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Podcast: New Books in Medieval History
Episode: James C. Ungureanu, "Science, Religion, and the Protestant Tradition: Retracing the Origins of Conflict" (U Pittsburgh Press, 2019)
Description: The story of the âconflict thesisâ between science and religionâthe notion of perennial conflict or warfare between the twoâis part of our modern self-understanding. As the story goes, John William Draper (1811â1882) and Andrew Dickson White (1832â1918) constructed dramatic narratives in the nineteenth century that cast religion as the relentless enemy of scientific progress. And yet, despite its resilience in popular culture, historians today have largely debunked the conflict thesis. In Science, Religion, and the Protestant Tradition: Retracing the Origins of Conflict (U Pittsburgh Press, 2019), James Ungureanu argues that Draper and White actually hoped their narratives would preserve religi...