Ayala, Francisco

Francisco Ayala (1934-2023) was a Spanish-American biologist and philosopher who made significant contributions to the dialogue between science and religion. A former Dominican priest who became an evolutionary biologist, Ayala earned his doctorate under Theodosius Dobzhansky at Columbia University. His work explored the compatibility of evolutionary theory with religious belief, arguing that science and religion address different domains of human experience. In works like "Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion" (2007), he contended that evolution actually resolves theological problems like natural evil better than intelligent design. Ayala served as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and received the Templeton Prize in 2010 for his efforts to demonstrate that science and faith need not conflict, maintaining that evolutionary biology is compatible with Christian theology while opposing both scientific materialism and religious fundamentalism.