Benjamin Ashraf Science and Theology: Exploring the Interface

Would the Discovery of Extra-terrestrial Life elsewhere in the Universe

seriously affect Christian Life?

Exotheology, as a theological phenomenon, remains a significant contemporary

issue for the Abrahamic Religions1. It refers to the examination of potential life and

intelligence, outside our own, in the Universe. Nevertheless, the aforementioned

question explicitly signifies the possible dilemma of finding new life outside Earth

and the implications upon Christian Life. Crucially, there is a need to first expand

upon the key terms of the question. In this way, one can grabble with the issues most

effectively. Upon reading the question, two terms became apparently significant,

those being: the definition of Extra-terrestrial being that of a hypothetical or

fictional being from outer space2 and the ethical and biblical repercussions it may

bring should it be discovered. Secondly, personally defining Christian Life in this

essay as being practices and religious behaviour accredited to Biblical scripture and

the Christian Church. Having established this, it is important to subsequently break

down the structure of this essay, which whilst touching upon the varying reactions

of the Abrahamic Religions, will keep its core emphasis upon Christianity. The

themes of this essay conveniently correspond with the three major Abrahamic

Religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The essay in its conclusion agrees with

Argentine Jesuit Priest and Astronomer Jose Gabriel Fumes statement "Just as there

is a multiplicity of creatures on earth, there can be other beings, even intelligent,

created by God. This is not in contrast with our faith because we can't put limits on

1 Norman Lamm. "A Jewish Exotheology" in Faith and Doubt: Studies in Traditional
Jewish Thought, Ktav Pub. House, (1971) p. 107.
2 Oxford Dictionaries. (2016). Extraterrestrial. Available:

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/extraterrestrial. Last
accessed 15th February 2016.
God's creative freedom"3. Ergo refuting the claim that the discovery of Extra-

terrestrial life would seriously affect Christian Life.

The first theme to be evaluated is the relationship between Extra-terrestrial life and

Christianity. In doing so, three sub-clauses will be expanded upon, those being:

examining Christian theory/scripture pertaining to Extra-terrestrial life, looking at

contemporary Christian theological reaction and how, if at all, the discovery of

extraterrestrial life will affect aspects of Christian Life and finally pertinent

evaluative comments regarding the two.

In terms of scripture, the Bible offers a variety of answers relating to the existence of

Extra-terrestrial life. The general scholastic consensus is whilst the Bible does not

explicitly refer to Extra-terrestrial life per se, it does go into great detail about

angelic beings and demons which are characterized as not being from this Earth.

This can be seen in Hebrews 1:14 which states that angels are sent forth to minister

who shall be airs of salvation. The idea of Angels as spiritual beings places

themselves outside mankinds intrinsic realm of reality whilst maintaining a biblical

importance to believers. Their unique nature can be seen in a plethora of sources,

notably in Luke 20:36 which states: In fact, they can no longer die, because they are

equal to angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection. Hence,

proving their dynamic and non-denominative nature. Therefore, in concluding this

opening sub-clause, it is clear that there is no specific mention of Extra-terrestrial

life, as we comprehend it, in the Bible. The only explicit reference to beings similar to

3Francesco M. Valiante. (14th May 2008). L'extraterrestre mio fratello. Available:

http://www.vatican.va/news_services/or/or_quo/interviste/2008/112q08a1.html.
Last accessed 15th February 2016.
that nature are Angels. In terms of the question-since the Bible makes no comment

on Extra-terrestrial life, its existence in principle, would be a refutation of the Bible.

Thus, on a scriptural level the discovery of Extra-terrestrial life would seriously

affect Christian Life in that it has not been preempted in the Bible. Nonetheless,

Gods omnipotence remains in tact since he is the creator of all things.

The second sub-clause to be examined is reacting to Christian theological opinion

regarding Extra-terrestrial life and whether or not any discovery would seriously

affect Christian Life. In determining this, a range of authorities will be used, most

notably David A.Weintraub of Vanderbilt Universitys influential text on the matter:

Religions and Extra-Terrestrial Life-How will we deal with it? In doing so, thinkers

from the two of the most prominent strands of Christianity: Roman Catholicism and

mainline Protestantism will be analyzed. In terms of Catholicism, Weintraub states

that genuine reaction to Extra-terrestrial life emerged in the latter half of the 19th

Century with two Scholars arguing for its existence, those being: Januarius De

Concilio and Joseph Pohle4. The difference in their theology was noticeable, with De

Concilio emphasizing that extra-terrestrials can exist if revelation precludes it5,

while Pohles main argument was that extra-terrestrials are a potential reality due to

full analogy between our earth and many other celestial bodies.6. However, in

relation to the essay title, what is most significant is not their theology, rather how

4 David. A.Weintraub. Religions and Extra-Terrestrial Life: How will we deal with it?
Springer, 2014. pg. 93-4.
5 Januarias de Concilio. Harmony between science and revelation. New York: Fr.

