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THE SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE INRELIGIONHedley S. DimockPublished online: 28 Jul 2006.

To cite this article: Hedley S. Dimock (1928) THE SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE IN RELIGION, ReligiousEducation: The official journal of the Religious Education Association, 23:2, 125-131

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tion of problems of the shared life.Finally there is the problem of buildingthe world organizations to act as mindand conscience in the facing of issueswhich involve the separate families ofmankind and so put intelligence, good-will and purpose into the future move-ment of world history. All these are re-ligious problems if religion is to be takenas the human quest for the values of thegood life and all of them demand thetechnique of science for their solution.

Can we hope that religion will try forthe new technique? It is probable thatsome religious people will prefer to- takerefuge from an unsatisfying world in thecompensatory other world. It is possiblethat the priests of religion will be theleast likely to favor scientific practicalism.Probably many social idealists will pre-

fer not to contaminate their efforts torealize social values by identifying thateffort with "religion." It may be thatsome who are disillusioned will smile thatone should hope to actualize the unreal-ized dreams of the defeated ages.Certainly there are an increasing numberwho see that . unless religion actuallybuilds on the basis of scientific methodand scientific knowledge and seriouslyundertakes to face the facts of evil in themodern world and the problem of mak-ing the dreams of religion come true re-ligion in the old sense is ultimatelydoomed. Rationalizing an ineffective the-ology, reinterpreting a prescientinc tech-nique, and apologizing for anachronisticinstitutions and ideas may be carried toofar in an age that is trained in the scien-tific attitude and expects to use all theavailable tools to win a desired goal.

THE SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE IN RELIGIONWHAT RELIGIOUS ATTITUDE IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE

SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE?HEDLEY S. DIMOCK*

TWO DECADES ago John Deweyvigorously challenged the proposal to

introduce the teaching of religion into thepublic schools on the grounds that cur-rent religion was developing habits ofmind at war with the democratic spiritand the scientific temper characteristic ofthe age.1

It is a common yet tremendously sig-nificant fact of history that scientificattitudes and concepts have grown uplargely independent of, and often in oppo-sition to, the mental attitudes of religionas embodied in the church.2 Familiar isthe story not only of the insulation of thechurch from science, but of the emancipa-tion from ecclesiastic control of philos-

*Professor of Psychology and Religious Education,Young Men's Christian Association College, Chicago.

1. Dewey, John, The Hibbert Journal, Vol. VI,p. SOJ.

2. Smith, G. B., Journal of Religion, Vol. VII,p. 337.

ophy, business, politics, and education.This secularization of the practical, scien-tific, and educational processes of societyconstitutes what is probably the mostcrucial problem and task facing the mod-ern world now that the necessity ofachieving a social motivation of everyhuman activity is recognized.

We must frankly face the fact that tra-ditional religion has developed in thelarge habits of mind that are incongruouswith the mental attitudes which consti-tute a scientific approach to facts, experi-ences, and problems. It is inevitable,therefore, that a religious attitude andoutlook compatible with the scientific atti-tude would involve the modification, ifnot the abandonment, of pre-scientificthought-forms, attitudes, and practices.

There is neither space nor necessityhere of considering at any length the nu-

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merous efforts that have been made toreconcile science and religion. Many, ifnot most, of the attempted readjustmentsof both scientist and theologian havefailed to carry any compelling conclusive-ness to men trained in the religious sci-ences. And we may guess, at least, thatfor many of the natural scientists theyhave been equally unconvincing.

The most common proposals for recon-ciliation may be included in the followingfour types: (1) The declaration thatthe conflict is not between science andreligion, but between science and an out-worn theology; (2) The resolution of theconflict by denying that antagonism ispossible between two "incommensur-ables." Science and religion have dis-tinctly different functions and operate intwo independent areas; (3) The "ration-alization" of theological concepts by themethod of selecting from, or interpreting,the findings of natural science in a man-ner that supports or makes tenable themuch-wanted presupposition; (4) Amore subtle and refined harmonizationessayed by philosophers builds on theaccredited facts of science but interpretsreligion in such a partial or exclusive waythat it violates the understanding of reli-gion yielded by the religious sciences.These efforts at readjustments simply failto take into account all of the facts eitherof the natural sciences or, just as fre-quently, of the social and religious sci-ences.8

Our task is primarily that of indicatingsome of the implications of the scientificattitude and method for the mental out-look of a religious person. We shall dealchiefly in terms of general principles—basic principles we hope—as other con-tributors to this symposium are to formu-late the philosophy of life consonant withthe facts and methods of the sciences. Itmay prove fruitful for the analysis which

3. For valuable critiques of some of these methodsof adjustment and for constructive work on the prob-lem see: Otto, M. C, Things and Ideals; Smith, G. B.,op. cit.

is to follow if we state briefly androughly at this point what we mean by the"scientific attitude" as that term is em-ployed in this article.

