Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Religious Pluralism and the Partnership of Science and Religion

The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020) has made crucial contribution to the dialogue of religion and science. Denying that religion and science are necessarily in conflict, Rabbi Sacks used philosophical arguments and scienctific evidence to dismantle the claims of Riachard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens who promoted the "New Atheism," demonstrating that they misunderstood the true nature of both science as well as religion. Rather than mutually exclusively, science and religion are compatible with each other and both are necessary for the pursuit of truth. Whereas science is interested in taking the world apart to to investigate how ti works, the goal of religion is to put things together and see what they mean. This lecture shows how Rabbi Sacks` position in regard to religion and science operated also in his understanding of religious pluralism, both within Judaism and within world religions. Honoring the "dignity of difference" Rabbi Sacks` synthetic and inclusive vision recognized the value of multiplicity and diversity and resisted the lure of sameness. The lecture argues that Rabbi Sacks` nuanced approach is crucial to the future of Judaism and the future of humanity.