Pustet & Co.1889. pgs. 20223

6 Joseph Pohle. Die Sternenwelt und ihre Bewohner. Cologne: Bachem, 1889, p.11 as

quoted in Thomas F. OMeara. Vast universe: Extraterrestrials and Christian

revelation. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. 2012, p.85.
successful their theology was in the mainstream as a body of work to persuade

Christians to realize the possibility of Extra-terrestrial life. In general, these views

influenced the consensus held by the Roman Catholic tradition that salvation is

universal for all sentient beings as created by the Trinitarian God. Therefore in

answering the question-the discovery of Extra-terrestrial life would neither

support nor deny this view. The Catholic view is, as stated by Weintraub: if sentient

extraterrestrials exist some but perhaps not all such species may suffer original sin

and will require redemption7 thus refuting the question. In the Protestant tradition,

the most revered view is held by Reverend John H. Thomas and is in contrast to the

Catholic belief. Thomas believed in the explicit cooperation between Science and

Theology calling for a broadening of perspectives regarding the two. Unlike the

Catholic tradition, Thomas focuses upon the idea of original sin and Gods grace

being universal, ergo, from a Protestant standpoint; whilst believers are not likely to

subscribe to the belief that the concepts of salvation may be applicable to Extra-

terrestrials, there is a tacit agreement that sin and Gods grace however it is

bestowed, is universal8. Therefore, in concluding this second sub-theme, it is clear

that the issue of Extra-terrestrialism has been debated widely amongst the Christian

community as a possibility, with scholars from most denominations offering

solutions to the issue. When addressing whether the subsequent discovery of Extra-

terrestrial life, since the issue has been reconciled by prominent theologians as

being consistent with their own opinion of God, it would not seriously affect

Christian Life.

7 David. A.Weintraub. Religions and Extra-Terrestrial Life: How will we deal with it?
Springer, 2014, p.109
8 David. A.Weintraub. Religions and Extra-Terrestrial Life: How will we deal with it?

Springer, 2014, p.133

The final sub-clause to be expanded upon is pertinent evaluative comments on

Christianity and Extra-Terrestrialism. This sub-clause will focus upon two factors:

Biblical evaluation and theological evaluation. One can interpret the Bible as to being

ambiguous on whether Extra-terrestrial life exists, and thus making this essay

question a potential reality. An instance where this is the case is in John 10:16 where

he writes: I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and

they will hear my voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. The

implication in this sentence is that there are creatures, similar to which that already

exist, yet different. This may lead to attempts to justify prove the possible existence

or at least the prove Gods ability to create such creatures9. However, in counter

evaluation-this rare Biblical interpretation has been refuted by theologians as not

having any weight and fundamentally a misinterpretation of the scripture, not least

by Guy Consalmagno who concluded these other sheep are presumably a

reference to the Gentiles, not extraterrestrials10. This is in context to Jesus Christs

affirmation that he is the savior of all man in contrast to the Jewish belief that their

salvation was for them alone and thus representative of the sheep, not of this fold.

In terms of rejecting the theological opinions shown in the second sub-clause, Henry

Morris argues that Extra-terrestrial life as propagated by modern culture is

blasphemously arrogant, as well as utterly foolish11. The reason behind this is that

Morris believes that the exploration/attempted discovery of Extra-Terrestrial life is

9 Gary Bates. (November 2009). Did God create Life on other planets? Available:
http://creation.com/did-god-create-life-on-other-planets#endRef4. Last accessed
16th February 2016.
10 Guy Consolgmagno. Humans are not Gods only intelligent works Debate, 3

January 2006
11 Henry Morris. (July 11th 2012). The Heavens Are the Lord's. Available:

https://www.icr.org/article/20964/. Last accessed 17th February 2016

basically nothing but expressions of mans rebellion against his Creator, seeking to

explain the origin and meaning of the universe without God12. This view is

reverberated by Gary Bates who believes in a literal interpretation of the Bible and

as such the lack of mentioning Extra-terrestrial beings is enough to believe that they

do not exist. Any attempt to reconcile with the belief that Extra-terrestrialism might

exist would undermine the authority of scripture13 with Bates also concluding that

if there were to be any Extra-terrestrial beings, they would have been mentioned in

the Bible since it clearly represents a significant paradigm shift. Therefore, there

seems to be a gulf between accepted Christian theologies pertaining to Extra-

terrestrial life that is, it would not seriously affect it, with Biblical scripture.

