ABSTRACT
We live in a world that has been transformed by a unique event: the spread of modern science and its various extensions to all parts of the globe. This singular phenomenon is not merely characterized by the visible changes in lifestyles and modes of communication, travel and production that are apparent, it also has many not-so-apparent aspects which affect the most fundamental beliefs about God, life and the cosmos. These more subtle aspects of modern science have given birth to contemporary religion and science discourse. It would not be wrong to say that in this discourse between modern science and religion, science has been the driving force. Whether it is the question of the age of the earth or ethical, moral and religious issues arising out of stem cell research or neuroscience, it is science that defines the contours of the discourse; religion is forced to respond. Through its powerful discoveries, science pushes the boundaries, religion limps along. The self-propagating mechanism of science generates its own agenda, religion tries to catch up. It is also important to recognize that modern science is not a static entity; its essence is defined by an onward march that virtually knows no limits. Religion, on the other hand, is rooted in certain fundamentals that can neither evolve, nor change; these can only be reiterated in different forms which have to always remain perpetually connected to the veritable central axis, if they are to remain true. These and many other factors have inundated the contemporary discourse between modern science and religion with many mutually incongruous typologies, all of which attempt to define a complex relationship that remains an evolving and, for some, an elusive process.
