respect to other is much more nuanced and rich than these caricatures would imply. The recent spate of neo-atheist books has rekindled interest in the connection between the two. This new atheism bases itself largely on scientism, the idea that religion is false because it is not science.
There is a paucity of good books that do justice to both fields, which makes it difficult for the serious and intellectually honest novice to receive an objective and yet comprehensive account of them. Thomas Dixon's "Science and Religion - A Very Short Introduction" is a welcome exception and probably the best first introduction to the subject. In line with the other "very short introduction" books, this one is sophisticated and does not condescend to its readers by calling them "dummies" or "idiots." Nevertheless it is a very accessible book that sheds a lot of light on its subject. It would be unreasonable to expect a book this slim to cover all of the different approaches to religion and science, and some adjustments need to be made. For the most part, it uses Christianity as the primary example of religion, and discusses those scientific theories and discoveries that have historically posed the greatest challenges to the Christian worldview. It includes all of the "greatest hits" of the debates between science and religion - the Galileo affair, Darwin and evolution, creationism and intelligent design, and mind and morality. Dixon approaches all of these controversies with a lot of historical insight and manages to stir clear of catering to facile misinterpretations that have become popular in the public conception. Thus, the Galileo affair is viewed against the backdrop of the seventeenth century political and scientific events, from which it becomes clear that much of the latter interpretations are mere mythologizations of the events in question. On the other hand, Dixon is equally careful to avoid the trap of revisionist apologetics that underplay the severity of the punishment that Galileo had to endure and the chilling effect it had on his further scientific endeavors.
By focusing on concrete events and controversies, Dixon enhances the readability of the book. Too often a potentially intellectually honest appraisal of the connection and the interaction between science and religion assumes too much or too little of the reader, and consequently falls into either of the two categories of scholarly philosophizing or amateurish polemicizing. Nevertheless, the right balance can be achieved, and anyone who is new to this subject would greatly benefit from reading Thomas Dixon's succinct yet informative volume.
Rumors of a war between science and religion are much exaggerated
Thomas Dixon's Science and Religion is, I believe, one of the very best volumes written thus far in the Oxford Short Introduction series. In it, Dixon moves beyond the Enlightenment-generated simplistic model that sees science and religion as opposing poles (a position that, ironically, is embraced by many of today's religious fundamentalists) to offer a much more nuanced analysis of the relationship between the two.
Dixon argues that casual observations about the war between religion and science ought to take several points under consideration. First, it's not at all clear that it makes sense to talk of either science or religion simpliciter. Both are extremely complex terms that accommodate a large number of interpretations. Second, it's not at all clear what the boundaries of either science or religion are. Neither falsification nor testability are, by themselves, sufficient criteria to designate science from pseudoscience, and defining religion is even more problematic. Finally, what frequently gets interpreted as a clash between religion and science is frequently a deeper social or political clash that's opportunistically fought on the science/religion battlefield. It is true that science/religion conflicts, when they can be identified, are disagreements about epistemic authority. But even that is complicated.
To flesh out these claims, Dixon examines the Galileo incident (chapter 2), the reaction of Victorian England to Darwinism (chapter 4), and the current U.S. phenomenon of Intelligent Design (chapter 5), demonstrating how each is much more involved than merely a battle between theists and scientists. He also examines the complicated issue of natural law and miracles (his analysis of the "God of the gaps" move in chapter 3 is especially instructive) and debates about whether morality can rest on a naturalistic foundation (chapter 6). Dixon offers very good documentation for his references (something that isn't always done by Short Introduction authors), and he concludes the volume with an excellent bibliography.
An excellent book that will surely whet reader's appetites (as it has mine) to take a more sophisticated look at the quasi-mythical war between science and religion.
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