CONSERVATIVE PROTESTANTISM AND PUBLIC-OPINION TOWARD SCIENCE

Using data from the 1988 General Social Survey, this study examines an important and neglected topic: the multifaceted relationships between Conservative Protestantism and public opinion toward science. Findings indicate that three specific aspects of conservative theology - biblical literalism, theological orthodoxy, and the perceived ubiquity of sin - are associated with moral criticisms of science. Theological factors generally mediate the relationships between conservative Protestant denominational ties and these science attitudes. However, the members of such groups are also more skeptical of the value of science on pragmatic grounds, for reasons that do not appear associated with these theological factors. A number of implications and promising directions for future research are discussed.