Science and Belief in Society Conference, Birmingham (UK) 4-6 July, 2019

The first annual conference of the International Research Network for the Study of Science and Belief in Society was held at the University of Birmingham from 4-6 July, 2019.

This multidisciplinary conference featured speakers from disciplines including the history of science, sociology of religion, science and technology studies, philosophy, social psychology, science communication studies, education studies, and anthropology. Keynote papers were given by historian Professor Peter Harrison, Australian Laureate Fellow and Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Queensland (Australia), and psychologist Professor Cristine Legare, associate professor of psychology and the director of the Evolution, Variation, and Ontogeny of Learning Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin (USA).

A full programme and book of abstracts can be found here.

The conference themes were:

  • The social scientific and historical study of the relationship between science and religious and/or non-religious belief and identity;
  • Public perceptions of the relationship between science, religion and non-religion and their respective roles in society;
  • National and international comparative perspectives on the study of science, religion and belief in society;
  • Past and present media or popular representations of science, religion and belief in society;
  • The past or present roles of science, rationalism, religion and belief in national, social or cultural identity and related geopolitical narratives;
  • Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of science, religion and non-religion in society;
  • Methodological approaches to, and issues in, the study of science, religion and belief in society;
  • Avenues for future research and developments within the social scientific and historical study of science, religion and belief in society;
  • Public policy research relating to any aspect of public policy that intersects with issues connected to science, religion and belief in society. Including studies on the impact of publics’ views on science and religion on policy making, and provision for religious, spiritual or non-religious communities across a range of geographies and issues (e.g. healthcare provision, educational policy, science policy, environmental policy or development);
  • International studies of religious or spiritual communities’ perspectives on the intersection, and possible relationships, between science and religion over time.