This book investigates the nature and relevance of conjunctive explanations in the context of science and religion. It explores questions concerning how scientific and religious explanations for features of the world or phenomena within it relate to each other and whether they might work together in mutually enriching ways. The chapters address topics including the relationship between Darwinian and teleological explanations, non-reductive explanations of mind and consciousness, and explanations of Christian faith and religious experience, while others explore theological and philosophical issues concerning the nature and feasibility of conjunctive explanations. Overall, the contributions help to provide conceptual clarity on how scientific and religious explanations might or might not work together conjunctively as well as exploring how these ideas relate to specific topics in science and religion more generally.
Conjunctive Explanations in Science and Religion: An Introduction Diarmid A. Finnegan, David H. Glass, Mikael Leidenhag and David N. Livingstone CONVERSATION I Explanation in Science and Religion 1 Conjunctive Explanations: How Science and Religion Can Work Together David H. Glass Conjuctive Explanations: A Response Aku Visala 2 Agents as Difference Makers, or Why Many Human Actions Have Mental Causes Aku Visala Agents as Difference Makers: A Response David H. Glass CONVERSATION II Designing Darwinism 3 The Telos of Darwin’s Troubling Metaphor: Darwin’s Pigeons, Dennett’s Cranes, Fodor’s Granny David N. Livingstone The Telos of Darwin’s Troubling Metaphor: A Response E. V. Rope Kojonen 4 Asa Gray vs. Charles Darwin: Evaluating the Darwinian Case against Conjunctive Explanations E. V. Rope Kojonen Asa Gray vs. Charles Darwin: A Response David N. Livingstone CONVERSATION III Irreducibilities, Material and Mental 5 God, Consciousness and Conjunctive Explanations Joanna Leidenhag God, Consciousness and Conjunctive Explanations: A Response Tom Mcleish 6 Complementary Causation and Emergence: A Substrate for Conjunctive Explanations Tom Mcleish Complementary Causation and Emergence: A Response Joanna Leidenhag CONVERSATION IV Divine Causes and Mental Beliefs 7 A Conjunctive Explanation About Psychopathology? Hearing Voices, Psychosis and Religious Experience Anastasia Philippa Scrutton A Conjunctive Explanation about Psychopathology? A Response Andrew Torrance 8 A Conjunctive Explanation of the Mental Phenomenon of Christian Faith Andrew Torrance A Conjunctive Explanation of the Mental Phenomenon of Christian Faith: A Response Anastasia Philippa Scrutton CONVERSATION V The (Im)possibility of Theological Explanations 9 Are Theological Explanations Superfluous? The Cognitive Science of Religion and Ockham’s Razor Gijsbert Van Den Brink Are Theological Explanations Superfluous? A Response David O. Brown 10 A Re-Evaluation of Non-Overlapping Magisteria David O. Brown A Re-Evaluation of Non-Overlapping Magisteria: A Response Gijsbert Van Den Brink CONVERSATION VI Explanatory Virtues: Theological Explorations 11 John Polkinghorne on Conjunctive Explanation Stephen N. Williams John Polkinghorne on Conjunctive Explanation: A Response Alister Mcgrath 12 An Explanatory Mosaic Alister Mcgrath An Explanatory Mosaic: A Response Stephen N. Williams
Diarmid A. Finnegan is a Reader in the Geography, the School of Natural and Built Environment at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland. David H. Glass is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Computing at Ulster University, Northern Ireland. Mikael Leidenhag is a Research Fellow in the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. David N. Livingstone is a Professor in Geography, the School of Natural and Built Environment at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Reviews for Conjunctive Explanations in Science and Religion
“[Conjunctive Explanations in Science and Religion] exemplifies outstanding scholarship in science, religion, and science and religion since all authors are erudite in multiple disciplines and skilful in conveying their positions in a persuasive manner. […] This book serves as an excellent guide to navigating one of the most fundamental questions in the field of science and religion, namely the meaning of explanation and its various levels […] Readers who can unpack this book will undoubtedly profit much from its rich content and wide scope.” - Zishang Yue in Philosophy, Theology and the Sciences “This edited volume explores the potential of conjunctive explanations formed by conjoining scientific and religious explanations. […] In sum, although not all the chapters of this volume are intimately connected to the notion of conjunctive explanation, each of them is an insightful and thought-provoking contribution to the science-religion dialogue.” - Matthias Egg in Science & Christian Belief
