2023-01-172023-01-1719796741578https://hdl.handle.net/10657/13392Analyses of scientific inquiry and religious belief often concentrate on the verification procedures appropriate to each endeavor. Such analyses highlight the dissimilarities between scientific inquiry and religious belief at the expense of overlooking major similarities. This thesis suggests a different focus of analysis. If scientific inquiry and religious belief are analyzed as possible methods by which man attempts to interpret the world, similarities between the two endeavors can be delineated without obscuring the well-known differences. The following similarities are discussed: (1) scientific inquiry and religious belief result from man's psychological need to understand himself vis-a-vis the world; (2) the presuppositions of each reflect this need; (3) the presuppositions of each provide broad guidelines for the development of the explanatory apparatus in each area. Parallels and divergences between the two explanatory frameworks are then captured with the aid of Kuhn's concept of the "disciplinary matrix."application/pdfenThis item is protected by copyright but is made available here under a claim of fair use (17 U.S.C. Section 107) for non-profit research and educational purposes. Users of this work assume the responsibility for determining copyright status prior to reusing, publishing, or reproducing this item for purposes other than what is allowed by fair use or other copyright exemptions. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires express permission of the copyright holder.Thesisreformatted digital