Introduction

This chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book takes the view that the science-and-religion debate can move beyond hostility to become a major force behind a new kind of intellectual enlightenment in modern culture. At present, it is possible to see the science-and-religion debate as a near-perfect example of C. P. Snow's famous Two Cultures idea, that there is an intellectual gulf between the natural sciences and humanities subjects so deep that meaningful dialogue is almost impossible. The book sets out some of the main parameters at play in bridging that gulf. The book addresses the central philosophical questions of how the sciences and religions relate to the concepts of truth, logic, free will, and reason, along with the general question of how and why the science-and-religion debate is important in the first place.