What does the Bible say about God and life on other planets? In this thought-provoking episode of Enter the Bible, hosts Katie Langston and Kathryn Schifferdecker welcome theologian Dr. Alan Padgett to explore this cosmic question. While the Bible doesn’t specifically mention planets as we understand them today, Dr. Padgett explains how the biblical affirmation of God as Creator of everything provides a theological framework that can accommodate the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
The conversation ranges from ancient biblical cosmology to modern discoveries of exoplanets, addressing fascinating theological questions like whether aliens would need salvation and how God might interact with beings on other worlds. Dr. Padgett reminds listeners that while Scripture’s primary focus is on God’s relationship with humanity, the truth that God created everything in the universe means any life elsewhere would also be part of God’s creation. A perfect blend of biblical wisdom, theological depth, and scientific awareness for curious Christians.
Resources Mentioned:
- Book of Job
- SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program – volunteer opportunity for those interested in the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence
- The Blackwell Companion to Science and Christianity (co-edited by Dr. Alan Padgett)
- C.S. Lewis’s space trilogy:
- Out of the Silent Planet
- Perelandra
- That Hideous Strength
- Genesis 2:15 (referenced regarding humans’ responsibility to tend and keep the Earth)
- Ezekiel chapter 1 (the vision of “whirling wheels and beings of sapphire”)
- The film “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (referenced when discussing the possibility that aliens might be morally superior to humans)
