Priests Are Helping NASA Figure Out How We’d Cope With Aliens
HOWDY, NEIGHBOR
The work examines the intersection of theology and astrobiology to research how Christian doctrines bear upon “perspective of life elsewhere in the universe.”
As rovers and telescopes continue probing the corners of the galaxy, NASA has called upon the clergy for interpersonal help. As reported by PennLive, NASA has recruited 24 theologians to begin evaluating the myriad of ways humanity and varying religions could respond if intergalactic neighbors are ever discovered. One priest from the University of Cambridge, Reverend Dr. Andrew Davison, is among the coalition of theologians working on the project. He explained in a written statement that he is studying the intersections of theology and astrobiology to research how Christian doctrines bear upon the “perspective of life elsewhere in the universe.” Such doctrines include who Jesus Christ is, how creation came to be, how humanity sins, and eschatological expectations for the end of a universe that houses more than just human beings. Other recruits have been pulled from Princeton’s Center for Theological Inquiry.