Christian Soteriology and Extraterrestrial Intelligence

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C. Weidemann (2014), JBIS67, pp.418-425

Refcode: 2014.67.418
Keywords: Extraterrestrial intelligence, Exotheology, Soteriology, Anthropic reasoning, Principle of Mediocrity, Thomas Paine

Abstract:
The paper presents an argument for the incompatibility of classical Christian soteriology (doctrine of salvation) with belief in numerous extraterrestrial intelligent life forms (ETI). Four popular answers to the problem are discussed and rejected: a) unlike humanity, extraterrestrial intelligent species are not in need of salvation; b) Jesus of Nazareth has reconciled the entire cosmos to God; c) God or the second person of the Trinity has incarnated (or will incarnate) himself multiple times; d) alien sinners have been or are going to be saved by means different from a divine incarnation. The final section deals with remaining options for rational Christian believers and speculates briefly about consequences for interstellar space flight.