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Academic papers by Stephen H Jones

This article • Contributes to theoretical debates about the significance of group identity and po... more This article • Contributes to theoretical debates about the significance of group identity and political representation; • Contributes to academic research into the shift from formal and hierarchical to more informal and network-based styles of governance; • Contributes to research on the integration of Muslims in Britain by elucidating the emergence and diversification of Muslim representative organisations in Britain since 1970; • Demonstrates the multifaceted and dynamic nature of Muslim representative claimsmaking in contemporary UK governance by identifying and analysing a range of modes of Muslim representation. Since the turn of the century Britain has seen a proliferation of Muslim civil society organisations and an increase in the number of points of contact between Muslim spokespersons and government. Yet, this increased participation in UK governance has been a source of fierce controversies centring on the role of conservative male leaderships and the influence of radical Islamic groups. Drawing on interviews with 42 national elites who have engaged in UK Muslim-government relations in the past decade, this article charts the emergence of national-level Muslim representation and assesses its relationship to democratic participation and accountability. Building on the work of Michael Saward, we argue that unelected civil society representatives can act as an important supplement to elected representatives. We show how four modes of Muslim representation have emerged in the last decade-'delegation', 'authority', 'expertise' and 'standing'-creating dynamic competition among representative claims.

In this article, we consider the implications of the ‘Prevent’ strand of the government’s counter... more In this article, we consider the implications of the ‘Prevent’ strand of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy for the UK state’s engagement with Muslims. We argue that the logics of Prevent have been highly problematic for state–Muslim engagement. Nevertheless, we suggest that the characterisation of state approaches to engaging Muslims as a form of discipline is incomplete without an analysis of: first, differences in practices, habits and perspectives across governance domains; second, variations in approach and implementation between levels of governance; and third, the agency of Muslims who engage with the state. Through this approach we show how attention to the situated practices of governance reveals the contested nature of governing through Prevent.

Focusing on Muslim participation in the governance of Leicester in the East Midlands of England, ... more Focusing on Muslim participation in the governance of Leicester in the East Midlands of England, this article contests prevalent assumptions about the contemporary politics of multiculturalism. Specifically, it questions two narratives on the subject: first, a descriptive narrative about multiculturalism being in retreat; and second, a normative narrative about multiculturalism undermining national culture. Using interview, ethnographic and archival research, the article shows how a programme of multicultural politics has been implemented in Leicester that, while shifting, has remained firmly in place across national political and policy changes. It also demonstrates how this model of multicultural practice has emphasized civic communitarianism and utilized British national traditions. Using the above methods, the article questions the terms of political debate about multiculturalism, and considers how ‘convivial’ and ‘communitarian’ theoretical approaches to multiculturalism can renew and refashion multicultural political practice.

Since the turn of the century Britain has seen a proliferation of Muslim civil society organisati... more Since the turn of the century Britain has seen a proliferation of Muslim civil society organisations and an increase in the number of points of contact between Muslim spokespersons and government. Yet, this increased participation in UK governance has been a source of fierce controversies centring on the role of conservative male leaderships and the influence of radical Islamic groups. Drawing on interviews with 42 national elites who have engaged in UK Muslim–government relations in the past decade, this article charts the emergence of national-level Muslim representation and assesses its relationship to democratic participation and accountability. Building on the work of Michael Saward, we argue that unelected civil society representatives can act as an important supplement to elected representatives. We show how four modes of Muslim representation have emerged in the last decade—‘delegation’, ‘authority’, ‘expertise’ and ‘standing'—creating dynamic competition among representative claims.

