This week I'm traveling, and so, like my last entry, here I'll simply offer a brief note highlighting insights from a leading thinker in the field of science and religion, Philip Clayton.
In Religion and Science: The Basics, Clayton has commented on the future of science and religion in America in light of the growth of the Nones (those who check "none of the above" when asked about their religious affiliation) and particularly their spiritual openness. Clayton recognizes that a minority of nones are actually atheistic. In addition, according to a 2015 Pew study, one-in-six religiously unaffiliated adults (16%) say their own religious beliefs conflict with science. He writes,
Interest in the spiritual approach to science has grown rapidly in recent years. It’s no coincidence that these same years have seen a rapid decrease in participation in organized religion. The no-longer-affiliated or “Nones” have described themselves as “spiritual but not religious” or “spiritual independents.” They may practice yoga or meditation without much attention to traditional Hindu or Buddhist teachings. They may find spirituality in different places: in nature or music, in being with friends or making love. They may tie together bits of sacred texts and practices without feeling that they have to be at home in just one. Philip Clayton, Religion and Science: The Basics
This implies that the Nones will bring an openness that will defuse a conflict between science and religion so often brought by fundamentalisms, both religious and atheistic.
Will this be at the level of intense systematic truth claims between these fields of knowledge? Note here that it is not critical for the emerging adults I’ve interviewed to achieve consistency in systems of knowledge or in epistemic claims. Although this is certainly possible, ethical and emotional concerns present more possibilities, more "felt needs." It seems the Nones want collaboration or independence on an emotional level.
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