Journal of Contemporary Studies on Religion and Science (JCSRS)

The Journal of Contemporary Studies on Religion and Science (JCSRS) aims to explore the relationship between science and religion from diverse perspectives, including their potential consistency, correlation, and complementarity. In academia, this relationship is often considered from viewpoints that, to some extent, ignore their correlation. Nowadays, both in the humanities and natural sciences, the predominant mainstream, deeply influenced by positivism, naturalism, and scientism, regards science as the optimal means to explain the world, humanity, life, and solve problems and challenges, while neglecting religion. Consequently, the idea of their consistency and correlation has been overlooked in academia over time. However, this intriguing approach posits that science and religion are compatible and even parallel. This less popular view has several interpretations. On the other hand, ample evidence supporting this neglected approach exists in both the natural sciences and humanities, often overlooked.

     Considering this, JCSRS aims to serve as a platform for presenting different versions and readings of the relationship between science and religion, especially those manuscripts that try to show their correlation, relevance, and complementarity. This relationship can be examined by both scientists and humanities scholars, although humanities professors have generally pioneered and been more productive in this regard. However, this journal welcomes manuscripts written by scientists employing scientific methods. In particular, it encourages research that relies on the latest scientific ideas and theories to demonstrate and defend the correlation and consistency between religion and science.

     Furthermore, most current debates in this field, especially within the prevalent Anglo-American approach, often explain religion, science, and their relationship in the form of propositions, referring to texts and theories, and arguing through logical analysis. While this is an admirable and fruitful method, the journal also welcomes research that considers science, religion, and their relationship within the context of lived experience, as this could be an effective approach to demonstrate consistency and correlation.

     Focusing on practical aspects of the so-called problem and its connections with life and lived experience, the Journal of Contemporary Studies on Religion and Science tries to distinguish itself from other journals. In this regard, the following practical problems and fields are of particular interest:

• Benefiting from value-laden and normative aspects and interpretations of science and religion, and trying to create compatibility between the two to help overcome crises caused by science and/or technology, such as nuclear weapons, environmental and climate change, global poverty, etc. In other words, examining the potential abilities inherent in the subject matter of the religion and science relationship to overcome crises directly or indirectly related to science and/or technology.
• Engaging with new fields of science and technology, such as artificial intelligence, where a religious viewpoint could provide a broader perspective and minimize potential adverse effects and crises. As external controls may be insufficient in the case of AI, internal controls could complement them.
• Critically reviewing the institution of science and academia from religious and theological perspectives.
• Exploring novel and insightful views concerning the meaning of life from religious, theological, and scientific standpoints.

The final word that, JCSRS not only welcomes critical reviews of the idea of consistency between science and religion but also assesses manuscripts based on other current approaches to the relationship between science and religion, as exploring this relationship is the primary focus of this journal.