Wild Experiment: Feeling Science and Secularism After Darwin
Authors: Schaefer Donovan O. 
Published: February 2025

WILD EXPERIMENT: Feeling Science and Secularism After Darwin by Donovan O. Schaefer. Duke University Press, 2022. 328 pages. Paperback; $28.95. ISBN: 9781478018254. *Donovan Schaefer is currently in the Religious Studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania. Although he is a member of a program focused on religion, he describes himself as an atheist. His interest in understanding religion more deeply, particularly as it relates to affect theory (an approach to knowledge and culture that focuses on emotions), is exemplified by his scholarly work and his close relationship with Alister McGrath--theologian, historian, mentor, and close friend.1 While religious research might seem inappropriate for an atheist, one could argue that Schaefer presents an outsider's perspective in religious studies. In Wild Experiment, he examines the intersection of affect theory with science, religion, and secularism, and the development of conspiracy theories and racialized reasoning *Schaefer divides his book into Part I: Cogency Theory and Part II: Feeling Science and Secularism. Part I provides readers with a thorough understanding of the epistemological, axiological, and ontological stances present in knowledge making. Schaefer develops his idea to explore the interconnectedness of feelings, emotions, values, beliefs, and life experiences which drive knowledge making. Cogency theory is "a collection of perspectives on how thinking is made by feeling" (p. 10). Schaefer argues that "[n]ew knowledge feels true to us because it lands on our existing landscape of understanding in a way that fits. It clicks with the terrain already in place" (p. 6). Part II examines the historical background of the development of evolutionary theories, and the responses to these theories by religious institutions, particularly the Roman Catholic Church. This section connects the dots between affect, as an intrinsic part of knowledge-making, and evolutionary theories, racism, and the development of conspiracy theories. *Using the "click" metaphor, Schaefer explains how individuals align with information that "feels so good" (a common phrase used in the book). This good feeling grounds his cogency theory--the idea that we feel our way to knowing. He believes we cannot separate feelings from understanding because the two concepts are inextricably joined. To develop his theory, Schaefer appeals to Michael Polanyi's post-critical understanding of the subjectivity involved in knowledge making, Thomas Kuhn's concept of incommensurability arising from the biases brought into science by autonomous individuals, Nietzsche's ontological perspective that we make our own realities based on personal experiences, William James's fallibilist belief that all views are subject to fallibility, and evidence from science and technology studies (STS) that knowledge emerges from lived experiences. He further explains that the feelings involved in knowledge making can readily influence our willingness to accept scientific or biblical evidence--such as those associated with evolution, creation, climate change, and racism. *As Schaefer transitions to Feeling Science and Secularism, readers become aware of the pros and cons of the click that drives knowledge making. On the one hand, deriving joy from a topic or a task drives us to learn more, continuing the search for higher levels of understanding. On the other hand, this same joy can also pigeon-hole us into the same ways of negative thinking, as held by those who partake in conspiracy theories, racialized reasoning, climate denialism, and the age-old debate between evolution and creationism. Part II begins by detailing the historical background of the Darwinian era and the controversies that inherently arose within the church. Bringing in cogency theory, Schaefer points out that the feelings associated with religious values (creation, in this case) or scientific evidence (evolution, in this case) can cause us to dig our feet into the sand and refute someone with the same passion we each feel for the subject(s). *How does society breach this barrier and advance when feelings are so strongly held and difficult to address? Schaefer points out that good science employs a healthy system of checks and balances which keeps emotions in check and emboldens an ardent desire to find the truth. This checks-and-balances system embodies what David Hume refers to as "cool passions" and William James as the "nervousness about error" (p. 36). Schaefer suggests Hume's "cool passions" are a drive for knowledge, which is tempered by a desire for truth, and James's "nervousness about error" represents a healthy fear of being wrong, so one strives to "shun error!"2 However, providing more evidence on a topic will not necessarily bring unity because two people can analyze the same evidence in many diverse ways. Understanding and appealing to the feeling individuals embrace are the keys to unification. We must have a willingness to listen to the "out-group" and try to find "shared vibes," (Schaefer quoting Jose Estéban Muñoz [p. 224]). *As Christians made in the image of God, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, knitted from the core of our being by a loving creator from our mother's womb (Ps. 139:13-16). The thought of being "knit" by our creator suggests craftsmanship in which no two creations are identical. Thus, we could surmise that cogency theory somewhat aligns with our personal identity in and from Christ. We each have our own spiritual gifts, life experiences, and nonnegotiable values which we bring to the table to mess with (another common phrase in the book) our interpretations of information. It is our duty as Christians, however, to take accountability for our thoughts and actions and respond to information by following the scriptures. If we remain faithful, limiting emotion as much as possible, we might overcome some of the political and societal challenges we face, as well as issues related to creation care and climate change. I hope that by understanding Schaefer's cogency theory we can more effectively communicate information to a broader audience, inspire people to become more accepting of "others," and become better able to understand how others think and believe. *One observation: Wild Experiment has a wealth of information. It covers the complex and interdisciplinary nature of many topics in the social sciences, theology, biology, and history. While I believe Schaefer did his best to condense information, the onus is on the reader to do some additional background reading. I recommend this book for anyone interested in epistemology, behavioral science, STS, or anthropology. It provides a context for knowledge making that most social science and social-science related researchers will find interesting. *Notes *1Donovan O. Schaefer, "The Territories of Thinking and Feeling: Rethinking Religion, Science, and Reason with Alister McGrath," Zygon 57, no. 1 (2022): 200-222. *2William James, The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy (Longmans Green, 1907), 18. *Reviewed by Rebecca Eagle-Malone, assistant professor of biology, Malone University, Canton, OH 44709.