Religious Studies

Science and religion sometimes appear to clash; for example, some religious organizations reject COVID-19 restrictions on religious grounds. However, many people, like millions of religious scientists, see science and religion as perfectly compatible. The purpose of this study is to examine how people who identify as religious and people who identify as scientists think about science and religion as either compatible or in conflict. The study was conducted with psychology and honors undergraduate students at the University of Maine and consisted of surveys asking about students’ religious and science commitment, as well as their perceptions of the science-religion relationship. We hypothesized and found that UMaine students higher in religious commitment saw science and religion as more compatible, whereas people higher in commitment to science saw science and religion as more in conflict. We also investigated differences between Honors and Non-Honors students, finding that students in the UMaine Honors program were more likely to both have a stronger science identity and see science and religion as more in conflict as compared to the Non-Honors group, which saw them as more compatible.