Abstract
Scientists are often assumed to be irreligious and little research has examined the role of religion and spirituality in their lives. Recent research shows that many scientists do articulate a commitment to the sacred and see religion and spirituality as influencing their work. However, we lack a basic understanding of how scientists define religion and spirituality, particularly outside of the Western world. We examine Indian Scientists’ definitions of religion and spirituality and their tie to scientists’ views on the relationship between religion and science. Drawing on 80 in-depth interviews with Indian scientists, we find that although science often operates as a global institution, national context influences definitions of religion and spirituality. Further, the views a scientist has about the relationship between religion and science are linked to their definition of religion. To understand and navigate the relationship between religion and science, we must study definitions of religion and spirituality, as well as the way they are shaped by national context.
Highlights
Scholars of religion have long struggled with defining religion, and these difficulties have only been exacerbated by the rise of those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious and the growing number of people who claim no religious affiliation or the “religious nones” (Smith et al.2013)
By studying Indian scientists’ definitions of religion and spirituality, we aim to better understand the extent to which science is a global discipline in which scientists largely share similar beliefs and attitudes about religion and spirituality, the extent to which national context is linked to these beliefs and attitudes, and what the implications of particular understandings of religion and spirituality are for the relationship between religion and science
We find great variation among Indian scientists regarding their definitions of religion, their definitions of spirituality, and their view on the relationship between religion and science
Summary
Scholars of religion have long struggled with defining religion, and these difficulties have only been exacerbated by the rise of those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious and the growing number of people who claim no religious affiliation or the “religious nones” (Smith et al.2013). Given the increasing diversity in approaches to the sacred, it has become even more important to understand how people define religion and spirituality. Definitions of religion and spirituality can shed light on the role both religion and spirituality continue to play in people’s day-to-day lives (Schlehofer et al 2008). Studying scientists’ definitions of religion and spirituality, and their connection to views on the relationship between religion and science, may help us understand the conditions under which tensions between religion and science emerge as well as the conditions under which religion and science work together
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