Science and religion are often pitted against one another as opposing forces. While science is defined by clear methodologies and peer-reviewed findings, religion is at once abstract and highly personal. Yet whether or not someone is a highly-devout Hindu priest or a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist, both are wielding tools in search of greater understanding.
They are working toward what Jeff Polish would consider “a universal search for meaning.” Polish is the founder and executive director of The Monti, a non-profit storytelling organization, that is co-hosting an event at The Carolina Theatre of Durham this Friday, Nov. 3 that features stories about the intersection of medicine and religion. Participants will explore how an understanding of science and medicine informs one’s faith, how faith impacts medical breakthroughs and discoveries, and whether or not medicine and religion can peacefully coexist.
Host Frank Stasio talks with Polish about the theme and highlights Monti stories from the archive. Participant Naina Khera-McRackan, a Sikh physician, previews her story about her struggle to make peace with the death of her father, and physician Ray Barfield, Duke University professor of pediatrics and Christian philosophy, talks about how he navigates religion and medicine in his career.
