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WHAT SCIENCE CAN AND CANNOT OFFER TO A RELIGIOUS NARRATIVE
Author(s) -
Goodenough Ursula W.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
zygon®
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 23
eISSN - 1467-9744
pISSN - 0591-2385
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9744.1994.tb00670.x
Subject(s) - mythology , narrative , transcendence (philosophy) , faith , meaning (existential) , epistemology , context (archaeology) , sociology , aesthetics , philosophy , history , theology , linguistics , archaeology
. A molecular/cell biologist offers perspectives on the contributions that the scientific worldview might and might not make to religious though. It is argued that two essential features of institutionalized religions–their historical context and their supernatural orientation—are not addressed by the sciences, nor can the sciences contribute to the art and ritual that elicit states of faith and transcendence. The sciences have, however, important stories (myths) to offer, stories that have the potential to unify us, to tell us what is sacred, what has meaning, and how we might best proceed.