Definition
Non-Overlapping Magisteria, or NOMA, is a proposal by the paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould that science and religion occupy separate domains of authority — "magisteria" — that do not overlap and therefore cannot conflict. On Gould's account, science governs questions of empirical fact about the natural world, while religion governs questions of ultimate meaning, purpose, and moral value.
If the two magisteria genuinely never intersect, then there is no real contest between them: each is sovereign in its own sphere, and apparent conflicts arise only when one trespasses on the other's territory.
Why it matters
How it works
Under NOMA, a question like the age of the Earth belongs to science, while a question like the meaning of a good life belongs to religion or philosophy. Conflict, Gould argued, is a sign that someone has crossed the line.
Dawkins's objection is that the magisteria do in fact overlap. An interventionist God who answers prayers or performs miracles, he argues, makes a factual difference to the world, and any such difference is open to investigation. He also questions why religion should be granted exclusive authority over morality and meaning. Supporters of NOMA respond that these objections target a literalist religion, not the mature theology NOMA was meant to describe.