The scientific attitude includes a clusterof qualities that are common to all thesciences, natural, social, and religious.The engineer, the doctor, the historian,the physicist, the biologist, and the psy-'chologist, however their methods mayvary because of the different materialsand processes in their respective fields,possess certain characteristics in commonwhen they think and work as scientists.What are some of these mental qualities ?

For the scientifically minded personconclusions, judgments, principles, andtheories are formulated and accredited onthe basis of the critical analysis of all therelevant facts obtainable. There is no au-thority higher than his method for dis-covering, testing, and verifying knowl-edge. The revision or abandonment ofideas, doctrines, and t h e o r i e s is notopposed but gladly accepted when fur-ther investigation requires the alterationas indicative of progress. The scientificmind not only is expectant of change butdeliberately dedicates itself to the taskof discovery, invention, and creativity.Implicit in the scientific outlook is thedevelopmental, evolutionary conception ofthe cosmic and social processes. Open-mindedness, freedom from bias, fearless-ness in facing facts, the suspended judg-ment, a naturalistic view of relationshipsand sequences—these are cardinal quali-ties of the scientific attitude. Nothing inthe universe, be it idea, institution, cus-tom, doctrine, hypothesis, or experience,is entitled to exemption from the analysis,description, and, if attainable, the under-standing of the scientist. There are no"verboten" signs on the landscape whichthe scientist surveys.

What are the implications, then, ofthese mental attitudes for the religiousperson ? What kind of religious approach

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to life is compatible with scientific habitsof mind?

IA religious person is loyal to the age-

old religious quest of the human race. Aprimary prerequisite of the scientific atti-tude calls for an understanding of thisever-changing religious venture in theperspective of its history. Most of thecurrent conceptions of religion are par-tial, static, and theological. When the de-velopmental nature and the functionalsignificance of religion is understood reli-gion cannot be identified with any theo-logical concept, institution, book, or cere-mony, nor with any emotional, mystical,or "near-aesthetic" reaction to the totalityof the environing world. These are butphases, mediatory elements, of the deeperreligious quest.

Religion produces ideas and theologiesas instruments in the achievement of reli-gious ends and purposes. Religious per-sons produce and maintain institutions,churches, synagogues, and mosques, asmeans of attaining values and satisfac-tions. Scriptures and ceremonial; emo-tional, mystical, or aesthetic relationshipswith the extra-human environment—allof these are the products, the media, theaccessories of the religious life. It is justbecause man has interests, purposes,values, ideals, needs, and motives thatare supremely significant, that are reli-gious per se, that theologies, scriptures,ceremonial, and institutions are devel-oped.*

A person must be emancipated from atheological and static interpretation of themeaning and nature of religion if he isto come to terms readily with a scientificpoint of view. True, not everyone can bea specialist in the religious sciences, buta historical treatment of religions mightwell be substituted in the educationalprocess for the apologetics, past and pres-ent. This scientific attitude toward reli-gion would include an appreciation of the

4. Cf. Coe, G. A., Psychology of Religion, p. 61.

changing, developmental nature of all itsmanifestations. There can be no fixed orfinal forms of belief, doctrine, rite, or in-stitution; no unchallengeable authority inscripture or church, for the scientificmind. The historian has abandoned theattempt to find a normative religious pastwith thought-forms and ethical standardsof universal validity.5

One of the most stubborn obstacles toa thorough integration of the scientificand religious attitudes would be removedif persons possessed something akin tothis developmental and functional under-standing of religion. There can be no"Genesis or Evolution?" problem to theflexible, historical mind. Nor is religiona particularized, insulated area of humanexperience for the person who reallysenses the significance of its function. Areligious value is always some other kindof value, social, economic, political, oraesthetic. Religion is an activity, a quest,an endeavor within the total life processto make life richer, more significant, moregenuinely satisfying for every personrecognized by the religious group. Sucha scientific attitude toward religion givesthe modern man perspective and equip-ment for the task of formulating a work-ing philosophy of religion. It gives poisein a world of change, yields growth with-out too much mental pain and disorgani-zation, possesses no "fundamentals" to besaved at any cost, and makes possiblecomplete loyalty to the scientific spiritand the values of religion.

