About

IRAS is an international society of learners and thinkers, natural and social scientists, philosophers, theologians and people from many other backgrounds and professions.

Our Mission

IRAS cultivates a community of informed and respectful inquiry and dialogue at the intersections of science with religion, spirituality and philosophy in service of global, societal and personal well-being.

Our Journal: Zygon

"IRAS is an independent society of natural scientists, social scientists, philosophers, religion scholars, theologians, and others who seek to understand and reformulate the theory and practice of religion in the light of contemporary scientific knowledge."

— Statement of Sponsoring Organizations in Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science 1966–present

Our Summer Conference

Held on scenic Star Island, Gosport, NH

Our Constitution

In its Constitution, the IRAS purpose is stated as follows:
The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science is established

to promote creative efforts leading to the formulation, in the light of contemporary knowledge, of effective doctrines and practice for human welfare;
to formulate dynamic and positive relationships between the concepts developed by science and the goals and hopes of humanity expressed through religion; and
to state human values in such universal and valid terms that they be understood by all peoples, whatever their cultural background or experience, in such a way as to provide a basis for world-wide cooperation.

"The Institute is to carry on the work initiated by the Conference on Religion in an Age of Science, first held on Star Island, off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA, July 31 to August 6, 1954, and to engage in the development of such additional conferences, lectures, study groups, seminars, research projects, publications, etc., as may be useful for its purpose."

— IRAS Constitution, revised August 1, 1985

IRAS History

IRAS evolved from the ideas of two pioneer groups…