The Sociological Study of Science and Religion and the Invisible Religion: Conditions of Possibility for the "Conflict Thesis"

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Kaden, Tom:
The Sociological Study of Science and Religion and the Invisible Religion: Conditions of Possibility for the "Conflict Thesis".
In: Human Studies. (2025) .
ISSN 0163-8548
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10746-025-09817-x

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Abstract

This article explores the persistence of the “conflict thesis”—the belief that science and religion are fundamentally incompatible—through a sociological lens grounded in Thomas Luckmann’s concept of “invisible religion”. The text examines how dominant narratives of conflict typically reflect assumptions rooted in a specific social form: church-oriented religion. By analyzing historical and contemporary discourses, including those of New Atheism and creationist movements, the article details how both secular and religious arguments often rely on institutionalized models of religion. In contrast, Luckmann’s framework highlights the rise of individualized, privatized religiosity, which operates outside traditional institutional boundaries and seldom gives rise to epistemic conflict. Drawing on qualitative research and case studies, the text demonstrates that individualized religious expressions are often eclectic, biographically shaped, and largely compatible with scientific worldviews. This shift in perspective challenges the explanatory power of the conflict thesis by illustrating that perceived incompatibility is not intrinsic to religion per se but to specific social forms. The article ultimately argues for a broader sociological approach that accounts for the diversity of religious expressions when analyzing the relationship between science and religion.