That is the primary article in a three-part sequence.
That is how speculative theology works: it’s simply dismissed till a shift in historic or cultural context transforms it into essentially the most pressing theological job at hand.
Within the sprawling library of Christian theology, numerous outdated volumes sit gathering mud—books on subjects so summary they’re shelved underneath “speculative theology,” solely revisited when the world modifications in a approach that makes their subject material instantly related. Take synthetic intelligence, for instance. For many years, theologians largely ignored AI. You’ll be exhausting pressed to discover a part coping with this matter within the systematic theologies printed all through the 20th century. The subject existed on the fringes—attention-grabbing to futurists, however of little concern to church buildings or seminaries.
However quick ahead to as we speak, with AI writing essays, producing artwork, and influencing main choices in enterprise, politics, and training. Now, the query of whether or not or not ethics apply to non-biological intelligences is not being requested by science fiction writers. Abruptly, what as soon as felt summary or irrelevant is central. Pastors are preaching sermons on it. Christian ethicists and theologians are scrambling to reply.
That is how speculative theology works: it’s simply dismissed till a shift in historic or cultural context transforms it into essentially the most pressing theological job at hand.
So, let’s speculate.
Think about a Tuesday like every other—espresso, site visitors, a mind-numbing assembly. In your commute, the radio jokes a few new sign picked up by SETI. A shrug, amusing, and you progress on. Minutes later, your telephone buzzes: your child texts, “Are you seeing this?” The headlines are breaking: “SETI Confirms Sign Extraterrestrial in Origin.”
Suddenly, the query of whether or not we’re alone within the universe has a solution. And even when life goes on largely unchanged, a boundary in human data has shifted eternally. Now take into account the response. Pastors scramble to deal with the revelation. Theologians race via dusty corridors on the lookout for something remotely relevant. Publishers flood the market with sizzling takes. Everybody begins reverse-engineering aliens into Scripture.
What was as soon as speculative has turn out to be sensible in a single day. To be clear, this hasn’t occurred but. It’d by no means occur. Perhaps, in 100 years, humanity will hand over the search and simply conclude we’re alone within the universe. However we don’t know—and that uncertainty is exactly why exotheology issues.
There’s a pervasive worry amongst Christians in terms of the unknown. Worry of science. Worry of recent discoveries. Worry that asking questions would possibly unravel religion.
I first got here throughout the time period exotheology in a 1978 Time journal article that outlined it succinctly as “the theology of outer house.” The article famous that “main non secular thinkers have but to provide severe consideration to the problems posed by what some name ‘exotheology.’” If we have been to resurrect the time period for 2025, I might in all probability outline it because the theological reflection on the potential for extraterrestrial life—particularly, what it could imply for Christian doctrines if clever life have been found past Earth. And may that day ever come, it could matter tremendously. The implications for ideas just like the picture of God, unique sin, the incarnation, and redemption can be profound.
Christians have a foul behavior of ready till a disaster emerges earlier than formulating coherent theological responses. As a substitute of making ready considerate, biblically grounded reflections prematurely, we regularly scramble after the very fact—reacting, retrofitting, and typically twisting Scripture to make it appear to be we at all times had solutions prepared.
The problem isn’t that Christians need to be biblical—that need is commendable. The problem is an absence of theological preparedness. Too many believers depend on inflexible “worldviews” which might be usually formed much less by cautious biblical exegesis and extra by trendy commentaries, inherited assumptions, and cultural norms—particularly these norms established in “Christian tradition.” These frameworks can turn out to be brittle when confronted with unfamiliar questions, like these posed by the prospect of alien life.
If and after we are confronted with proof of extraterrestrial intelligence, it will likely be apparent whether or not or not the Christian theologian has carried out their homework. And if we haven’t, we’ll be left enjoying theological catch-up (once more), trying unprepared in entrance of a watching world. As a substitute of twisting the Bible after the very fact to suit new discoveries, it’s much more trustworthy and fruitful to start out asking the exhausting questions earlier than they’re compelled on us. Even when clever extraterrestrial life isn’t found, the method of pondering theologically in regards to the chance is worth it. It strengthens our interpretive frameworks and prepares us to face uncertainty with readability and conviction.
Let me make clear the place I’m coming from. I take into account myself someplace on the spectrum between “evangelical” and “fundamentalist.” I’m a conservative Christian who has learn all seven Harry Potter books, listens to traditional rock with out burning information in protest, and actually, actually likes monster motion pictures. Extra importantly, although, I additionally interpret the Bible actually—however not in the way in which many fundamentalists would possibly use that time period. I keep a literary-literal strategy. That’s, I learn the Bible in gentle of its style and narrative construction, not simply its historic context.
Whereas historic understanding is vital (Rome, as an illustration, dominated Israel throughout Jesus’ life, and that’s an vital element to know when beginning the New Testomony), I don’t want a deep dive into sadal kinds of first-century Galilee to know the that means of Christ’s teachings. I would like to know the textual content—its characters, story arcs, and theology. When somebody touched the hem of Jesus’s garment and was healed, it’s the literary and biblical context (not the garment’s material) that issues. Too usually, folks attempt to learn the Bible like a historical past textbook, forgetting it’s additionally literature—wealthy, symbolic, and theological. This issues as a result of if we begin decoding one thing as radical as alien life, our hermeneutic must be sharp. If it’s not, we danger twisting Scripture to suit speculative science, or rejecting observable, provable scientific phenomena out of worry.
