Science and religion : a alternative approach

Abstract

The possible influence of religious beliefs on science has attracted the interest of historians of science, theologians, scientists and philosophers. Yet in my opinion, the approaches traditionally used to connect religion and science, remain unsatisfactory. The main problem is that religious influence is most of the times depicted as optional, occasional and not really significant. In this article an alternative approach is proposed, that would make this field of research much more “mandatory” for all scholars interested in science. This approach is based on a certain understanding of religion and of its unavoidable repercussions on theory-formation. A few examples of religious influences on several scientific disciplines are sketched.