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Homebrewed Christianity

Peter Harrison: The Evolution of Belief: Science, Religion & Modernity

Homebrewed Christianity

Dr. Tripp Fuller | Theologian, Philosopher, Minister

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.6612 Ratings

🗓️ 30 June 2025

⏱️ 111 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, I am joined by the eminent historian of science and religion, Peter Harrison. We examine how we've inherited a distorted narrative about the relationship between science and religion. Rather than the conflict narrative we're accustomed to, Harrison reveals that science and religion are not historical foes, and that modern Western sciences are actually built on theological assumptions. The real game-changer comes from tracing how Protestant reforms—notably the attack on allegorical readings of scripture and the demand for each individual to justify their belief— fundamentally transformed how we read both Scripture and nature, eventually leading to our impoverished, utilitarian view of the natural world. Harrison shows how concepts we think are timeless - like "belief," "supernatural," and even "religion" itself - are modern inventions with specific histories, and how understanding these genealogies can help us see that many of our contemporary problems in science-religion dialogue are artifacts of the categories themselves rather than real conflicts in the world. The conversation ultimately suggests that by understanding how we arrived at our current conceptual frameworks, we might find new ways forward that don't trap us in the either/or thinking that dominates so much of contemporary debate. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube Dr. Peter Harrison is a former Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion in the University of Oxford, and Emeritus Professor of the History of Science at the University of Queensland, where he was also an Australian Laureate fellow and Founding Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH). His many celebrated books include The Fall of Man and the Foundations of Science, The Cambridge Companion to Science and Religion, The Territories of Science and Religion, & his newest book Some New World: Myths of Supernatural Belief in a Secular Age. ONLINE SUMMIT:⁠⁠⁠ Democracy in Tension - NAVIGATING THE INTERLOCKING CRISES OF DEMOCRACY AND RELIGION ⁠⁠⁠ Democracy today faces profound challenges – polarization, inequality, populist authoritarianism, and widespread cynicism are eroding the foundations of democratic life. Yet, what if democracy's greatest strength lies not in eliminating these tensions, but in productively embracing them?The summit will navigate the complex terrain between political equality and social justice, liberal freedom and democratic sovereignty, and ethical demands and political action. As always, the class is donation-based, including 0. INFO & Sign-Up at ⁠⁠⁠www.HomebrewedClasses.com⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Beer Camp ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠is a unique three-day conference that brings together of theology nerds and craft beer for a blend of intellectual engagement, community building, and fun. This event features a lineup of well-known podcasters, scholars, and theology enthusiasts who come together to "nerd out" on theological topics while enjoying loads of fun activities. Guests this year include John Dominic Crossan, Kelly Brown Douglas, Philip Clayton, Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Jeffery Pugh, Juan Floyd-Thomas, Andy Root, Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Noreen Herzfeld, Reggie Williams, Casper ter Kuile, and more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get info and tickets here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. _____________________ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 80,000 other people by joining our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 45 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello everyone. This is Tripp, and today on the Homebrewed Christianity podcast is a historian

0:11.6

of science and religion, the most prominent and influential one around. Someone who has had

0:17.9

thousands of pages crossed my eyes and now I get to talk to him. That's right. Peter Harrison.

0:24.2

It was a blast to get to talk to Peter Harrison, and he has a brand new book that came out in the last few months called Some New World.

0:32.5

It's spectacular. It looks at the genealogy, you can say, of miracles, belief, science, religion, these kinds of things.

0:40.8

He looks at the genealogy, a historical account of how these concepts changed and then uses that

0:47.1

history to help us think about the kind of divisions or distinctions or walls we put up between topics or ideas or or or or or or or or or or or or or or

1:08.8

ideas or possibilities and go hey hey hey maybe it's not reality itself that's rendering these divisions. Uh, but an inheritance in our history and he's a wonderful historian and an excellent communicator about it. So thank you Dr Harrison, for coming on. I hope you enjoy this.

1:12.5

And over the next month or so, we'll hear a couple more conversations in this vein, looking at

1:18.5

the history of science, religion, and how that plays an important role of shaping the context

1:24.1

for thinking about faith in the present day. Enjoy.

1:33.2

Hello, everyone. This is Tripp, and today I get to talk with Peter Harrison, who I've read quite a few of his books.

1:42.0

But today, well, I'm sure I'll ask questions for many of them,

1:45.8

but its newest book, Some New World, is quite a bard burner.

1:51.0

You know, it arrives just a week or two after Charles Taylor's new book,

1:55.6

and y'all two just went right back to back.

1:58.6

And it was a lot of fun.

2:00.6

But I really appreciate you being here and been looking forward to getting to talk to you.

2:05.3

Great. Yeah, look. It's a pleasure to talk to you. Glad you enjoyed the book and I look forward to talking more.

2:10.9

I first discovered your work when I started my postdoc in science and religion and was assigned a class to facilitate, and you

2:19.5

had been to Edinburgh and recorded some of the lectures for the intro to science and religion

2:23.9

class. And it was exciting. I had to answer your question. So I had to spend the week reading

...

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