Pub Date : 2021-09-16DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0006
E. Ecklund, D. Johnson
Many scientists have an intuitive understanding of the word science but find defining it a challenge. Definitions of science provide insight into how atheist scientists demarcate science from religion and whether they believe there are limits to what science can explain. Narratives of atheist scientists emphasize science as a methodology, as a changing body of knowledge, and as the opposite of (religious) belief. A majority of atheist scientists reject the idea that science provides the only way to understand the world, but a sizeable minority assert that science can explain everything, including morals, consciousness, and nonscientific disciplines of knowledge.
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Pub Date : 2021-09-16DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0005
E. Ecklund, D. Johnson
Spiritual atheists comprise the smallest subset of atheist scientists in the U.S. and U.K. Unlike modernists (who are not spiritual) and culturally religious atheists (who participate in religion), spiritual atheist scientists construct alternative value systems without affiliating with religious traditions. Many cast spirituality in emotional terms of awe and wonder provoked through scientific understanding of the world, while others frame their spirituality in terms of the dimensions of life that cannot be explained through science. Such constructions of spirituality are consequential for secular spiritual practices. For scientists, these involve scientific work itself, morality in relationships, personal wellness practices, and resources for coping with adversity.
{"title":"Spiritual Atheist Scientists","authors":"E. Ecklund, D. Johnson","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0005","url":null,"abstract":"Spiritual atheists comprise the smallest subset of atheist scientists in the U.S. and U.K. Unlike modernists (who are not spiritual) and culturally religious atheists (who participate in religion), spiritual atheist scientists construct alternative value systems without affiliating with religious traditions. Many cast spirituality in emotional terms of awe and wonder provoked through scientific understanding of the world, while others frame their spirituality in terms of the dimensions of life that cannot be explained through science. Such constructions of spirituality are consequential for secular spiritual practices. For scientists, these involve scientific work itself, morality in relationships, personal wellness practices, and resources for coping with adversity.","PeriodicalId":357536,"journal":{"name":"Varieties of Atheism in Science","volume":"17 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131658543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-09-16DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0003
E. Ecklund, D. Johnson
Modernist atheists, the largest subset of atheist scientists, are the most like the New Atheists. They do not identify as religious or spiritual, they do not interact with religious individuals or organizations, and they are more likely than other atheists to view the science-faith interface as a relationship of conflict. Nevertheless, while this group includes fierce critics of religion, many view it as having a positive role in society. And independent of these views, most modernist atheists believe that New Atheist discourse on the relationship between religion and science is damaging to public trust in science and scientists.
{"title":"“I Am Not Like Richard”","authors":"E. Ecklund, D. Johnson","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0003","url":null,"abstract":"Modernist atheists, the largest subset of atheist scientists, are the most like the New Atheists. They do not identify as religious or spiritual, they do not interact with religious individuals or organizations, and they are more likely than other atheists to view the science-faith interface as a relationship of conflict. Nevertheless, while this group includes fierce critics of religion, many view it as having a positive role in society. And independent of these views, most modernist atheists believe that New Atheist discourse on the relationship between religion and science is damaging to public trust in science and scientists.","PeriodicalId":357536,"journal":{"name":"Varieties of Atheism in Science","volume":"6 2","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114113616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-09-16DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0002
E. Ecklund, D. Johnson
Sociologists have identified a variety of factors that lead religious individuals away from the beliefs, practices, and affiliations of their adolescence. A number of scholars suggest that exposure to science is an essential turning point in trajectories toward atheism, in part because in many Western contexts, scientists are less likely to be religious than the general public. Less than half of the atheist scientists in our study were exposed to religion as children. Survey data indicate that among these scientists, exposure to science was not—in their own terms—what led most toward atheism.
{"title":"“Tried and Found Wanting”","authors":"E. Ecklund, D. Johnson","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0002","url":null,"abstract":"Sociologists have identified a variety of factors that lead religious individuals away from the beliefs, practices, and affiliations of their adolescence. A number of scholars suggest that exposure to science is an essential turning point in trajectories toward atheism, in part because in many Western contexts, scientists are less likely to be religious than the general public. Less than half of the atheist scientists in our study were exposed to religion as children. Survey data indicate that among these scientists, exposure to science was not—in their own terms—what led most toward atheism.","PeriodicalId":357536,"journal":{"name":"Varieties of Atheism in Science","volume":"18 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127684329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-08-19DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0004
E. Ecklund, D. Johnson
Many assume that atheists and atheist scientists rarely interact with religious individuals. Yet, a large subset of atheist scientists—29 percent in the U.S. and 21 percent in the U.K.—have sustained patterns of interaction with religious individuals and organizations, making them the most unlike the New Atheists. This group includes scientists raised within religious traditions such as Judaism, Catholicism, and Islam who now belong without believing, an orientation that often involves secular participation in religious services and practices. Others participate in services or send their children to religious schools as a way to cultivate cultural capital and social standing. Another dimension of culturally religious atheism involves partnering with or marrying someone who is religious.
