David Jou argues at the University of Navarra that God “is not an irrational refuge from what we do not know, but rather the foundation of reason.”
Full Professor , a physicist at the Institute of Condensed- subject , delivered the 8th Mariano Artigas Commemorative Lecture, in which he proposed the concept of information as a bridge for dialogue between science and faith
14 | 10 | 2026
subject “God is not an irrational refuge from what we do not know, but rather the foundation of reason.” This was the view expressed by Professor David Jou i Mirabent, Full Professor of Physics at the School of Condensed-Matter Ph s at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, during the 8th Mariano Artigas Commemorative Lecture, organized by the group “Science, Reason, and Faith” (CRYF) at the University of Navarra. The event was presided over by Raúl Antón, Vice President of the faculty.
During his presentation, Professor Jou addressed some of the major issues common to science, philosophy, and theology, drawing on four questions about creation and four questions about the soul. Among other topics, he asked whether the world is a contingent or necessary reality, whether it has a “ purpose ” or meaning, what is the origin of the difference between inanimate “ subject ” and life, and what, if anything, of a person can endure beyond death.
He also argued that the current scientific worldview cannot be explained solely in terms of subject , and energy, but must also incorporate information, and he maintained that this concept offers new possibilities for dialogue between science and faith.
“It may be that the universe exists for love”
Throughout * lecture *, he distinguished three dimensions of information: quantitative, structural, and semantic. The latter, related to meaning and sense, allowed him to pose a question to which, as he pointed out, science has no answer: “Why does the universe exist?” As a hypothesis, he suggested that “it may be that the universe exists for love,” understood as recognition, benevolence, and cooperation.
Full Professor concluded by expressing his hope that the incorporation of the concept of information would contribute to a “more open and flexible worldview,” capable of fostering dialogue between science and faith and bringing these issues closer to society as a whole: “The most important thing is not to limit this dialogue to specialists, but to try to convey it to the public,” he said.
The academic ceremony began with remarks by the director of the CRYF, and Dean of the Ecclesiastical School of Philosophy, Santiago Collado, who highlighted the work of the “ group ” and provided context for the Mariano Artigas Commemorative Lectures. For his part, Professor Javier Sánchez Cañizares, a member of the CRYF and “ researcher ” of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), introduced Professor David Jou. Joining them at the presiding table was Professor Francisco Gallardo, who confirmed the selection of the speaker to deliver the commemorative lecture in November 2025.
