Between Indispensable Epistemic Utility and Political Harm: A Response to Rosemary Bertocci and Francis Rohlf

Religion still has a great potential and perhaps even a monopoly on explaining life in terms of meaning and significance. In this paper, we argue that neither the development of science nor scientism poses a threat to religion. We suggest, however, that the political entanglement of religion may be a threat. In this paper, we discuss the paradoxical situation in which the political harm of religion is inextricably linked to its beneficial potential to give meaning and significance to life.

Automated summary

This paper discusses the potential of religion in explaining the meaning and significance of life, as well as the threat posed by the entanglement of religion and politics.