Includes bibliographical references and index.

Rethinking religion and science -- Considering conflict: human origins and stem cell research? -- Potential encounters: origins of homosexuality and environmental policy -- Representatives and good debate -- Ordinary Americans and good debate -- Owning the space: religious credibility in the public sphere -- Religion and bad debate -- Faceless science: scientific credibility in the public sphere -- Science and bad debate -- The future of religion and science in American public life.

"Religion and science often appear to cause conflict in American public life. But why? This book reports the results from the first study to combine large-scale empirical analysis of multiple "religion and science" debates with in-depth research into what Americans actually want from public life. The surprising finding is that apparent conflicts involving religion and science reflect a more fundamental conflict between media elites and ordinary Americans over what good debate should be, raising profound questions about the future of the public sphere and American democracy"--Provided by publisher.

Print version record.