However, in this instance I am persuaded by the Catholic solution to the issue;

salvation for all beings is universal and the possibility of Extra-terrestrial life is not

an anathema, since God is omnipotent.

The second, and final, theme of this essay will be a comparative one where the

experiences of Judaism and Islam will be evaluated alongside the aforementioned

Christian one. By doing so, one is able to appreciate similarities between the

Abrahamic religions in terms of Exotheology. Unlike the first theme, this section will

contain only two sub-clauses: analysis of religious scripture and theological reaction.

As the essay question focuses upon Christian Life, throughout this section there

will be consistent drawbacks to said phrase.

12Ibid.
13Gary Bates. (November 2009). Did God create Life on other planets? Available:
http://creation.com/did-god-create-life-on-other-planets#endRef4. Last accessed
16th February 2016.
In terms of theory, the Islamic and Jewish experience of tackling the Extra-

Terrestrial conundrum share both similarities and differences with the Christian

model. For Jews, the universality of their faith is paramount; the Torah is not just a

model for us humans, rather a guide for the whole Universe-leading to the

possibility of Extra-terrestrial life. This leads to the basic presence of extra-

terrestrial life is strongly supported by the Zohar14. As such, there are two

pertinent extracts present in the Torah that shall be analyzed detailing both the

possibility/rejection of Extra-Terrestrial life. The first can be found in Talmud

writing Avodah Zarah 3B which states that God flies through 18,000 Worlds. This

lead Rabbi Chasdai Crescas to believe that since God has created these worlds, they

need his prudence, ergo-inhabitance. This view shares similarities with the Roman

Catholic interpretation of the matter that draws upon the significance of Gods

omnipotence. However, Rabbi Yosef Albo vehemently rejects this view. Albos

position shares distinct similarities with the Bibles position that prioritizes the

importance of man (for whom the Universe was created for) and the inability for

other creatures to possess free will. Albo writes that since any Extra-terrestrial

would not have free will, they would serve man, leading to the belief that their

existence would be totally superfluous15. Therefore, in comparison with Christianity,

Albos views are consistent with the classical Biblical view meaning that the

discovery of Extra-Terrestrial life would seriously affect his philosophy. This is in

contrast to Crescas who like Jose Gabriel Fumes; the discovery of Extra-Terrestrial

life would not alter his theology and worldview since it is entirely consistent with

14Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. (2007). Extraterrestrial Life. Available:

http://www.torah.org/features/secondlook/extraterrestrial.html#. Last accessed
21st February 2016.
15 Rabbi Yosef Albo. Sefer ha-Ikkarim. Jewish Publication Society of America. 1929.
his interpretation. Conversely, Islam and the Quran offer a unique solution to the

question. From the outset, Islamic scripture assert the reality of Extra-terrestrial

beings. This is in contrast to the relative hesitance of the Christian and Jewish faiths.

There are two instances in the Quran which prove this: firstly, the phrase in Surah

Al-Talaq (The Divorce) which states:

(Translation (Pickhall): Allah it is who hath created seven heavens, and of the earth

the like thereof.). Like thereof is interpreted as different worlds in existence. The

number seven is particularly important in this case since it echoes the Quranic

belief that the Universe is comprised of seven units of heaven, in which each heaven

has its own galaxy- this is therefore an explicit reference to our own plight as

creatures in one such heaven, yet it leaves open the probability of other beings

existing in the other six. The second example that epitomizes the Islamic view on

Extra-Terrestrials is in Surah Ash-Shura, stating:

( Translation (Pickhall): And of His portents is

the creation of the heavens and the earth, and of whatever beasts He hath dispersed

therein. And He is Able to gather them when He will. The importance of this phrase

is that it refers to Dabbah which translates to creatures that move on the surface

of the earth-therefore for the phrase Dabbah to be used categorically declares that it

does exist, and that God has the power to bring all creatures together. Therefore, in

concluding this section on Islamic theory, and the sub-theme in general, Islam offers

a completely different view to that of Judaism and Christianity, which share many

similarities. Islam is the only Abrahamic religion to affirm in its sacred text that

Extra-terrestrials do exist, and thus provides an engaging comparative when

discussing the effect of the discovery of Extra-Terrestrial life on Christian Life.

