The War That Never Was: Science vs. Faith – Prof. Lawrence M. Principe

Prof. Lawrence M. Principe argues that the supposed “war” between science and faith is largely a modern myth, constructed in the late 19th century by figures like John William Draper and Andrew Dickson White for personal, political, and ideological reasons, then amplified by secularizers, technocratic utopians, and bad theology (especially “God‑of‑the‑gaps” arguments and naive literalism) on the religious side.

This lecture was given on January 28th, 2026, at New York University.

For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.

About the Speakers:

Prof. Principe’s research focuses on the Medieval and early modern periods, with emphasis on the history of science (especially alchemy and chemistry), and the science-religion dynamic down to the present day. He is the Drew Professor of the Humanities at Johns Hopkins University in the Department of History of Science and Technology and the Department of Chemistry. He holds degrees from the University of Delaware (B.S. Chemistry and B.A. Liberal Studies), Indiana University (Ph.D. Organic Chemistry) and Johns Hopkins (Ph.D., History of Science).

Keywords: Andrew Dickson White, Draper White, God Of The Gaps Critique, Methodological Naturalism, Scientism And Technocratic Utopianism, Warfare Between Science And Theology