The scientific mind would readily ac-cept the responsibility of formulating areligious world-view and ideal on thebasis of the new needs, new knowledge,new problems, and new possibilities ofthe modern world.

What world-view is compatible with ascientific outlook? To venture an answeris not part of our task. To indicate in asentence or two the scientific mode of

5. Cf. Case, S. J., Journal of Religion, Vol. IV:Smith, G. B., Journal of Religion, Vol. V.

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approach may be permissible. Man hasalways endeavored to come to terms withthe natural or cosmic powers, to interprettheir relationship to his hopes, his values,and his needs. What interpretation of thecosmic order and its relationship tohuman purposes and values is scien-tifically tenable? The answer is stilllargely in the making. No single sciencecan give it. It must come from an induc-tive and objective study of all the factsyielded by the social, natural, and reli-gious sciences. A wistful yearning forthe interpretation that would prove mostconsoling should not prejudice the fear-less following of facts.

What is a scientific conception of thenature of the "salvation" needed in pres-ent civilization? What are the highestends of living? What constitutes thegood life today? The scientific spirit de-mands that ideals be woven from theproblems and needs of contemporaneouslife seeking larger fulfillment. There isno science of values yet, but one is on thehorizon. The trend of current socialphilosophy is in the direction of employ-ing a scientific method for the determina-tion of human goals and values. Dewey,Otto, Mead, and T. V. Smith are repre-sentative of the many scholars who con-ceive this to be a central task of philos-ophy. They seek a balanced interactionof aims and means, of things and ideals,of values and technique, so that tech-niques will become humanized and idealsactualized. The religious person wholives in tune with the scientific temperwill be loyal to the ideal and task ofreligion that is indigenous to the needs,problems, and possibilities of his day.

What attitude toward prayer, worship,and other practices of traditional religionis consistent with a scientific view of life?Since these methods and practices arelargely "hold-overs" from a pre-scientificage they need a thorough re-examinationif they are to be acceptable and attractiveto the modern intellectual. Science has

compelled us to relinquish the "grab-bag"idea of religion, to use Fosdick's phrase.Prayer as begging, and worship as adora-tion, find no place in a scientific world-view. Yet the validity of a refined prayeris thoroughly tenable whatever the world-view.6 Even though worship forms areconsidered as symbols, as belonging in therealm of art, they cannot be effective instimulating or motivating the conduct ofa person who has integrated his scientificand theological thinking if they are antag-onistic to the accepted facts of science.

The most important implication of thescientific attitude for the practices of re-ligion, however, suggests that new tech-niques and programs adequate for theachievement of the religious ideal willneed to be developed. What these newtechniques should be is the subject ofanother article in this symposium. It isenough to state here that the scientificattitude demands that a thoroughly seri-ous attempt must be essayed to make thereligious ideal come true. "To professto have an aim and then neglect themeans of execution is self-delusion of themost dangerous sort. . . . When wetake ends without regard to means wedegenerate into sentimentalism. In thename of the ideal we fall back upon mereluck and chance and magic or exhortationand preaching."7

A scientific attitude toward "humannature" is another prerequisite of the sci-entific outlook. No longer can we lookupon human nature as something inher-ently fixed and evil. Human nature isessentially plastic and as fully capable ofunselfishness and friendliness as of greed-iness and fighting. One modern philoso-pher sees a new spiritual renaissancewhen the old conception of human natureyields to the scientific.

"This conception of human nature asan active, wicked, unalterable essence

6. Cf. Trout, D. M., Religious Education, Vol.XX, pp. 81 ff.

7. Dewey, John, Human Nature and Conduct,p. 73.

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walks with us in the street, works with usin shop or office, kneels with us in wor-ship. It is the major premise of orthodoxsocial, political, educational, and religioustheory. . . . If the average citizencan be brought to see that human natureis not something fixed and given, butsomething mutable and acquired . . .something created out of original capacityand environmental stimuli . . . hewill be enlisted in the greatest movementof our time, and will help to inauguratea spiritual renaissance outranging in so-cial significance any that has preceded it.8

IIPerhaps the best way to state our cen-

tral thesis is to say that the attitude andmethod of science is a sine qua non ofeffective religious behavior in the modernworld. The ends, values, and satisfac-tions which the religious person seeks arenot more important than the scientificattitude and method necessary for boththe selection and the achievement of theseends.

