Science and religion : steps toward an analytical framework within contemporary science studies

The relationship between science and religion was one of the most important topics in the era when sociology was founded but it has since disappeared from the empirical science studies agenda almost completely. This paper argues for reopening the debates on these issues and develops a preliminary framework for empirical analysis. This involves describing science as a context of discovery, justification, and persuasion; religion is seen in terms of organization, individual faith, and as (a part of) culture. Regarding all the dimensions, this paper discusses which questions should guide the investigation of the relationship between science and religion from the perspective of contemporary science studies.