Affiliation:
1. Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham Alabama USA
2. Department of Biological, Physical, and Human Sciences Freed‐Hardeman University Henderson Tennessee USA
3. Department of Biochemistry Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Nashville Tennessee USA
4. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Rush University Chicago Illinois USA
Abstract
AbstractThe intersection of religion and science often elicits polarizing views among scientists, though approximately half of American scientists identify as religious. Mounting evidence also supports the role of spirituality in comprehensive patient care. The purpose of this study was to explore the religiosity of faculty who teach in the anatomical sciences at U.S. colleges and universities. Surveys were administered to anatomists through two professional societies. Two‐thirds (64.9%, 74/114) of respondents identified as religious, 26.3% (30/114) as atheist, and 8.8% (10/114) as agnostic. Most respondents (64.9%, 74/114) disagreed with the statement, “There is no place for religion and science to intersect.” Approximately one in three respondents expressed concern that sharing/disclosing their religious beliefs would negatively affect the perceptions of colleagues (32.5%, 37/114) and students (28.9%, 33/114) toward them. Faculty at faith‐based institutions were more open to disclosing their beliefs (p = 0.045), and highly religious individuals were more concerned (p = 0.001). Fewer than one‐fifth of respondents 17.5% (20/114) personally experienced mistreatment or discrimination within academic settings due to their religious beliefs. Most respondents held politically liberal‐leaning views (71.0%, 76/107). Highly religious individuals were more likely to be politically conservative (p < 0.001). Overall, this study demonstrates that the number of anatomists who identify as religious may be higher than that of other biological disciplines and that mistreatment due to religious views remains a challenge for some in the profession. Continued dialogue regarding the role of religion in professional identity expression may be an important step in mitigating religion‐focused mistreatment and discrimination in academic settings.
Reference45 articles.
1. The Christian college: a history of Protestant higher education in America;Morris JM;Growth,2007
2. The University Gets Religion
3. Owning Faith: First-Year College-Going and the Development of Students’ Self-Authored Worldview Commitments
4. SmithGA.About three‐in‐ten U.S. adults are now religiously unaffiliated.2021. Available from:https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/12/14/about‐three‐in‐ten‐u‐s‐adults‐are‐now‐religiously‐unaffiliated/. Accessed 27 Sep 2023.