This article examines the emergence of new forms of Islam in Britain between the 1990s and the pr... more This article examines the emergence of new forms of Islam in Britain between the 1990s and the present, and in particular the role played by the New Labour government (1997–2010) in encouraging new expressions of Islam. It charts the development of the Islamic tradition in Britain between the migration of mainly South Asian Muslims in the 1950s and 1960s and the Rushdie affair in the late 1980s, before outlining some of the challenges Muslims in Britain have faced transmitting Islamic traditions in a stable state to younger generations. Against the backdrop of increasing public concern about an inter-generational divide among Muslims and its supposed role in allowing radicalism to flourish, the article explores recent attempts to develop and promote forms of Islam that are “authentically British” and that challenge radical perspectives. Using the case study of the Radical Middle Way initiative, it looks into the uneasy relationship between these newer forms of Islam and the supportive New Labour administration, highlighting weaknesses in literature that focuses on the ‘disciplining’ of Muslims. Finally, it explains how the concept of classical Islamic tradition is utilised in creative ways not anticipated or engaged with by advocates of the “clash of civilisations” thesis.

Set against the backdrop of ongoing intergenerational changes within the Islamic tradition in Bri... more Set against the backdrop of ongoing intergenerational changes within the Islamic tradition in Britain, this chapter profiles a range of emerging initiatives whose aim is to produce and disseminate knowledge of the Islamic faith. It explores the reasons for the emergence of these new initiatives, the type of knowledge that they produce and the means by which that knowledge is transmitted. In doing this, the chapter challenges conventional sociological analyses of Islam in the West that have tended to focus upon the individualization of religious belief, and that have contended that emergent forms of Islam tend to be rooted in emotional identification rather than learning. Drawing on interviews and other fieldwork with activists and religious scholars, it is argued that these analyses ultimately offer only limited help in resolving debates about Islam’s place in Europe.

This article considers the growing range of religiously oriented policy demands on higher educati... more This article considers the growing range of religiously oriented policy demands on higher education institutions in the UK and the responses universities make to them. It sets this in the context of public anxiety and ambivalence about faith, taking the higher education sector in Britain as emblematic of wider concerns about religious faith and its place in the public sphere. Specifically, the article looks at four key policy ‘arenas’: equalities and diversity; widening participation and social mobility; student experience; and fostering good campus relations. Drawing on interviews with university Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice Chancellors, operational staff and students, we explore how these policies are viewed, how they have been responded to, and how religion and belief are engaged with. We consider what this means for perceptions of religion in the academy—and beyond. We conclude that the quality of conversation about religious faith is generally poor, although different parts of the higher education sector respond to it differently. We outline these differences and argue that universities are well placed to encourage a better quality of conversation about religion, inside and outside the academy, which helps unpick public anxiety and ambivalence, supporting a more intellectually rooted, informed, and helpful engagement with religious belief in the public realm.

'Waging Terror: The Geopolitics of the Real', in Political Geography (2006)

Policy reports by Stephen H Jones

Privately Funded Providers of Higher Education in the UK (BIS, 2013)

The Uses and Impact of HEFCE Funding for Widening Participation (HEFCE, 2013)

Taking Part: Muslim Participation in Contemporary Governance (UoB, 2013)

Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education: An Analysis of Challenges of Religious Faith, and Resources for Meeting them, for University Leaders (RLLHE, 2010)

Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education: Leadership Challenges: Case Studies (RLLHE, 2010)

Book Reviews by Stephen H Jones

s On British Islam is a superb book, and should be ranked not just as one of the best recent trea... more s On British Islam is a superb book, and should be ranked not just as one of the best recent treatments of Islamic law in the UK but of Islam in the UK more generally. It is part of a

Short articles by Stephen H Jones

Prevent after TERFOR: why local context still matters (2013)

The problem with the call to end ‘gender apartheid’ at UK universities (2013)

The religious life of a ‘plural city’ (2013)

Faith and public policy in Leicester and the lessons for multiculturalism in Britain (2013)

