Introduction: Engagement or Rejection? Conservative Religion and Science in America Since 1960

This focus section examines how conservative religious institutions in the United States have engaged with science and higher education since the 1960s, blending faith with modern disciplines to assert traditionalist identities. The articles explore how institutions like Fuller Theological Seminary, Christendom College, and the Catholic Church have become active in psychology, biology, and biotechnology to reinforce traditionalist religious identities while appropriating modern academic and scientific methods. These efforts reflect a strategy of negotiating tensions between religious orthodoxy and secular modernity. By integrating faith with professional and scientific credibility, these institutions maintain conservative stances while participating in mainstream frameworks. Together, the three case studies reveal how conservative religious communities shape and are shaped by their interactions with modern scientific paradigms.