Is God really knowable? Does uncertainty harm or benefit science? Can we be certain about our moral principles, and how can historical examples guide our perspective?

These are several questions that Dr. John Bancroft tackles in his new book, Tolerance of Uncertainty. Over a decade of research as director of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, Bancroft traced the role of uncertainty in sexuality, and inTolerance of Uncertainty applies this lens to other areas of human existence. The book distinguishes between uncertainty and unknowability and the impact of each within science and religion. 

“It is important to recognize that there are many aspects of our world and life that are likely to remain unknowable and beyond our comprehension,” said Bancroft. “Humble acknowledgment of this is important for the next stage of development of the human condition.”

In a carefully researched examination, Bancroft discusses now-discredited moral certitudes in historical context, notably slavery and the subjugation of women, and uses them as a touchstone for current social topics. Tolerance of Uncertaintyaddresses how society should move forward in the absence of certainty, proposing numerous functional “models of reality.” His principal model, the revolutionary “Two-Team” approach, advocates the division of male and female labour between non-competing teams in the workplace, universities, and beyond.