Let us look at our problem now fromthe standpoint of the kind of mentalequipment a person should possess if heis to be capable of effective participationin the religious venture. For the purposeof this analysis we may think of the atti-tudes and abilities that a religious personshould embody as falling into two cate-gories : (1) Those ideals, motives, appre-ciations, and purposes involved in an un-faltering loyalty to the religious ventureof man; (2) The more intellectual abili-ties and requisites for the realization ofthese purposes and ideals. These twoclassifications are not distinctly separateor exclusive. In the behavior of the indi-vidual, of course, there should be a fullintegration of the two types of character-istics, "desire" and "intelligence."

Loyalty to the values of the religiousventure includes a compelling belief inthe supreme preciousness of persons nowsymbolized in the terms "democracy,"

8. Otto, M. C, op. cit., pp. S88-9.

"brotherhood," and "love;" a consecra-tion to the vocation of living religiouslywhich is as broad as the experiences oflife; the desire to cooperate in the build-ing of a world in which all the resourcesand institutions of the race will be instru-ments of the spirit of man.

Our interest in this discussion is inthose attitudes and abilities which makefor fruitful action and cooperation in therealization of these ends, purposes, andvalues. It is not enough to cherish nobleideals and worthy purposes; these mustbe made effective in personal and socialexperiences, i s s u e s , and relationships.Love without intelligence may be stupidand futile, intelligence without love isoften destructive and brutal. Christiansbelieving in good will and love might rallyin millions to battle in a holy war againstthe "pagan Turks." But the man who istrained to secure and analyze facts as abasis for action might find that the "holy"war was in reality an "oily" war. Intel-ligence, that is, the scientific attitude andmethod, is essential both in the formula-tion and the realization of the ideal.

A conspicuous need of the modern reli-gious person is the possession of thescientific attitude and method as the men-tal equipment with which he approachesthe problems, issues, tasks, and responsi-bilities in every area of human activityand relationship. The development ofthis method of adjustment should be amajor objective of the educational enter-prise. Some of the considerations whichsupport this point of view will be brieflyenumerated in the following paragraphs.

(1) The full release of the creativecapacities of the individual d i r e c t e dtoward social ends is an essential of socialreorganization and improvement. Thecreative individual is the "growing point"of the social order, "the pivot of recon-struction." With the new view of thepossibility of releasing the human' capaci-ties for discovery, creation, exploration,and invention "there has grown up some

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consciousness of the extent to which afuture new society of changed purposesand desires may be created by a deliberatehumane treatment of the impulses ofyouth."0 To release the creative impulsesof the person is to equip him with thosequalities and abilities characteristic of thescientific attitude.

(2) The task of religion in buildinga social order with new relationships andindividuals presupposes a type of personwho is expectant of change, who willwelcome the results of a scientific tech-nique employed in the program of reli-gion, who possesses the ability to under-take his share of responsibility in theintelligent reconstruction of social habitsand institutions.

(3) A complex and rapidly changingsociety makes it difficult, if not pre-carious, for the adult generation to deter-mine what specific knowledge, ideals,standards, and virtues the new generationwill need if the emphasis is placed on con-clusions, content, or fixed standards.Such a procedure makes for conformityrather than creativity, for a static socialprocess with the consequent maladjust-ments multiplied by the radical transfor-mations caused by the material achieve-ments of science. Unless the presentpractices in every realm of life can be"outrun" the religious hopes and dreamsof man are but glorious illusions. Norcan the situations which the next genera-tion will face as adults be foreseen fromthe vantage ground of the present. Theenvironment is shifting so rapidly thatnew types of conduct will necessarilyneed to be evolved to meet the new andunpredictable circumstances. It is not aspecific skill or standard that is most val-uable but a mode of adjustment, "notknowing what to think but how to think,"that will enable the person to attack prob-lems and meet unexpected issues in themost effective way.

(4) Implicit in the foregoing state-9. Dewey, John, op. cit., p. 96.

ment is the recognition that ethics in themodern world cannot be grounded onfixed norms, codes, or principles to be"applied" to the manifold concrete con-duct situations. Routine habits, moralcodes, or abstract principles are workableonly when conditions remain the same;they are not applicable to the novel andthe unusual.

