342 students from 25 schools throughout Spain, divided into 148 teams, have participated in a contest of essay promoted by the group 'Science, Reason and Faith' (CRYF) of the University of Navarra around the topic 'Relations between the scientific theory of evolution and the action of God in the world'. The competition is framed in a project of research of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

Of these, 27 students from the schools Peñarredonda (A Coruña), Sansueña (Zaragoza), Montearagón (Zaragoza), Valverde (Madrid), Miravalles (Pamplona), Pineda (Barcelona), Aldeafuente (Madrid), Nelva (Murcia), El Prado (Madrid), Los Robles, (Gijón), Monteagudo (Murcia) and Vilavella (Valencia) will go through to the final phase. They will participate in the final phase on Wednesday, May 13, which will be held by videoconference.

Narratives about religion in science subjects

This edition of competition is driven by the project 'Science and religion in Spanish schools', funded by the John Templeton Foundation. It is directed by Javier Sánchez Cañizares, director of the CRYF and researcher of group 'Mente-Cerebro' of the ICS; and Rubén Herce, member of the CRYF and professor of the School Eclesiástica de Philosophy.

In each of the three academic years covered by the initiative, a topic is studied by teachers and students: the origin of the universe and creation (2018-2019), evolution and divine action in the world (2019-2020) and the origin and specificity of man (2020-2021). These questions are proposed in the corresponding editions of the competition.

The website 'Education, Science and Religion' contains the instructions of the competitions and explains the nature and purpose of project: to analyze the problems that, in the field of relations between science and religion, are perceived by schoolchildren and teachers, in order to try to provide solutions in the short, medium and long term deadline. 

The project also aims to map the main narratives about God and religion used so far in science subjects, to create a permanent group of teachers who will periodically address the pedagogical issues that arise when presenting a worldview where science and faith complement each other, and to prepare specific materials for science and religion courses in Spanish that can be included in the curricula of high school diploma.

Finalist students:

- Josemaría Quintero Dolz del Castellar, Mateo Alonso Fernández and Santiago del Palacio Mantiñán (high school Peñarredonda): "Scientific theory of evolution and God's action in the world". Tutor Antonio Rodríguez Mateos.

- María Galindo Triguero ( high school Sansueña: "Deus ex machina". Tutor: Isabel Flores Caballero.

- Constantino López-Madrazo Luengo, Mateo Tobías de Gregorio, Alejandro Rubio Lambán (high school Montearagón): "Relationship between evolution and the soul". Tutor José Enrique López.

- Isabel de Ojeda Herrero, Fátima Alcañiz Doussinague, Lola Tuduri Barrón (high school Valverde): "Chance? chance? destiny?". Tutor: María Lázaro Miguel-Sin.

- Mónica Idoate, María Ayesa, Antoinette Mbongo (high school Miravalles): "Chance and purpose in evolution". Tutor: Belén Alameda.

- Mireia Nafría Febrer (high school Pineda): "Contingency and purpose in evolution: are we special?". Tutor: Teresa Ortiz Ibarz.

- Almudena Álvarez Manzanedo (high school Aldeafuente): "Pieces of the same puzzle". Tutor: Verónica Trozzo.

- Patricia López, Clara Manuel, Rocío Moreno (high school Nelva): "Chronology leads to truth". Tutor: Rocío Mas Millet.

- Álvaro de Montis Quiroga, Jaime Altares Murillo (high school El Prado): "Original sin and its repercussions in nature". Tutor Ricardo Sanz García de Sola.

- Javier Álvarez Martínez, Alejandro Álvarez Martínez (high school Los Robles): "Theories of evolution in relation to God's action in the world". Tutor Ignacio Blanco Rodríguez.

- José Alemán Mañas, Fran Hernández Tercero, Héctor Michilot Palacios (high school Monteagudo): "¿Azar o hazaña?". Tutor Eduardo Valero Menchero.

- Isabel Bueno, Teresa Sánchez (high school Vilavella): "Are we fruits of chance?". Tutor: Carmen Sánchez Sus.