That is the primary article in a three-part collection.
That is how speculative theology works: it’s simply dismissed till a shift in historic or cultural context transforms it into probably the most pressing theological process at hand.
Within the sprawling library of Christian theology, numerous previous volumes sit gathering mud—books on subjects so summary they’re shelved beneath “speculative theology,” solely revisited when the world modifications in a means that makes their subject material instantly related. Take synthetic intelligence, for instance. For many years, theologians largely ignored AI. You’d be onerous pressed to discover a part coping with this subject within the systematic theologies revealed all through the 20th century. The subject existed on the fringes—fascinating to futurists, however of little concern to church buildings or seminaries.
However quick ahead to at the moment, with AI writing essays, producing artwork, and influencing main selections in enterprise, politics, and schooling. Now, the query of whether or not or not ethics apply to non-biological intelligences is now not being requested by science fiction writers. Out of the blue, 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 probably the most pressing theological process 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, fun, 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.”
Abruptly, the query of whether or not we’re alone within the universe has a solution. And even when life goes on principally unchanged, a boundary in human data has shifted ceaselessly. Now take into account the response. Pastors scramble to deal with the revelation. Theologians race by way of dusty corridors in search of something remotely relevant. Publishers flood the market with scorching takes. Everybody begins reverse-engineering aliens into Scripture.
What was as soon as speculative has develop into sensible in a single day. To be clear, this hasn’t occurred but. It would 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 concern amongst Christians relating to the unknown. Worry of science. Worry of recent discoveries. Worry that asking questions may 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 spiritual thinkers have but to offer critical 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 of extraterrestrial life—particularly, what it might imply for Christian doctrines if clever life have been found past Earth. And will that day ever come, it might matter tremendously. The implications for ideas just like the picture of God, authentic sin, the incarnation, and redemption can be profound.
Christians have a nasty behavior of ready till a disaster emerges earlier than formulating coherent theological responses. As an alternative of making ready considerate, biblically grounded reflections upfront, we regularly scramble after the actual fact—reacting, retrofitting, and generally twisting Scripture to make it appear to be we all the time had solutions prepared.
The problem isn’t that Christians wish to be biblical—that need is commendable. The problem is a scarcity of theological preparedness. Too many believers depend on inflexible “worldviews” which are 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 develop into 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 is going to be apparent whether or not or not the Christian theologian has accomplished their homework. And if we haven’t, we’ll be left enjoying theological catch-up (once more), wanting unprepared in entrance of a watching world. As an alternative of twisting the Bible after the actual fact to suit new discoveries, it’s way more trustworthy and fruitful to start out asking the onerous questions earlier than they’re pressured on us. Even when clever extraterrestrial life is rarely 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 best way many fundamentalists may 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 example, 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 types of first-century Galilee to understand 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, individuals 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 threat twisting Scripture to suit speculative science, or rejecting observable, provable scientific phenomena out of concern.
What this implies is that I consider the Bible is ambiguous on many issues, and that’s by design. Outdoors of its central message—the redemptive plan of God by way of Jesus Christ—it leaves so much 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, by way of Christ, redeems each Jews and Gentiles, securing everlasting life for the devoted and defeating sin and dying. Past this central reality and the narrative actions required to inform that story, the Bible doesn’t give a whole lot 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 function is theological, not encyclopedic.
There’s a pervasive concern amongst Christians relating to the unknown. Worry of science. Worry of recent discoveries. Worry that asking questions may unravel religion. I get it—I’m conservative, in any case. I like order. I don’t need chaos. However I additionally don’t wish 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 info 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 an alternative, 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 setting up 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? Most likely 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 a long time, mainstream dialog about life past Earth inched its means into the cultural foreground.
However what would occur if someday these crafts are recognized as extraterrestrial? What would the Church say? Would she fumble for solutions, slicing up the Bible to suit alien narratives into Revelation or Ezekiel or Genesis 6, pretending we all the time knew they have been in there? That’s the danger of neglecting speculative theology.
Exotheology isn’t about setting up 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 have interaction the query actually. 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 distinct 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 pressure alien narratives into Scripture. We do must protect the Bible’s redemptive focus whereas acknowledging that it doesn’t say the whole lot about the whole lot.
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 concern, 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 of extraterrestrial life with out forcing Scripture to talk the place it stays silent. Exotheology, as a discipline, 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’ll want we had accomplished 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 duty to suppose 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 concern, 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 Struggle nervousness has formed the best way society thinks about “guests from past.” Then, within the third and last article of this collection, 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 may apply to hypothetical situations involving clever extraterrestrial life and what a biblically sound Christian response might 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 concern. 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 aren’t, the Church ought to be able to say one thing value listening to.
