Science and Religion in India

by Renny Thomas

This book provides an in-depth ethnographic study of science and religion in the context of South Asia, giving voice to Indian scientists and shedding valuable light on their engagement with religion. Drawing on biographical, autobiographical, historical, and ethnographic material, the volume focuses on scientists’ religious life and practices, and the variety of ways in which they express them. Renny Thomas challenges the idea that science and religion in India are naturally connected and argues that the discussion has to go beyond binary models of ‘conflict’ and ‘complementarity’. By complicating the understanding of science and religion in India, the book engages with new ways of looking at these categories.

214 pages, Hardcover

Published December 31, 2021

Reviews

[Shyamal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic of the book is interesting but the method used by the author (perhaps something with to do with the problems of humanities faculties themselves) is a bit ridiculous. The pseudonymous scientists are not victims of crimes that their views should not be put with proper declaration of authorship. It would rather suggest that Indian scientists know that they lack intellectual integrity (to the point of being almost criminal?) in being unable to express their lack of a clear philosophy surrounding matters of religion, culture and tradition. The performance of religion and caste is nothing short of approval. And approval is nothing short of being non-secular. Many of the faculty even go around with conspicuous marks of religious and caste identity. It also makes it clear that there is no sign of an enlightenment culture or a questioning of culture and tradition. There is clearly fear surrounding the expression of idea on religion and culture. I cannot imagine that an event like "Beyond Belief" could ever have been held in India. This is certainly not a sign of a scholarly culture! As someone who lived, watched, and grew up on the campus of the institution that the author has conducted his studies in, I think a majority of the faculty there were people who switched off whatever little scientific or rational philosophy they had at the end of their work day. That they still refuse to wrestle with the structure of science, the conflict with religion, the wishy-washy thinking about culture being sacred, and their own behavior of choosing to send their children to universities abroad rather than in India should make everyone think about the state of our educational and scholarly establishments!