"Stretch ten commandments or anyother number as far as you will by in-genious exigesis, yet acts unprovided forby them will occur. . . . The onlytruly severe code is the one which fore-goes codification, throwing responsibility!for judging each case upon the agentsconcerned, imposing upon them the bur-den of discovery and adaptation."10

The scientific mode of approach toethical conduct is not normative, dog-matic, or deductive, but is inductive andexperimental. Effective moral action inany situation demands the critical analysisof all the factors involved.11 The scien-tific attitude and technique for discover-ing and evaluating facts would seem tobe indispensable for moral behavior.

(5) The conspicuous achievements ofthe scientific mind and method in therealm of natural science and technologyhave suggested its potential value as thecreative mental attitude with which allpersons should approach the many areasof their experience, social, political, civic,economic, and "religious." In a highlysignificant article written over five yearsago, Artman proposes that the chief aimof religious education should be to prac-tice human beings in using the scientificmethod in pursuing the good life.12 Thescientific attitude and method, or creativeintelligence, is merely the process of

10. Ibid., p. 103.11. The inductive approach to ethics is stressed in

the following representative sources: Bower, W. C,The Curriculum of Religious Education, p. 101; Lake,K., The Religion of Yesterday and Tomorrow, p. 158;Mead, G. H., International Journal of Ethics, Vol.XXIII, pp. 229-47; Smith, G. B., Principles of Chris-tian Living; Watson, G. B1., School and Society,XXVI, pp. 1-4.

18. Artman, J. M., Religious Education, Vol.XVIII, p. 81.

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thinking in its more thoroughgoing rami-fications or applications.13

(6) The tragic lag of the social sci-ences in comparison with the achieve-ments of the natural sciences increasesthe need today for persons who have ascientific attitude in the total realm ofsocial experience. There is less expect-ancy of change and less searching for bet-ter methods of control in social, political,industrial, and international activities. Inthese areas of life "dogmas are still su-preme," or, to use J. Harvey Robinson'sterm, we are guided by "lore" rather thanby intelligence in all those affairs wherehuman relationships are especially con-cerned. Perhaps there is no greater reli-gious need in contemporary civilizationthan a thorough appreciation of the de-velopmental and imperfect nature of allsocial ideas, institutions, customs, codes,and organizations; an attitude of open-mindedness, expectancy of change, anddeliberate efforts through discovery andexperimentation to make every phase ofthe social medium servants of the life ofman.

(7) From the scientific attitude shouldflow such qualities as understanding, tol-erance, and sympathy, which are basalfactors in diminishing conflicts betweenpersons, groups, nations, and races andin making a co-operative endeavor possi-ble. The truly scientific person under-stands why a man, a group, or an institu-tion is what it is. And understanding isthe key to cooperation.

I l l

We have attempted to sketch some ofthe elements in a religious outlook thatare compatible with the scientific attitude.It is probably an abstraction to talk aboutthe two as separate. Certainly, in a well-integrated person the religious and thescientific attitude are thoroughly unified.The religious person is a unit with freeinteraction of social ideals and scientificattitudes.

13. The classic analysis of the thinking process isthat of Dewey in How We Think. Ch. VI.

The problems of education which growout of this analysis, though intriguing,fall outside of the scope of this discus-sion. A few comments, however, arealmost necessary to indicate that some ofthe problems, at least, are recognized.

The extent to which the masses arecapable of developing a scientific attitudeand method may be questioned. As yetwe have no answer to the question. Butwe may safely say two things. First, anew education and a social milieu whichis deliberately designed to release and de-velop creative capacities will undoubtedlybring vastly greater numbers of people tothe level of scientific and reflective think-ing. Moreover, a scientific attitude ofmind, a faith in the possibilities of thescientific method, and a readiness to wel-come its achievements in any area of lifemay be possible even where a large degreeof creative skill cannot be developed.

It should also be clearly recognized thatthe ability to think and work with objec-tivity, open-mindedness, and creativenessin one field does not by any means guar-antee that these will be transferred to allor any other realms of experience. Thenatural scientist or the historian, for ex-ample, may be highly prejudiced, conserv-ative, naive, or dogmatic in his religious,political or economic views.

The social group into which the childis born will necessarily and rightfullyintroduce him to the highest ideals, stand-ards, institutions, and customs of theracial heritage. But this introduction orinduction should not be indoctrination.He should understand that current formsare neither final nor perfect. He shouldbe challenged to participate in the con-tinuous reconstruction of life, he shouldbe given the opportunity and the tech-nique as rapidly as his capacity permitsfor analyzing, criticizing, evaluating, andreshaping the group standards, customs,ideals, and institutions in the light of hisand the race's expanding experience.This is the meaning and the task of alleducation.

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