Is There A Conflict Between Science And Religion?

Is the scientific world view in conflict with science itself, as philosopher Alvin Plantinga argues in a recent book? No, says Alva Noë.

by Alva Noë

Hulton Archive/Getty Images Miracles: unlikely, but not impossible

In a recent book — Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion and Naturalism — the philosopher Alvin Plantinga argues that the conflict between science and religion is superficial. Natural science doesn't entail the nonexistence of "a person such as God" or even rule out the possibility of miracles. Given quantum indeterminacy, at least according to Plantinga, we have no grounds for saying that miracles are impossible, even if we do have good grounds for thinking them highly unlikely. Of course, as Plantinga would be quick to admit, this is not to say much on behalf of theism; after all, the point is a general one and doesn't depend in any way on the specific likelihood or truth of religious doctrines. The same argument would allow us to conclude that natural science does not entail the nonexistence or impossibility of there being a teapot ...