This article • Contributes to theoretical debates about the significance of group identity and po... more This article • Contributes to theoretical debates about the significance of group identity and political representation; • Contributes to academic research into the shift from formal and hierarchical to more informal and network-based styles of governance; • Contributes to research on the integration of Muslims in Britain by elucidating the emergence and diversification of Muslim representative organisations in Britain since 1970; • Demonstrates the multifaceted and dynamic nature of Muslim representative claimsmaking in contemporary UK governance by identifying and analysing a range of modes of Muslim representation. Since the turn of the century Britain has seen a proliferation of Muslim civil society organisations and an increase in the number of points of contact between Muslim spokespersons and government. Yet, this increased participation in UK governance has been a source of fierce controversies centring on the role of conservative male leaderships and the influence of radical Islamic groups. Drawing on interviews with 42 national elites who have engaged in UK Muslim-government relations in the past decade, this article charts the emergence of national-level Muslim representation and assesses its relationship to democratic participation and accountability. Building on the work of Michael Saward, we argue that unelected civil society representatives can act as an important supplement to elected representatives. We show how four modes of Muslim representation have emerged in the last decade-'delegation', 'authority', 'expertise' and 'standing'-creating dynamic competition among representative claims.

In this article, we consider the implications of the ‘Prevent’ strand of the government’s counter... more In this article, we consider the implications of the ‘Prevent’ strand of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy for the UK state’s engagement with Muslims. We argue that the logics of Prevent have been highly problematic for state–Muslim engagement. Nevertheless, we suggest that the characterisation of state approaches to engaging Muslims as a form of discipline is incomplete without an analysis of: first, differences in practices, habits and perspectives across governance domains; second, variations in approach and implementation between levels of governance; and third, the agency of Muslims who engage with the state. Through this approach we show how attention to the situated practices of governance reveals the contested nature of governing through Prevent.

Focusing on Muslim participation in the governance of Leicester in the East Midlands of England, ... more Focusing on Muslim participation in the governance of Leicester in the East Midlands of England, this article contests prevalent assumptions about the contemporary politics of multiculturalism. Specifically, it questions two narratives on the subject: first, a descriptive narrative about multiculturalism being in retreat; and second, a normative narrative about multiculturalism undermining national culture. Using interview, ethnographic and archival research, the article shows how a programme of multicultural politics has been implemented in Leicester that, while shifting, has remained firmly in place across national political and policy changes. It also demonstrates how this model of multicultural practice has emphasized civic communitarianism and utilized British national traditions. Using the above methods, the article questions the terms of political debate about multiculturalism, and considers how ‘convivial’ and ‘communitarian’ theoretical approaches to multiculturalism can renew and refashion multicultural political practice.

Since the turn of the century Britain has seen a proliferation of Muslim civil society organisati... more Since the turn of the century Britain has seen a proliferation of Muslim civil society organisations and an increase in the number of points of contact between Muslim spokespersons and government. Yet, this increased participation in UK governance has been a source of fierce controversies centring on the role of conservative male leaderships and the influence of radical Islamic groups. Drawing on interviews with 42 national elites who have engaged in UK Muslim–government relations in the past decade, this article charts the emergence of national-level Muslim representation and assesses its relationship to democratic participation and accountability. Building on the work of Michael Saward, we argue that unelected civil society representatives can act as an important supplement to elected representatives. We show how four modes of Muslim representation have emerged in the last decade—‘delegation’, ‘authority’, ‘expertise’ and ‘standing'—creating dynamic competition among representative claims.

This article examines the emergence of new forms of Islam in Britain between the 1990s and the pr... more This article examines the emergence of new forms of Islam in Britain between the 1990s and the present, and in particular the role played by the New Labour government (1997–2010) in encouraging new expressions of Islam. It charts the development of the Islamic tradition in Britain between the migration of mainly South Asian Muslims in the 1950s and 1960s and the Rushdie affair in the late 1980s, before outlining some of the challenges Muslims in Britain have faced transmitting Islamic traditions in a stable state to younger generations. Against the backdrop of increasing public concern about an inter-generational divide among Muslims and its supposed role in allowing radicalism to flourish, the article explores recent attempts to develop and promote forms of Islam that are “authentically British” and that challenge radical perspectives. Using the case study of the Radical Middle Way initiative, it looks into the uneasy relationship between these newer forms of Islam and the supportive New Labour administration, highlighting weaknesses in literature that focuses on the ‘disciplining’ of Muslims. Finally, it explains how the concept of classical Islamic tradition is utilised in creative ways not anticipated or engaged with by advocates of the “clash of civilisations” thesis.

