Jaume Navarro, professor Ikerbasque at the University of the Basque Country, presented the book Ciencia-religión y sus tradiciones inventadas at UIC Barcelona, as part of the subject The Birth of the Experimental Science, which is taught in the Experience Campus Continuing Education Course.
Ciencia-religión y sus tradiciones inventadas analyses the relationship between science and religion from a historiographical perspective, as well as the origin of the narratives surrounding the relationship between both disciplines. In an interview led by assistant professor of Humanities Josep Corco, the researcher Jaume Navarro, trained in Physics and Philosophy, contextualised the conflict thesis between science and religion, a commonplace in studies on this topic. Navarro emphasised the need for ideologies to create a story so that these ideologies would be credible. Hence the subtitle of the book: un recorrido historiográfico [a historiographical journey].
The painting Astronomer Copernicus or Conversations with God, by Polish artist Jan Matejko, illustrates the cover of the book and exemplifies the relationship between science, religion and nationalism in their journey through history. “The painting Astronomer Copernicus is not wanting to explain Copernicus’s life but is explaining what happened in Poland in 1873 through the figure of Copernicus,” Navarro said. “Therefore, this painting was not created for historical purposes but for the purpose of creating a politically motivated story.”
The presentation took place during the last class of Experience Campus in the subject The Birth of the Experimental Science.
