Introduction

In considering the ongoing dialogue of the science of science fiction with religious and other alternative ways of knowing, this chapter discusses possible definitions of (and challenges to defining) science, science fiction, and religion. The chapter introduces formulations of a concept of religion by such theorists as William James, Emile Durkheim, Paul Tillich, Peter Berger, Clifford Geertz, and Nisi Shawl. It also offers a more general discussion of epistemology, or theories about the nature of knowledge, as an area of religious studies. The chapter pays particular attention to the concept of sacredness, especially as developed by Mircea Eliade and Rudolph Otto. The chapter also suggests that an experience sometimes described as sense of wonder may provide common ground between science, science fiction, and religion.