Religion and Epistemology

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleReligija i epistemologija
3. Language term Serbian
4. lemma author Stevanovic, Aleksandra
5. lemma category Various approaches to the problem of correlation between science and theology
6. Publication date 11-11-2016
7. lemma work Djordjevic, Radomir [Author]. Religion and epistemology. 45–50
8. lemma manifestations Theoria
9. Keywords
   1. epistemology
10. Keywords interdisciplinarity
11. Lemma body

    1. In the paper written by professor Djordjevic, the relationship between science and religion has been discussed, as well as the necessity of their domain demarcation. The author immediately recognizes that even religion–epistemology relation enlightening introduces certain issues. Philosophy, science, religion, and arts have always been fields of human inquiry and two “organa” – heart and reason have provided two images throughout centuries. However, their harmony has never been achieved. On the contrary, the gap has become wider. Both of the approaches, scientific and religious have been legitimate, but the aim at integral knowledge, especially noticed in the 18^th century by romanticists, has remained unachieved. Knowledge and faith have thus been the subjects of research and there has always been endeavor to make one of them primary.

       Hence the constant discussion renewal between the opposing or different sides is necessary, but it demands readiness and certain courage. From the author’s point of view, such endeavor is not simple at all due to the disciplinarity and specializations that have enhanced disparities widening. The author stresses that faith and knowledge are not confronted if their domains are regulated – life is not simple in that way it can be considered by one or another sphere respectively. In that sense, it should be also noted that people are not religious in the same way. For instance, in the papers of apologetic character, either written by theologians or atheists, believers or non-believers among scientists have been listed. However, those authors would usually fail to contemplate the possibility of several types of religiousness existence. Common examples illustrating this situation are Newton and Tesla.

       The author finds important to add that regarding epistemology itself, modern epistemology has roots in the ancient Greek thought because Heraclitus, Plato and Aristotle implied the existence of several kinds of knowledge. With the development of modern science, epistemology has developed as well and such development demanded a broader interpretation. However, epistemology, which is sometimes equaled to theory of knowledge, still has a lot of problems that have already been addressed – origin, limits and possibilities of the knowledge of the world. Today, it has become obvious that monodisciplinarity does not solve the problems and questions and that only within interdisciplinary approaches may the results be seen. The author therefore warns that science cannot provide answers to all the questions and therefore religion should not be excluded, but allowed to be an individual’s choice.