Cohen, Jack

Jack Cohen (1933-2019) was a British reproductive biologist and science consultant who made significant contributions to the intersection of science and religion through his collaborative work on The Science of Discworld series with Terry Pratchett and Ian Stewart. While primarily a scientist, Cohen's work engaged substantively with theological questions through the lens of scientific rationalism. The series uses fantasy as a vehicle to explore fundamental questions about existence, causation, and the nature of reality, often challenging traditional religious narratives while examining how humans create meaning and "gods" through storytelling. Cohen's approach exemplified a naturalistic worldview that sought to explain religious phenomena through evolutionary biology and cognitive science. His work contributed to contemporary debates about the compatibility of science and religion, consistently advocating for scientific explanations over supernatural ones while acknowledging the human propensity for narrative and meaning-making that underlies religious thought.