I speak of the supposed conflict between science and religion. People of goodwill wish to see science and religion at peace, working together to enrich our practical and ethical lives. From this worthy premise, people often draw the wrong inference, that joint action implies common methodology and subject matter - in other words, that some grand intellectual structure will bring science and religion into unity. But just as human bodies require both food and sleep for sustenance, the proper care of any whole must call upon disparate contributions from independent parts. We must live the fullness of a complete life in many mansions of a neighborhood that would delight any modern advocate of diversity.
Science tries to document the factual character of the natural world.
Religion operates in the equally important, but utterly different, realm of human purposes, meanings and values. Magisterium is, admittedly, a four-bit word, but I find the term beautifully appropriate. The magisterium of religion extends over questions of ultimate meaning and moral value. Although I deplore the current penchant for literary confession, I accept that intellectual subjects of such personal salience impose some duty for authorial revelation. Let me, then, briefly state my perspective.