Event

What would it mean to talk about science and religion without talking just about people talking about science and religion? This talk will attempt to reach some general conclusions based on a historical study of seventeenth-century Istanbul. Focusing on the realities of caring and, more importantly, of not caring about science or religion, the talk will argue that a focus on practices and practical realities may help us transcend the maze of discourse that currently defines the field of science and religion, especially when it comes to Islam, Judaism and Christianity. How would an orientation towards practices and practical realities change the well-worn narratives of tradition, conservatism and even modernity? What would it mean for the relationship between religion and culture? How can we include actors that don’t particularly care about science and religion in our work on science and religion?