Stephen Jones & Rebecca Catto 
Science, Belief and Society 
International Perspectives on Religion, Non-Religion and the Public Understanding of Science

The relationship between science and belief has been a prominent subject of public debate for many years, one that has relevance to everything from science communication, health and education to immigration and national values. Yet, sociological analysis of these subjects remains surprisingly scarce. This wide-ranging book critically reviews the ways in which religious and non-religious belief systems interact with scientific theories and practices. Contributors explore how, for some secularists, ‘science’ forms an important part of social identity. Others examine how many contemporary religious movements justify their beliefs by making a claim upon science. Moving beyond the traditional focus on the United States, the book shows how debates about science and belief are firmly embedded in political conflict, class, community and culture.

About the author

Stephen H. Jones is a Lecturer at the University of Birmingham and serves as current General Secretary of the Muslims in Britain Research Network (MBRN). He specialises in contemporary Muslim communities and public perceptions of science and religion and has published widely on these themes. Rebecca Catto is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Kent State University, USA. She is interested in secular-religious interactions in Britain and North America. Rebecca has published widely on atheism, Christian mission, youth and religion, state-religion relations, and science and religion. Tom Kaden is Academic Council at the Institute of Sociology at the University of Bayreuth, where he is working on a general sociology of conflict. Previously he worked as a Research Associate at York University in Toronto, Canada, where he explored the relationship between religion and science for Canadian life scientists and members of the public.