본 연구는 21세기 종교와 과학의 대화가 어떠한 역사적 기원과 문명사적 배경을 지니는 지를 검토하고자 한다. 그리고 종교와 과학의 대화가 지닌 문명사적 의의와 인식론의 성격을 탐색하고자 한다. 특히 종교와 과학이라는 두 지혜가 어떻게 긴밀하게 상호 융합하고 소통할 수 있는지를 알프레드 노스 화이트헤드(Alfred North Whitehead, 1861-1947)의 담론을중심으로 검토하고자 한다.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate Alfred North Whitehead’s understanding of religion and science for the better formation of religion-science discourse in our post-modern society. In the sense of Whitehead the conflict between religion and science is a slight matter which has been unduly emphasized. He understand that science is concerned with the general conditions which are observed to regulate physical phenomena, whereas religion is wholly wrapped up in the contemplation of moral and aesthetic values. Therefore whitehead proposes a new relation between religion and science also based on the creative advance of our civilization. This paper will try to give a discussion to Whitehead’s theory of religion and science with regard to the two great facts in the civilization of life, society and universe. Especially I emphasize in this paper whitehead’s idea and meaning of this discourse for a search for the scientific and theological communication in the 21th Century.

Alfred North Whitehead, Religion and Science, Process Thought, Civilization, Epistemology