The magisteria of knowledge and the magisteria of faith. Theory, justification and reservations

Abstract

In these remarks I make the attempt to present the issue of the relation between the scientific knowledge and religious faith. It is being discussed since many centuries. In the Middle Ages it was also called the “two truths”. Nowadays it is called however as the two magisteria. The name had been proposed by the American evultionary biologist Stephen J. Gould. In his proposition it is linked to the NOMA (Non-Overlapping Magisteria) principle. It met with critique from the side of those scholars who, just as Richard Dawkins, share the view that there’s only one magisteria and it is made by science with no space for religious faith. Reservations had also been made by those scholars who, just as Andrew Newberg, do agree on the existence of two magisteria, but they should  complete each other and they are convinced that with the passing of time they will do so. I have critical remarks on both of those two views. I see however the positive side of the intentions of Gould and Newberg.