Many scientific and technological issues are of fervent interest to religious communities. While evolution often takes the spotlight, other issues are at least as provocative in both positive and negative ways, ranging from implications of genetics and neuroscience to advances in technology for aiding the world’s poor. A deeper probe shows that it is actually underlying philosophical concerns of religious citizens and their perceptions of scientists that can lead to responses of either enthusiastic support or rejection of science, in ways that can be sometimes baffling to scientists. To increase understanding of these deeply nuanced perceptions, AAAS and Rice University have conducted a major survey of several religious communities regarding their beliefs about science and their perceptions of scientists. A second survey component investigated the views scientists hold regarding the attitudes of religious people toward science. This symposium features the preliminary findings from 3,000 respondents, including evangelical Christians, mainline Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and a wide swath of scientific professionals. Unifying and polarizing scientific issues, perceptions of motivations, and the influence of authority figures in both religious and scientific communities in shaping attitudes toward each other will be discussed. The survey results serve as a basis for enriched dialogue and informed understanding between scientists and religious communities.