Paul A. Nelson (born 1958) is an American philosopher, noted for his advocacy of the pseudosciences of young earth creationism and intelligent design.
Nelson is a fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture and of the International Society for Complexity, Information and Design.
[5] As shown in the Peabody Award-winning documentary Nova: Intelligent Design on Trial, in the Kitzmiller v. Dover trial, Barbara Forrest presented a quote from Nelson to demonstrate that Intelligent Design proponents know that it is not a theory in the scientific sense: Easily, the biggest challenge facing the I.D.
[7] Today, such proposals are rejected by the scientific community,[8] and the courts have ruled Young Earth creationism to be a religious belief.
[9] In a discussion with historian of science Ronald Numbers, Nelson made a distinction between his theological understanding of Earth history, which is informed by the biblical account as presented in the book of Genesis, and his advocacy for intelligent design.