Set against the backdrop of ongoing intergenerational changes within the Islamic tradition in Bri... more Set against the backdrop of ongoing intergenerational changes within the Islamic tradition in Britain, this chapter profiles a range of emerging initiatives whose aim is to produce and disseminate knowledge of the Islamic faith. It explores the reasons for the emergence of these new initiatives, the type of knowledge that they produce and the means by which that knowledge is transmitted. In doing this, the chapter challenges conventional sociological analyses of Islam in the West that have tended to focus upon the individualization of religious belief, and that have contended that emergent forms of Islam tend to be rooted in emotional identification rather than learning. Drawing on interviews and other fieldwork with activists and religious scholars, it is argued that these analyses ultimately offer only limited help in resolving debates about Islam’s place in Europe.

This article considers the growing range of religiously oriented policy demands on higher educati... more This article considers the growing range of religiously oriented policy demands on higher education institutions in the UK and the responses universities make to them. It sets this in the context of public anxiety and ambivalence about faith, taking the higher education sector in Britain as emblematic of wider concerns about religious faith and its place in the public sphere. Specifically, the article looks at four key policy ‘arenas’: equalities and diversity; widening participation and social mobility; student experience; and fostering good campus relations. Drawing on interviews with university Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice Chancellors, operational staff and students, we explore how these policies are viewed, how they have been responded to, and how religion and belief are engaged with. We consider what this means for perceptions of religion in the academy—and beyond. We conclude that the quality of conversation about religious faith is generally poor, although different parts of the higher education sector respond to it differently. We outline these differences and argue that universities are well placed to encourage a better quality of conversation about religion, inside and outside the academy, which helps unpick public anxiety and ambivalence, supporting a more intellectually rooted, informed, and helpful engagement with religious belief in the public realm.

'Waging Terror: The Geopolitics of the Real', in Political Geography (2006)

Privately Funded Providers of Higher Education in the UK (BIS, 2013)

The Uses and Impact of HEFCE Funding for Widening Participation (HEFCE, 2013)

Taking Part: Muslim Participation in Contemporary Governance (UoB, 2013)

Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education: An Analysis of Challenges of Religious Faith, and Resources for Meeting them, for University Leaders (RLLHE, 2010)

Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education: Leadership Challenges: Case Studies (RLLHE, 2010)

s On British Islam is a superb book, and should be ranked not just as one of the best recent trea... more s On British Islam is a superb book, and should be ranked not just as one of the best recent treatments of Islamic law in the UK but of Islam in the UK more generally. It is part of a

Prevent after TERFOR: why local context still matters (2013)

The problem with the call to end ‘gender apartheid’ at UK universities (2013)

The religious life of a ‘plural city’ (2013)

Faith and public policy in Leicester and the lessons for multiculturalism in Britain (2013)

A ‘system of self-appointed leaders’? Re-thinking Muslim representation (2013)

The New Prevent: Will it Work? Can it Work? (2012)

The Deep Slumber of Decided Opinions: Rowan Williams and the Sharia Controversy (2008)

On Leaving and Being Left: A Tribute to Jean Baudrillard (2007)

Religions, 2013

This article examines the emergence of new forms of Islam in Britain between the 1990s and the pr... more This article examines the emergence of new forms of Islam in Britain between the 1990s and the present, and in particular the role played by the New Labour government (1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010) in encouraging new expressions of Islam. It charts the development of the Islamic tradition in Britain between the migration of mainly South Asian Muslims in the 1950s and 1960s and the Rushdie affair in the late 1980s, before outlining some of the challenges Muslims in Britain have faced transmitting Islamic traditions in a stable state to younger generations. Against the backdrop of increasing public concern about an inter-generational divide among Muslims and its supposed role in allowing radicalism to flourish, the article explores recent attempts to develop and promote forms of Islam that are "authentically British" and that challenge radical perspectives. Using the case study of the Radical Middle Way initiative, it looks into the uneasy relationship between these newer forms of Islam and the supportive New Labour administration, highlighting weaknesses in literature that focuses on the 'disciplining' of Muslims. Finally, it explains how the concept of classical Islamic tradition is utilised in creative ways not anticipated or engaged with by advocates of the "clash of civilisations" thesis.