What this implies is that I consider the Bible is ambiguous on many issues, and that’s by design. Exterior of its central message—the redemptive plan of God via Jesus Christ—it leaves loads open-ended. The Bible is evident on God’s plan to reconcile humanity to Himself. Paul calls this the “thriller” revealed in Christ in Ephesians. That’s the primary plotline: God, via Christ, redeems each Jews and Gentiles, securing everlasting life for the trustworthy and defeating sin and demise. Past this central reality and the narrative actions required to inform that story, the Bible doesn’t give plenty of specifics. It doesn’t clarify the rings of Saturn. It doesn’t map out black holes. It doesn’t describe the molecular construction of Martian soil—and even Earth’s soil, for that matter. Why? As a result of these issues, whereas fascinating, are merely not the Bible’s focus. That doesn’t imply Christians shouldn’t care about them. The Bible is silent on many issues—not as a result of they’re unimportant, however as a result of its goal is theological, not encyclopedic.
There’s a pervasive worry amongst Christians in terms of the unknown. Worry of science. Worry of recent discoveries. Worry that asking questions would possibly unravel religion. I get it—I’m conservative, in spite of everything. I like order. I don’t need chaos. However I additionally don’t need to reside in a bubble the place pure curiosity is forbidden. I’m usually baffled by how rapidly some Christians panic when science presents one thing sudden, and proceed to twist Scripture to accommodate new data that Scripture merely isn’t all that involved about within the first place. It’s a little bit of a dishonest response that, no matter how well-intentioned, does the other of preserving the integrity of Scripture or the witness of the Church.
As a substitute, we should develop the behavior of pondering theologically about extra-biblical issues—like exotheology. Not as a result of the Bible tells us what an alien appears to be like like, however as a result of we want a framework rooted within the gospel and a plain studying of Scripture to interpret no matter we might discover.
Exotheology isn’t about establishing alien mythologies out of skinny air. It’s about making ready ourselves for an actual chance.
In April 2020, the U.S. Division of Protection formally launched three Navy movies of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)—what we colloquially name UFOs. These movies had already leaked, however the Pentagon’s affirmation marked a turning level in public acknowledgement of such phenomena. Had been these crafts alien in origin? In all probability not. However they have been unidentified—and that alone was sufficient to reignite public curiosity and fire up contemporary questions. And never simply from the same old conspiracy corners. Scientists, policymakers, and sure, theologians started to take discover. For the primary time in many years, mainstream dialog about life past Earth inched its approach into the cultural foreground.
However what would occur if in the future these crafts are recognized as extraterrestrial? What would the Church say? Would she fumble for solutions, reducing up the Bible to suit alien narratives into Revelation or Ezekiel or Genesis 6, pretending we at all times knew they have been in there? That’s the chance of neglecting speculative theology.
Exotheology isn’t about establishing alien mythologies out of skinny air. It’s about making ready ourselves for an actual chance. It’s about asking, “What if?” and having a framework rooted in biblical theology to interact the query truthfully. If clever life exists elsewhere within the universe, how does that have an effect on doctrines just like the “imago dei?” The incarnation? Salvation historical past? Perhaps it doesn’t. Perhaps alien life falls into its personal distinct class of creation. Perhaps God has a unique redemptive plan for them. Perhaps they don’t even want one.
We don’t know. But when we consider the gospel is the facility of God for all creation, we are able to a minimum of begin fascinated by what that may imply on a cosmic scale. We don’t must drive alien narratives into Scripture. We do must protect the Bible’s redemptive focus whereas acknowledging that it doesn’t say all the pieces about all the pieces.
If we perceive exotheology as a thought experiment guided by the redemptive arc of Scripture, we are able to start asking, “What if?” with out worry, and with integrity.
The aim of this text has been to set forth my presuppositions to ascertain one thing of a theological framework—a mind-set clearly and biblically about the potential for extraterrestrial life with out forcing Scripture to talk the place it stays silent. Exotheology, as a area, stays vastly underdeveloped not as a result of it lacks relevance, however as a result of the questions it raises are sometimes handled as hypothetical. But when the second comes wherein they cease being hypothetical, we are going to want we had carried out the work.
To a level, that work begins right here, by recognizing the Bible’s theological and narrative focus, its intentional ambiguity on many scientific and speculative issues, and the Christian’s accountability to assume theologically—not simply reactionarily. If we perceive exotheology as a thought experiment guided by the redemptive arc of Scripture, we are able to start asking, “What if?” with out worry, and with integrity.
Within the subsequent article, we’ll take a step again from theology and have a look at the broader cultural phenomenon. We’ll discover how UFOs and alien life grew to become conflated within the public creativeness. We’ll look at the emergence of ufology as a pop-cultural motion, charting how authorities secrecy, science fiction, and Chilly Conflict nervousness has formed the way in which society thinks about “guests from past.” Then, within the third and closing article of this sequence, we’ll return to theology with a contemporary lens—and speculate. Not wildly or irresponsibly, however with care and curiosity. We’ll look at how the framework we’ve constructed would possibly apply to hypothetical situations involving clever extraterrestrial life and what a biblically sound Christian response may appear to be if that Tuesday morning ever arrives.
Till then, we don’t must invent doctrine the place Scripture is silent—however we do must be prepared to reply. Not with worry. Not with frantic proof-texting. However with the identical humility and confidence that ought to characterize all Christian thought. As a result of if the query ever modifications from if we’re alone to since we’re not, the Church ought to be able to say one thing price listening to.
