In this short but illuminating piece, world-renowned biologist Francisco Ayala addresses the notion of intelligent design?the notion that individual species are too complex to have developed through evolution and therefore must be the work of an intelligent designer, God. Ayala shows first just what the theory of evolution claims, and the range of questions it can answer. He then turns to the notion of intelligent design, as it is expounded today, and its weaknesses as a scientific or even a theological explanation of the complexity of the universe and all its creatures. Ayala's treatment is especially valuable for its clarity about the respective roles and provinces of science, faith, and theology.
