When Science and Religion Merge : A Modern Case Study

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Science and religion have had a tumultuous relationship. While some claim that the two are necessary for a complete view of the world, the implications of scientific inquiry have sometimes challenged the foundations of faith-based beliefs. The controversies have led philosophers to a number of ways to harmonize their religious beliefs with the most recent knowledge that science offers about the universe. This work analyzes and discusses a relatively recent example in the Bahá’í faith regarding biological evolution. While some general approaches to scripture may remove inconsistencies between contemporary science and particular religious beliefs, the Bahá'í case demands a different understanding. This thesis explores the doctrinal perspective, then discusses and argues against interpretations that have so far been proffered. It reviews evolutionary science, leading to the conclusion that the problem of disharmony between scripture and science is sometimes rooted in a misattribution of scriptural inerrancy where it was not warranted. This study and its conclusions about the reading of Bahá’í scripture may be relevant to other scripturally based religions, particularly those which embrace a harmony between scientific and religious beliefs.