Science vs. Religion: What Scientists Really Think

(Oxford University Press) The author examines the religious views of elite scientists from top U.S. research universities and argues that few scientists are purely secular. She claims that nearly half are religious, while others are “spiritual entrepreneurs” who seek ways to hold science and faith together. She states that only a minority actively reject and work against religion, while most (even non-religious scientists) engage in discussion about the subject. The author’s findings are based on a survey of 1,700 scientists and interviews with 275 of them, although she structures her narrative around the lives of a representative 10. Ecklund is an assistant professor of sociology and the associate director for the Rice University Institute for Urban Research. She is the author of Korean American Evangelicals: New Models for Civic Life.