SCIENCE FAITH, CULTURE AND LIFE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: ALERNATIVE DIALECTIC BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION

Abstract

Objective: to define common aspects of the scientific and religious conception regarding the reality of the humanistic education in three catholic universities. Methodology: comparative studies approach, which allows the interpretation, understanding and explanation of phenomena and opens the possibility to control the proposed generalizations. The methodological design is done with a theoretical development, which from the analysis of documents; new conceptualizations are inferred, for this case, regarding the relationship between the scientific and religious visions at catholic universities. Findings: the universities that make part of this research have addressed from different perspectives the contrast between the scientific and the religious conception of the reality, which is expressed in analysis academic exercises, which include institutional research, register of the position taken by each university in institutional documents, and the incorporation of each conception in the curriculum. Conclusions: the dialectic of the faith and of the reason is adequate in higher education. There are certain epistemological and ethical-political merits as the discussions are interdisciplinary and include diversity of topics: the contrast between the myth and the logos, the classical controversy from the cultural evolutionism among magic, religion and science. The (cultural) inclusion was largely favored with a perspective of dialog among the diverse worldviews. The confessional of the addressed universities is clear regarding their identity, nevertheless this is not a barrier to embrace people from other denominations or perspectives towards religion. The proposals in this sense turn around coexistence and the dialog in an atmosphere of respect and recognition.