Science and Religion as Lived Experience

University of Pittsburgh Press eBooks, Sep 15, 2020

Secularism and Nonreligion

Previous sociological research on science and religion, and secularity and nonreligion, has highl... more Previous sociological research on science and religion, and secularity and nonreligion, has highlighted a consistent connection between science and nonreligious identities. Yet, the dynamics of this association have not been explored in depth. Building upon a growing body of work, this article adopts a relational approach to science and nonreligion to analyze narratives around science and religion emerging among nonreligious life scientists and members of the public in Canada and the UK. Across a variety of nonreligious identities, they tend to presume religion is irrational and consequently incompatible with science, idealize science, and refer to religious people as a less scientific outgroup. Upbringing, friendships, workspaces, and education all contribute to beliefs about science, (non)religion, and society. The social imaginary that to be modern is to be secular and scientific has enduring cultural power within these Western contexts, affecting daily life. Whether this is the case in other countries is a question for future research.

Rolling on or rolling backwards?

A place for Muslims in a ‘Christian country’?

Science, religion, and nonreligion: Engaging subdisciplines to move further beyond mythbusting

Acta Sociologica

Within the last 20 years sociological research on science and religion has provided new insights ... more Within the last 20 years sociological research on science and religion has provided new insights that challenge myths regarding conflicts between science and religion. Gaps in pre-existing work have been identified resulting in major shifts in the field. In particular, research has employed more mixed methods, widened its scope to become more international, and expanded to include nonreligion. Building upon these developments and critiques, this chiefly conceptual article explores a way to move forward by combining three fields of research in a novel way: the sociology of religion, the sociology of nonreligion, and the Public Understanding of Science (PUS). These subfields all touch on relevant and interrelated topics. Sociology of religion contributes to parceling out aspects of belief, identity, and practice; focuses on lived experience along with positionality, normative commitments, and culture. The sociology of nonreligion draws more detailed attention to the association betwee...

Editors’ Introduction: Science, Belief and the Sociological Tradition

Science, Belief and Society

In London Youth, Religion and Politics: Engagement and Activism from Brixton to Brick Lane, Danie... more In London Youth, Religion and Politics: Engagement and Activism from Brixton to Brick Lane, Daniel Nilsson DeHanas offers an illuminating comparison of the lives of Christian and Muslim young people in Brixton, South London, and in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets. With the book focusing particularly on questions of civic engagement and political participation, Sadek Hamid finds this a valuable, empirically rich and theoretically informed text that will increase understanding of how different forms of Christianity and Islam influence the daily lives of young people in London and challenge lazy media stereotypes that often frame perspectives on the social integration of ethnic minority youth.

