The discipline of history of science continues to expand. The need becomes obvious for synthetic articles that will review the specialist literature of a given field or problem area and report on expert opinion, to keep us abreast of the growing flood of work remote from our own specialties. Fortunately, this need is matched by new opportunities made possible by the ongoing Fund Drive of the History of Science Society. We are now in a period of transition, in which we hope to see a revived Osiris stand alongside a newly invigorated Isis. That new Isis will seek from time to time to offer the review articles and synthetic essays which we all need. The following essay may serve as a precursor of this new Isis genre. There is no field of more obvious relevance-not only to those of us who teach, but to all of us as citizens and intellectuals-than that of science and religion. One's understanding of this larger subject depends directly on one's perceptions about science and the early church. Isis is therefore pleased to present, by way of experiment, David Lindberg's authoritative discussion. -A.T.