Origins of the Myth of the Warfare of Religion with Science

With Lawrence M. Principe, PhD, Drew Professor of Humanities, Johns Hopkins University.

Although repudiated today by all serious historians of science, the concept of an eternal and inescapable conflict between science and religion remains strong among the general public as well as among a large number of scientists. This talk will begin by examining the historical origins of the concept, showing how it emerged from a constellation of political, social, and peculiar personal circumstances of the late 19th century. It will then explore the resilience of the concept and how, why, and by whom it has been perpetuated down to the present day, and suggests some means by which it could be more effectively countered.