Case studies 1 Exams and timetabling 1 Lectures on a Saturday 2 2 Exams during Ramadan 4 Good cam... more Case studies 1 Exams and timetabling 1 Lectures on a Saturday 2 2 Exams during Ramadan 4 Good campus relations 3 Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism 6 4 Rumours about provision for Muslims 8 5 Extremism in the university 10 Student societies and clubs 6 Autonomy of student societies 12 7 Religious speech on campus 14 8 Personal harassment in a sports club 16 Student support 9 Religiously sensitive counselling 18 20 Chaplaincy 11 Recognition for chaplains 22 12 Establishing a GOR 24 Teaching and curricula 13 References to religion 26 14 Foundational knowledge 28 Food and accommodation 15 Religious observance in halls of residence 30 16 Choice in the college canteen 32 Alcohol, bars and events 17 End of term celebrations 34 18 Organisation of freshers' week 36 Admissions and registry 19 Attracting local students 38 20 Interview scheduling 40 Research 21 Academic freedom and research on martyrdom 42 22 Researching faith and sexuality 44 Case Studies: Resources for Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education In the following case studies we are seeking to complement our conceptual analysis with examples of real-life challenges and dilemmas posed by religious faith in university settings. These are derived from examples encountered in primary research in three Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and in conversations with vice-chancellors (VCs), students and staff. They have been altered to preserve anonymity. widening participation and social mobility, student experience and good campus relations. However, the case studies are not organised solely around these domains but, rather, focus on the places and spaces in which students and staff might encounter religious faith. This recognises that in real life, these dilemmas and challenges will arise in messy, contingent ways rather than systematically, and many will cut across policy areas and the practical spaces for addressing them. In some cases, registry, chaplaincies, student support services, examinations and many others may all be implicated in one 'case' or dilemma. The case studies presented here are, of course, indicative rather than representative or exhaustive. They give some sense of the sorts of dilemmas that arise and what they relate to, conceptually and in policy. Each case study also highlights the major issues that arise, drawing on our analysis of the literature and policy more widely. We have then related these issues to resources for addressing them and hope that this will be useful in supporting universities' own engagement with the dilemmas they face. We have also proposed some possible responses, drawing on what others have done in similar situations. These responses occasionally mention different approaches to religion and belief in higher education (HE), referring to HEIs that see themselves as 'neutral', 'formative-collegial', or 'committed to social justice'. These different approaches are outlined in more detail in the accompanying publication, An Analysis of Challenges of Religious Faith, and Resources for Meeting them, for University Leaders. They are intended as a way of stimulating debate about the best way of reacting to increasing levels of religious diversity in university settings. Overall, the aim is that the analysis that emerged from An Analysis of Challenges of Religious Faith, and Resources for Meeting them, for University Leaders can be recognised, debated and applied in these concrete examples. In this way they can be used as a tool for locating university leaders' practices and what roots them and how they can be sustained and built upon; and second, for identifying alternative approaches in ways that support highly religiously literate responses.

Secularism & Nonreligion, 2023

Previous sociological research on science and religion, and secularity and nonreligion, has highl... more Previous sociological research on science and religion, and secularity and nonreligion, has highlighted a consistent connection between science and nonreligious identities. Yet, the dynamics of this association have not been explored in depth. Building upon a growing body of work, this article adopts a relational approach to science and nonreligion to analyze narratives around science and religion emerging among nonreligious life scientists and members of the public in Canada and the UK. Across a variety of nonreligious identities, they tend to presume religion is irrational and consequently incompatible with science, idealize science, and refer to religious people as a less scientific outgroup. Upbringing, friendships, workspaces, and education all contribute to beliefs about science, (non)religion, and society. The social imaginary that to be modern is to be secular and scientific has enduring cultural power within these Western contexts, affecting daily life. Whether this is the case in other countries is a question for future research.

A ‘system of self-appointed leaders’?

Conclusion: Future Directions in the Sociological Study of Science and Belief

Science, Belief and Society

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Religiöse Kommunikation und weltanschauliches Wissen, 2020

Language, Labels and Lived Identity in Debates about Science, Religion and Belief

Science, Belief and Society, 2019

In public discussion and polling on the subject of science and belief people’s views are often su... more In public discussion and polling on the subject of science and belief people’s views are often subsumed under identity labels such as ‘Creationism’, ‘Darwinism’, ‘New Atheism’, ‘Intelligent Design’ and ‘Theistic Evolutionism’. Often, these labels are held to accurately represent people’s views both by public figures and by social scientific researchers. In this chapter, Kaden, Jones and Catto make the case for a reassessment of the role of labels and the knowledge connected to them in popular and social scientific treatment of the relationship between science and belief. They argue that there are considerable problems in identifying people’s views using the majority of commonly used analytic labels. Drawing on 123 semi-structured interviews with scientists and members of the public in the UK and Canada from a range of religious and non-religious positions, the authors then show that such categories of belief are creatively interpreted. The authors highlight the limited salience of popular concepts in science and religion debates, showing that such terms are frequently unfamiliar to British and Canadian publics. Based on their analysis, they argue that naive application of labels contributes to misperceptions and prejudices, especially relating to religious people’s beliefs about human origins. Finally, they conclude that to limit such misperceptions attention needs to be paid by scholars to whether, how and why individuals relate their fundamental beliefs to aspects of science.

