Send us a text

In the late 1800s, two books were published in the United States, arguing that science and religion were locked in an inevitable zero-sum conflict that would only be resolved when one winner emerged and completely vanquished its opponent. This viewpoint came to be called the “warfare thesis.” At the time of their publication, both books were severely criticized by book reviewers for shoddy scholarship and rampant unfairness. The reviewers’ critical assessments have subsequently been confirmed by historians.

Yet, despite their dubious scholarship and questionable arguments, both books have cast an outsized shadow over American culture for the past 150-odd years. The myth of an inevitable, brutal conflict between science and spirituality skews the way many people think about both science and also spirituality. This fallacy provides a distorted lens through which we view other historical figures and events.

In this episode, we will re-examine three historical episodes where persons of science were allegedly persecuted or condemned for their scientific research or teaching by “religious people.” Under the guidance of a historian, we will look at the actual facts, the contexts, and other influential factors in each of these episodes. The results of our investigation will prove fascinating.

For Further Reading:

The Warfare Between Science and Religion, The Idea that Wouldn’t Die, edited by Jeff Hardin, Ronald L. Numbers, and Ronald A. Binzley, Baltimore Johns Hokins University Press, 2018, is a collection of essays by historians that includes an examination of the two books by Draper and White, as well as a careful examination of the “Galileo affair.”