Sister Ilia Delio

Ilia Delio, OSF, Ph.D. earned a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Fordham University. Prior to joining Woodstock full-time as a Senior Research Fellow, she served as Chair and Professor in the Department of Spirituality Studies at the Washington Theological Union, where she also served as Director of Franciscan Studies.
 
Her work bridges the spheres of science and religion — exploring how insights from evolution, ecology, and technology are influencing the shape of human life today; the needs that are emerging; and the impact of science on our understanding of the meaning and purpose of religions. Her areas of interest also include divine action, emergence, ecology, evolutionary theory, and artificial intelligence.
 
Ilia has served on the Board of Directors of Metanexus, the Advisory Board of AAAS-DoSER (Dialogue on Sciences Ethics and Religion), and the editorial board of New Theology Review.
 
She just finished the book The Emergent Christ: Discovering the meaning of “catholic” in an evolutionary universe. Her previous books include The Humility of God: A Franciscan Perspective, Christ in Evolution, Ten Evenings with God, Franciscan Prayer, Simply Bonaventure: An Introduction to His Life Thought and Writings, Clare of Assisi: A Heart Full of Love, Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth, Crucified Love Bonaventure’s Mysticism of the Crucified Christ, and A Franciscan View of Creation: Learning to Live in a Sacramental World (The Franciscan Heritage Series, Vol. 2).
 
Her papers include Christ and Extraterrestrial Life, Theology, Metaphysics and the Centrality of Christ, Brain Science and the Biology of Belief: A Theological Response, Revisiting the Franciscan doctrine of Christ, Is Spirituality the Future of Theology?: Insights from Bonaventure, The First Catholic Social Gospelers: Women Religious in the Nineteenth Century, and Mirrors and Footprints: Metaphors of Relationship in Clare of Assisi’s Writings.
 
In 2000, Ilia received the Templeton Course Award in Science and Religion.
 
Watch Gospel Life in the 21st Century by Sister Ilia Delio – part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, and part 12.
 
Read her LinkedIn profile.