It is often assumed, on the basis of contemporary controversies, that science and religion have always been in an oppositional relationship, and that conflict between them is inevitable. In this course we will consider the long history of science-religion relationships, exploring the ways in which religious factors played a positive role in the emergence of modern science, and were important in establishing a permanent and prominent place for scientific activity at the heart of modern Western culture. The course will take in key historical episodes such as the Galileo affair, the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species, and the nineteenth-century invention of the conflict thesis—all with a view to seeing how historical insights can provide resources for helping understand present relations between science and religion.