Islam and Science: Reorienting the Discourse

Abstract

Discourses about the relationship between religion and science, whether viewed as one of conflict or compatibility, abound. Scientists, religious scholars and researchers, in peer-reviewed publications, through lectures, and even via social media, debate the truth claims of each “field” and propose ways to integrate, or alternatively, marginalize the deliverables of one type of knowing with respect to the other. In recent years these debates have made their way into Muslim circles as scientists and religious scholars assess how Western philosophical and Christian perspectives compare with Islamic understandings of science and religion. These scholars further grapple with developing frameworks for integration and resolution of potential conflicts between faith and modern science. At present much of these discussions appear broad and superficial; invoking thin conceptions of Islam and science. This has resulted in piecemeal solutions for boundary negotiation between the claims of tradition and claims of modern science. As scholarly work at the intersection of Islam and the biomedical sciences increases this paper anticipates a deeper engagement. We advocate that conceptions of Islam and of science be defined at the outset in a substantive way so that fruitful dialogue can occur, and we propose that the Islamic portion of the dialogue should be set at the level of particular theological and legal schools. Engaging modern science from within a particular Islamic school allows for fundamental Islamic metaphysical and doctrinal commitments to be foregrounded, and in so doing facilitates negotiation about how empirical findings and posited knowledge about nature can be accommodated by established theological frameworks and legal authority structures within the Islamic intellectual tradition.