{"title":"Ties That Bind","authors":"E. Ecklund, D. Johnson","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0004","url":null,"abstract":"Many assume that atheists and atheist scientists rarely interact with religious individuals. Yet, a large subset of atheist scientists—29 percent in the U.S. and 21 percent in the U.K.—have sustained patterns of interaction with religious individuals and organizations, making them the most unlike the New Atheists. This group includes scientists raised within religious traditions such as Judaism, Catholicism, and Islam who now belong without believing, an orientation that often involves secular participation in religious services and practices. Others participate in services or send their children to religious schools as a way to cultivate cultural capital and social standing. Another dimension of culturally religious atheism involves partnering with or marrying someone who is religious.","PeriodicalId":357536,"journal":{"name":"Varieties of Atheism in Science","volume":"8 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133796029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-08-19DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0007
E. Ecklund, D. Johnson
In this chapter we ask how atheist scientists think about meaning and purpose. Some observers assume that morality requires religion, while others distrust atheists and believe they are morally depraved. We find that most atheist scientists believe that life has no inherent meaning, while others believe that questions of meaning cannot be answered. Many atheist scientists posit that science motivates purpose through continual improvements to our understanding and interaction with the world around us. In contrast to those who assert atheists are immoral, survey data suggests that religious and nonreligious scientists are no different in terms of their commitment to moral values.
{"title":"How Atheist Scientists Approach Meaning and Morality","authors":"E. Ecklund, D. Johnson","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0007","url":null,"abstract":"In this chapter we ask how atheist scientists think about meaning and purpose. Some observers assume that morality requires religion, while others distrust atheists and believe they are morally depraved. We find that most atheist scientists believe that life has no inherent meaning, while others believe that questions of meaning cannot be answered. Many atheist scientists posit that science motivates purpose through continual improvements to our understanding and interaction with the world around us. In contrast to those who assert atheists are immoral, survey data suggests that religious and nonreligious scientists are no different in terms of their commitment to moral values.","PeriodicalId":357536,"journal":{"name":"Varieties of Atheism in Science","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127616063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-08-19DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0001
E. Ecklund, D. Johnson
New Atheism—a provocative and derisive anti-religious form of secularity—has established a central place in public thought through public intellectuals and scientists such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens. Science figures prominently in New Atheism, due in large part to such New Atheist thought leaders. And while the New Atheists have played an important role in giving voice to marginalized groups and promoting science, the rhetoric of New Atheism in the public sphere departs from the reality of atheism among day-to-day scientists. By studying what everyday atheist scientists in the U.S. and U.K. actually think about religion, we gain a more nuanced understanding of the varieties of atheism in science and the science-faith interface more broadly.
{"title":"Why Study Atheism among Scientists?","authors":"E. Ecklund, D. Johnson","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0001","url":null,"abstract":"New Atheism—a provocative and derisive anti-religious form of secularity—has established a central place in public thought through public intellectuals and scientists such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens. Science figures prominently in New Atheism, due in large part to such New Atheist thought leaders. And while the New Atheists have played an important role in giving voice to marginalized groups and promoting science, the rhetoric of New Atheism in the public sphere departs from the reality of atheism among day-to-day scientists. By studying what everyday atheist scientists in the U.S. and U.K. actually think about religion, we gain a more nuanced understanding of the varieties of atheism in science and the science-faith interface more broadly.","PeriodicalId":357536,"journal":{"name":"Varieties of Atheism in Science","volume":"59 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133395254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-08-19DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0008
E. Ecklund, D. Johnson
What are the implications of our results for scientific and religious communities? Drawing on the core empirical patterns discussed in the book, this chapter explains how the rhetoric of New Atheism espoused by celebrity scientists does not square with the reality of atheism experienced by atheist scientists in the U.S. and U.K. Religious communities may not be aware of atheist scientists’ actual views of faith, scientism, their moral orientations, or—for atheists who grew up religious—the reasons why they abandoned past faith. And, there is more common ground between the scientific and religious communities than either group is aware, offering fertile ground for dialogue. A diverse array of stakeholders should be involved in such pursuits, including national organizations, universities, churches, and science communicators. The success of these efforts have implications for public confidence in science and diversity within the profession.
{"title":"From Rhetoric to Reality","authors":"E. Ecklund, D. Johnson","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197539163.003.0008","url":null,"abstract":"What are the implications of our results for scientific and religious communities? Drawing on the core empirical patterns discussed in the book, this chapter explains how the rhetoric of New Atheism espoused by celebrity scientists does not square with the reality of atheism experienced by atheist scientists in the U.S. and U.K. Religious communities may not be aware of atheist scientists’ actual views of faith, scientism, their moral orientations, or—for atheists who grew up religious—the reasons why they abandoned past faith. And, there is more common ground between the scientific and religious communities than either group is aware, offering fertile ground for dialogue. A diverse array of stakeholders should be involved in such pursuits, including national organizations, universities, churches, and science communicators. The success of these efforts have implications for public confidence in science and diversity within the profession.","PeriodicalId":357536,"journal":{"name":"Varieties of Atheism in Science","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114307008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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