"Islam and Catholicism have both made theological attempts to reconcile science and religion at a very high level," or so Stefano Bigliardi, a member the Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue (FIIRD - Switzerland), expressed in the context of an international conference at the University of Navarra entitled, "The Abrahamic religions and interfaith relations in the past and present," which the Religion and Civil Society project of the Institute for Culture and Society organized.

The FIIRD researcher said that such attempts at reconciliation often do not reach grassroots believers because the arguments are very complex: "It is easy to produce rhetorical books to show that Darwin is on one side and religion on the other. But to explain to people how they can build bridges between science and faith, why you can be religious and at the same time believe in different scientific concepts, requires time and money."

"We need institutions and people with adequate knowledge in both fields," he claimed. In this regard, he insisted that the obstacles are not theoretical, but rather practical, such as communication.

Professor Bigliardi stressed that the relationship between science and religion can become harmonious. As an example, he noted that he has researched the theories of Muslim scientists who also possess deep theological knowledge and, therefore, "are able to keep the concept of God and biological evolution together or at least not reject the question outright." His research with scientists and Muslim leaders is gathered in his 2014 book Islam and the Quest for Modern Science. Conversations with Adnan Oktar, Mehdi Golshani, M. Basil Altaie, Zaghloul El-Naggar, Bruno Guiderdoni, and Nidhal Guessoum.

Professor Bigliardi argued that interreligious dialogue can also contribute to reconciliation with science, saying, "Though religions have different sacred texts, there are common challenges and questions such as whether it is possible to believe in both a personal God and in contemporary physics, or in a specific account of creation and biological evolution."

"Religions can share common experiences and try to develop a mature discourse in which science is recognized for its merits and false conceptions of science are rejected," he said. He emphasized the latter, arguing, "When harmony is based on pseudoscientific conceptions, it becomes very fragile, an illusion."

Finally, he argued that some habits proper to science, such as critical thinking, peer review and discussion, are poised to help fight radicalism in theological discourse.

Stefano Bigliardi earned a PhD in philosophy from the University of Bologna (Italy). His postdoctoral research focuses on analytical and philosophical reflections on science and religion through contemporary authors, theologians and scientists who advocate for harmony between Islam and science. His most recent research uncovers the role of pseudo-science and anti-science in the contemporary debate on Islam and science, as well as the relationship between science and new religious movements.

He has held both research and teaching positions at the University of Konstanz, the University of Lund (Sweden) and the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico). He is currently a member of the Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue (FIIRD) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Stefano Bigliardi was among 30 researchers from universities in 18 different countries that discussed interfaith dialogue between Christianity, Islam and Judaism at a conference entitled, "The Abrahamic religions and interfaith relations in the past and present".

The conference gathered specialists in fields such as the social sciences, history, philosophy and the humanities, who presented research that sheds light on how to achieve better understanding between the Abrahamic religions.

Speakers included Monawar Hussain, a Muslim Imam and advisor to the Hospitals NHS Trust at the University of Oxford (UK), Carlos Eire, a professor of history and religious studies at Yale University (USA), James Conroy, Vice Chancellor for Internationalization at the University of Glasgow (UK) and a professor of religious and philosophical education, and Tania ap Siôn, Deputy Director of the St. Mary Research Center in Wales and research fellow within the Research Group on Religion and Education at the University of Warwick (UK).