29th Annual Conference
Science, Religion and Social Transformation

The juxtaposition of science and religion has been and continues to be both a controversial and an exciting subject of universal interest in academic, religious, and social circles. The Bahá’í teachings, addressing the division between formal science and religion in modern society, emphasize the need to cultivate both scientific and spiritual capacities, and the recognition that "faith in God and confidence in social progress are in every sense reconcilable; that science and religion are the two inseparable, reciprocal systems of knowledge impelling the advancement of civilization."

The theme of the 2005 annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies invites exploration of how the deepening dialogue between science and religion can both enrich existing knowledge and stimulate new avenues of thought and inquiry. In particular, the conference seeks to examine the role this dialogue plays in promoting constructive social change. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states that "true science is reason and reality, and religion is essentially reality and pure reason; therefore, the two must correspond.”

Possible topics for further exploration include the following: How does the intersection of science and religion redefine our understanding of the relationship between matter and spirit? Modern physics and psychology, for example, cast considerable doubt on the notion that matter is the primary basis of reality, or that human consciousness is a simple derivative of neurochemical processes. What are the historical and cultural origins of the division between the modern sciences and religion, and how has the division been both promoted and challenged? How does the notion of harmony between scientific and religious knowledge shed new light on human origins and human nature, bioethics, the human relationship with the natural environment, economic activity, social organization, and the respective roles of tradition and innovation? To what extent are method, observation, imagination, intuition, and articles of faith shared or utilized differently by these two knowledge systems? What are the implications of the concept of the progressive revelation of religious truth for epistemology, sociology, history, and the philosophy of science? How can religious insight aid us in differentiating the factual determinations of science from its metaphysical and ideological claims? How does the interaction of spiritual and scientific perspectives affect the evolution of values, identity, legal systems, processes of governance, and perceptions of what is normative or anachronistic in relation to humanity’s current and future social development?

Given that both religious and scientific knowledge are relative within the scope of humanity’s ever-expanding interpretative and rational powers, what might be the role of consultation in grounding our perceptions of physical and social reality? What modes of research, dialogue, and action are most effective in fostering collective understanding and positive social change? What learning styles promote collaboration, humility, and service over competition and elitism? Which pedagogical approaches and methodologies can contribute to moral development? How can communities properly assess the efficacy and social impacts of different technologies? How can a deeper understanding of the interaction between revelation and empirical investigation of truth ensure that knowledge is directed toward the goal of establishing a just and peaceful global polity? These are but a few topics from a constellation of those that we hope will emerge from the participants’ exploration of the interconnections among science, religion, and social transformation.