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Science and Religion: Building Bridges, Dismantling Misconceptions Symposium

A symposium on the relationship between science and religion is being organized for the American Association for the Advancement of Science-Southwestern and Rocky Mountains Division (AAAS-SWARM) annual meeting at the University of Tulsa to be held from March 31 — April 4, 2012.
“Science and Religion: Building Bridges, Dismantling Misconceptions” is an interdisciplinary symposium intended to bring together researchers from the social, physical, and biological sciences at the interface of science, religion, and society. It is a common misunderstanding among the American public that science and religion are opposing viewpoints, when in fact they are can be viewed as different bodies of knowledge. This symposium will feature original data and ideas on how the public perceives the interaction between science and religion and the ways in which misconceptions about these relationships can be addressed and corrected. The ultimate goal of this symposium is to generate ideas and strategies that improve the general public’s understanding of science as a process, without denigrating the importance of religion in human culture and society.
Topics presented and discussed in this symposium might include but not be limited to:

1. how various religions or denominations view science and scientific discoveries,
2. different ways science can engage the public in meaningful dialogue about science and its relationship with religion,
3. managing non-scientific viewpoints from a scientific perspective,
4. informal education opportunities and the role of scientists, and
5. explaining to the public differences in the ways of knowing in science compared with religion.