Reflections on scientific and religious metaphor

Scientific and religious understandings are inherently contextual, yet the contexts in which they are embedded are often elusive or difficult to reconcile with a person's worldview or experience. Access to these contexts and understandings is therefore often abetted by metaphor. It is argued that if a metaphor is valid - that is, if it carries some core truth about an understanding - then what is important is whether it carries that core truth over to someone else.