Science and Religion as Lived Experience: Narratives of Evolution among British and Canadian Publics and Life Scientists

Due to the relative influence of creationist movements in the United States, most sociological re... more Due to the relative influence of creationist movements in the United States, most sociological research into science and religion in that context has taken religious populations, especially conservative Protestants, as its point of focus. The relationship between knowledge and identity among non-religious people has not been covered in detail. Research with mixed populations in the contrasting settings of the UK and Canada, where the populations are more secular and where debates about human origins have not become entangled with cultural conflict to the same degree, offers the opportunity to remedy this and highlight the uneven link between knowledge and identity within both religious and non-religious populations. In addition, in part due to this body of research usually employing quantitative methods that allocate people into fixed groups, sociological research into science and religion has not often been connected to broader social trends relating to contemporary styles ofbeliep Specifically, one of the most significant trends observed in the sociology of religion in recent years has been toward the individualization of belief, but this trend is rarely mentioned in relation to work on science and religion.8 In this overview of our findings, we use discussions of participants' biographies and interests to show that, as well as being involved in social conflict, public belief about science and religion has been influenced by this shift toward the personal construction of religious identities. We want to ask: What are the implications of this socialshift for understanding people's perceptions about science and religion, and for public debates about this most contested of subjects? As we will see, we suggest that it raises challenges to various common assumptions made in public discourse about science and religion. Suppositions about the validity of labels such as "creationist," as well as about the link between awareness of and identification with science, are all placed in question by the personalization of religious knowledge.

Science, Belief and Society : International Perspectives on Religion, Non-Religion and the Public Understanding of Science

The relationship between science and belief has been a prominent subject of public debate for man... more The relationship between science and belief has been a prominent subject of public debate for many years, covering everything from science communication, health and education to immigration and national values. Yet, sociological analysis of these subjects remains surprisingly scarce. This wide-ranging book critically reviews the ways in which religious and non-religious belief systems interact with scientific methods, traditions and theories. Contributors explore how, for some secularists, ‘science’ forms an important part of social identity. Others examine how many contemporary religious movements justify their beliefs by making a claim upon science. Moving beyond the traditional focus on the United States, the book shows how debates about science and belief are firmly embedded in political conflict, class, community and culture.

Public Understanding of Science, 2020

Within science and technology studies, there is an established tradition of examining publics’ kn... more Within science and technology studies, there is an established tradition of examining publics’ knowledge of, trust in, access to and engagement with science, but less attention has been paid to whether and why publics identify with science. While this is understandable given the field’s interest in bridging gaps between publics and producers of scientific knowledge, it leaves unanswered questions about how science forms part of people’s worldviews and fits into cultural politics and conflict. Based on 123 interviews and 16 focus groups with mixed religious and nonreligious publics and scientists in the United Kingdom and Canada, this article utilises approaches from the sociology of (non)religion to delineate varieties of science identification. It maps out ‘practical’, ‘norm-based’, ‘civilisational’ and ‘existential’ identifications and explores how these interrelate with people’s social characteristics. The article illustrates how science identification is typically dependent on a...

Bristol University Press, 2019

The relationship between science and belief has been a prominent subject of public debate for man... more The relationship between science and belief has been a prominent subject of public debate for many years, covering everything from science communication, health and education to immigration and national values. Yet, sociological analysis of these subjects remains surprisingly scarce.

This wide-ranging book critically reviews the ways in which religious and non-religious belief systems interact with scientific methods, traditions and theories. Contributors explore how, for some secularists, ‘science’ forms an important part of social identity. Others examine how many contemporary religious movements justify their beliefs by making a claim upon science. Moving beyond the traditional focus on the United States, the book shows how debates about science and belief are firmly embedded in political conflict, class, community and culture.