This collection is set within the horizon of Jesuit mission in East Asia best exemplified by the great Mateo Ricci whose work centuries ago anticipated the dialogue between religion, science and culture today. This horizon, though implicit in the following essays, serves as the basic perspective of the authors many of whom are in some way connected to the Jesuit tradition, either as members of the Society of Jesus or as graduates and lecturers of Jesuit educational institutions in East Asia. Despite the presence of scientific activity in some academic or research institutions and the dominant influence of Christian religious practice, the science-and-religion problematic has been, for the most part, unthematised in the Philippine context. The encounter between science and religion takes place within the personal realm, that is, within the life and work of those engaged in scientific activity and at the same time committed to a particular religious tradition. Such persons consider science and religion either as separate compartments in peaceful coexistence or as twin sources of personal meaning and paradigm for individual action. This view of the science-and-religion problematic is now regarded inadequate by the contributors to this anthology as well as by an increasing number of academics, religious leaders and professionals in different fields within Philippine society. Having professional backgrounds in both science and religion, most of the contributors see the need for and the importance of an explicit and thematised discussion of the relation between science and religion within the local context.
