The history of the interactions between science and religion has been described stereotypically as a warfare between two contending powers:

In the following sections I will argue that this is an inadequate view of the relationship between science and religion, especially since it portrays the history of this relationship as one in which the relative importance of both sides is at stake. More balanced studies reveal that confrontations were not only about the relative importance of two given enterprises, but also about die natures of science and of religion. Another mould in which the history has been cast is that of a fruitful interaction between Christianity and science. The claim has been made that Christianity has been essential to the rise of modern science. This too is a stereotype which is still operative today. By considering episodes in the history of the interactions between science and religion I intend to show the inadequacy of such stereotypes. Each episode is different, both with respect to the social context and with respect to the understanding of the nature of science and of religion. Thus, this part is meant to contribute to the overall argument of the book's sensitivity to the diversity of, and changes in, conceptions of religion and of science, and to take into account insights from contemporary historians of science who have studied interactions between science and religion.