Epistemology of the Study of Astronomy and Religion

Abstract

This essay will explore the methodological and epistemological features as well as the ontological issues facing the production of knowledge when the fields of astronomy and religion are brought together. The historical context in which these two fields have been studied will be intertwined with an investigation into how the politics of the epistemology have caused significant consequences for the production of knowledge. To accomplish this, I will firstly provide a brief overview of religion and astronomy’s interactions and how the nature of their relationship has changed, thus influencing how knowledge is produced. An analysis of the existing literature will swiftly follow, covering the epistemological frameworks used in the production of knowledge for these fields. This is with the intention of highlighting methodological issues facing several authors and ultimately to denote how these issues have impacted knowledge production. Finally, the essay will culminate into a wider discussion of the subjects’ ontological natures, namely their position at the intersection of a multitude of disciplines, the issue of overbearing gatekeepers and the shifts in hierarchies that have occurred to change how knowledge can be produced. Further to this, to close the discussion, there will involve a justification for the relevance of the study of these two topics together in the contemporary context. However, firstly, it is crucial to gain an understanding of knowledge production. Knowledge production is the creation and conceptual assembly of knowledge presented in the form of researched and evidenced content for the expansion of a given topic. This often involves a new perspective on the topic or the exploration of an entirely new or under-researched subtopic area. The issues facing contemporary productions of knowledge result from historical events and narratives that have lead to the present context; this is particularly evidential in the fields of astronomy and religion.