It has slowly dawned on Science and Religion scholars over the last 5 years or more that the supposed universality of the old paradigm of what might be called 'Science and Religion 101' is almost certainly no such thing but is largely a product of Western elite assumptions about power, privilege and the production of knowledge in the Minority World. This realisation has led to another: that the academic study of Science and Religion says little to ordinary human beings about their lived realities of religious faith, nor of scientific practice, neither in the Majority nor the Minority Worlds.
A new consensus is emerging in the academic field of Science and Religion, which emphasises the contingent and context-dependent nature of the relationship between science and religion. It is also becoming clear how the old paradigm on Science and Religion is not only alien to many peoples outwith American and European elite perspectives but has actually been used to reinforce patriarchal and colonial abuses of power in the Majority World.
Scholars at the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at the University of Oxford are now beginning to cast around for ways to test and revise Science and Religion 101 in Majority World contexts. We are looking to establish a network of partners (individuals, university groups, churches, etc) from many different cultural contexts, who are similarly interested and concerned to push the envelope of Science and Religion 101.
We hosted an initial ground-breaking workshop in Oxford, at St Anne's College on 5-7 May 2026 where we heard stories, reflected together, and planned possible futures.
Keep an eye on this space to find out more about the outcomes of this project.
