Science and Religion: New Avenues Beyond the Fixed Categories

Building upon recent work by historians of science, many scholars studying the relationships between religion, theology and science have stopped treating the concepts of science and religion as if they were natural kinds. But if we refrain from using these terms in an essentialist way, what comes next? Should both categories be abandoned or perhaps replaced by other ones? This article argues that (1) in some cases the use of science and religion as generalizing concepts remains both unavoidable and responsible, (2) in other cases we need more specificity and acknowledgement of contextuality, and (3) in general we need more attentiveness to newly emerging configurations of the ever-changing relationships between science(s) and religion(s). In particular, it is suggested that in the near future we may see science and religion coming together in an unprecedented way, viz. as allies in a shared struggle against post-truth thinking, institution-skepticism and societal marginalization.