The second, and final sub theme to be explored in this essay is relevant responses to

the issues of Extra-Terrestrialism by Scholars subscribing to the Jewish and

Islamic faith. In this way, one is able to comprehend whether there is a gulf between

the sacred text and contemporary theology on the matter, as is with the case in

Christianity. For Muslims, the importance of a strict adherence towards God,

Muhammad and the sacred text-the Quran is paramount. As such, unlike

Christianity, there has been no renaissance period in which theologians have

questioned their faith and its texts. This is said to put into context the likelihood of

most mainstream Islamic theologians ultimately agreeing with the Quran, and

therefore unlike Christianity it is unlikely that a gulf would occur between the

teachings of the Quran and contemporary Islamic thought. This can be epitomized

by influential Islamic theologian Seyyed Hossein Nasrs claim that All beings in the

universe, to begin with, are Muslim, i.e., surrendered to the Divine Will16 This is

consistent with the Islamic view that one reverts not converts to Islam, and thus if

Extra-Terrestrials are to exist, which Weintraub states as being compatible17-

they would be Islamic in nature. This can be compared with the Christian

perspective that whilst God may have created Extra-terrestrials, they are not

Christian. Becoming a Christian is an active process as opposed to the belief in Islam

that all beings are born Muslim. Jewish theologians largely agree with the Christian

sentiment on Extra-Terrestrialism. This Jewish view is best explained by Michael

Ashkenazi who explains the relationship between Extra-Terrestrials and God in the

Jewish Faith as not being problematic, as other intelligent beings would be

16 Seyyed Hossein Nasr. In W. C. Chittick (Ed.), The essential Seyyed Hossein Nasr.
Bloomington: World Wisdom. 2007. P.155
17 David. A.Weintraub. Religions and Extra-Terrestrial Life: How will we deal with it?

Springer, 2014, p.167

considered merely as Gods creations.18 However, Ashkenazi goes on to affirm that

The relationship between Jews and God, on the other hand, is a very specific one

newly discovered scientific realities or pan- human behavioral changes would not

affect that relationship in the slightest. Ergo, the generally accepted Jewish view

stems from the foundation that the God of Judaism is Universal, but Judaism is not.

Judaism is for humans on Earth19. Therefore, to conclude this final sub-theme, the

Jewish response is similar to the Christian belief that yes, Extra-terrestrials may

exist, but humans intrinsically have an elevated status on Earth.

In answering this question, the consensus remains that the discovery of Extra-

Terrestrials would not affect Christian Life. The only caveat is if you consider a

literal interpretation of the Bible by adopting the position, if it is not in the Bible, it

cant be true. I believe this to be a lazy analysis of what this essay has shown to be a

significant issue for the Abrahamic faiths. The overall similarities between Judaism

and Christianity in this specific example reflect the diverse theological response

from the two faiths. Nonetheless, the overall theme that transcends all three

Abrahamic faiths is the omnipotence and omniscience of God, resulting in their

admittance that Extra-Terrestrials may exist.

Word Count: 2,933

18Ashkenazi, M. Not the sons of Adam. Space Policy. 1992. P.343

19David. A.Weintraub. Religions and Extra-Terrestrial Life: How will we deal with it?
Springer, 2014, p.82
Bibliography:

Websites (Alphabetical Order):

Francesco M. Valiante. (14th May 2008). L'extraterrestre mio fratello.

Available:
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/or/or_quo/interviste/2008/112q08a
1.html. Last accessed 15th February 2016.
Gary Bates. (November 2009). Did God create Life on other planets? Available:
http://creation.com/did-god-create-life-on-other-planets#endRef4. Last
accessed 16th February 2016
Henry Morris. (July 11th 2012). The Heavens Are the Lord's. Available:
https://www.icr.org/article/20964/. Last accessed 17th February 2016
Oxford Dictionaries. (2016). Extraterrestrial. Available:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/extraterrestrial. Last
accessed 15th February 2016.
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. (2007). Extraterrestrial Life. Available:
http://www.torah.org/features/secondlook/extraterrestrial.html#. Last
accessed 21st February 2016.

Secondary Sources (Alphabetical Order):

David. A.Weintraub. Religions and Extra-Terrestrial Life: How will we deal

with it? Springer, 2014,
Januarias de Concilio. Harmony between science and revelation. New York: Fr.
Pustet & Co.1889
Joseph Pohle. Die Sternenwelt und ihre Bewohner. Cologne: Bachem, 1889,
p.11 as quoted in Thomas F. OMeara. Vast universe: Extraterrestrials and
Christian revelation. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. 2012
Michael Ashkenazi. Not the sons of Adam. Space Policy. 1992
Norman Lamm. "A Jewish Exotheology" in Faith and Doubt: Studies in
Traditional Jewish Thought, Ktav Pub. House, (1971)
Rabbi Yosef Albo. Sefer ha-Ikkarim. Jewish Publication Society of America.
1929
Seyyed Hossein Nasr In W. C. Chittick (Ed.), The essential Seyyed Hossein Nasr.
Bloomington: World Wisdom. 2007