Abstract
Over the last two decades sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund has made waves with her ability to capture the state of religiosity among the world’s scientists, and the state of science among the country’s faithful, highlighted in 2010 by her book Science vs Religion: What Scientists Really Think. Her skill lies in balancing a deft scientific analysis with empathy for a variety of religious experiences, a skill exemplified by this latest manuscript, in which E. uses her sociological studies as a jumping-off point to delve into her own faith experience, including, at times, very personal and difficult experiences. This short book, complete with discussion questions and short, easily digestible chapters, is refreshing in both its difference from her previous work and from that of other scholars who lack E.’s sociological expertise and decades of experience.
Aimed primarily at lay readers, students, and church discussion groups, this book draws heavily on E.’s personal experiences of faith, parenthood, and science from a white evangelical Christian’s background. She begins with a largely sociological chapter, examining some previous survey terrain (part 1), moves into an extended reflection on virtues she finds meaningful during difficult conversations of science (part 2), and finishes with virtues she hopes will chart new conversations around science and faith (part 3). Her reflections on curiosity, doubt, humility, and creativity in part 2 are especially lovely, as she deals both critically and compassionately with issues often passed over in these conversations, such as reproductive technologies, gene-editing therapies, chronic illnesses, and diversity. Each is covered briefly, approachably, and with empathy for wherever one might fall on the spectrum of belief. This text would make an excellent introduction for students, as E. foregrounds survey data and personal reflection over abstract theory, offering students from a variety of perspectives easy footholds to navigate the tangled webs of religion and science.