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Chapter 3³

Science, Religion, and a Revived
Religious Humanism

For over 150 years there has been
a vital, and often contentious, dialogue
between science and religion. In recent

³ The lead author is Don Browning, Ph.D., the
Alexander Campbell Professor of Religious
Ethics and the Social Sciences, Emeritus,
Divinity School, University of Chicago. He has
interests in the relation of the social sciences to
religious ethics for the purpose of addressing
various challenges facing modern life. His books
include Generative Man (1973, 1975; National
Book Award Finalist, 1974), Religious Thought
and the Modern Psychologies (1987, 2004), the
co-authored From Culture Wars to Common
Ground: Religion and the American Family
Debate (1997, 2000), Christian Ethics and the
Moral Psychologies (2006), and Equality and the
Family (2007). He co-edited Sex, Marriage, and
Family in the World Religions (2006), American
Religions and the Family (2006), Children and
Childhood in American Religions (2009), and
Children and Childhood in World Religions
(2009). He is the co-principal investigator with
Jean Bethke Elshtain of a Templeton Foundation
funded $4,000,000 New Science of Virtue
project.
In this essay, Browning acknowledges
the antagonistic relationship that can be found
between science and religion, but he proposes
that the dialogue between science and religion
can now be conducted on philosophical grounds
that promote a new religious humanism that will
honor the core ideas of the great religions, refine
their view of nature, and increase the values of
health, wealth, education, and general well-
being.

years, new energy and fresh public
interest have been injected into this
conversation. This largely has come
about due to the new insights into
religion and ethics achieved by
collaboration between evolutionary
psychology and cognitive and social
neuroscience.

What are the likely social
consequences of this new interest in the
relation of science and religion? There
are at least three possible answers. One
might be the new atheism exemplified
by the writings of Richard Dawkins,
Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and
Christopher Hitchens. ¹ In this approach,
the alleged defective thinking of the
world religions is exposed, and a
worldview and way of life based strictly
on science are offered as replacement. A
second option might be the return of a
hegemonic dominance of religion over
science. However, polarizing rhetoric
from advocates for the exclusive
interpretive priority of either science or
religion has long since ceased to be
culturally or academically productive.
Instead, through dialogue about common
issues, scientific and theological thinkers
may pose questions that lead to more
sophisticated inquiry in both fields.
Confidence in the productive
possibilities of reciprocal questioning is
a hallmark of the long tradition known
as religious humanism. Here I illustrate
the potential contribution of religious
humanism by bringing recent
psychological research into dialogue
with the religious concept of love.

What would this religious
humanism be like? The major world
religions would remain visible and
viable as religious movements. But the
contributions of science would help
these religions refine their interests in
improving the health, education, wealth,

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