A Christian View of UFO’s, Aliens, and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena

In 1976, Carl F.H. Henry published God, Revelation, and Authority, one of the most significant works of theology in the twentieth century. Five years later, Gordon Clark released A Christian View of Men and Things. In the same tradition, David Noebel’s magisterial Understanding the Times covered ten different areas to which a worldview speaks, from theology and philosophy to economics, ethics, sociology, and history. And all on his own, the late Christian philosopher Ron Nash covered almost every other conceivable topic from a Christian worldview.

Missing in the long line of Christian worldview books is one that would have been especially helpful last week when the Pentagon released a slew of documents, some of which were formerly classified. The Christian view of UFOs, Aliens, and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (or UAP) remains to be written. NPR described this move by the Trump administration, “In all, the Pentagon released more than 160 records, citing President Trump’s call for unprecedented transparency in giving the public access to federal and military records related to unexplained encounters with strange phenomena.” The released files date back as far as the 1940’s and include reports of the unexplained from military sources, government officials, and even the crew of Apollo 11.

So far, the response has ranged from a buzz by enthusiasts to a sense by others of another let down by a government over-promising but, in the end, delivering a nothing-burger. Also, in a strange pre-release twist, a group of Pentecostal pastors claimed to have been briefed by U.S. Military intelligence officers, who warned of an imminent “crisis of faith” due to the released documents. Thankfully, at least so far, no such crisis has materialized.

When it comes to aliens and life on other planets, the Bible is basically silent. In both the Narnia series and his Space Trilogy, C.S. Lewis seemed to entertain the idea of other worlds populated by non-human creatures created and loved by God. There is no biblical support for such worlds. Though the Bible does not explicitly reject the possibility, neither does it even imply it is a possibility. The only biblical precedent that is applicable was acknowledged by Lewis and applied to his imagined worlds: namely, the universal reign of Christ over all that is created in heaven and earth. In all worlds, if there are any other worlds, Christ is over and above every created power.

The Bible does discuss and, at times, describes creatures that are neither human nor animal. These beings exist, not on other planets but in a different realm, unseen but with access to our own. They are not human, nor do they bear the image of God.

Recently, in a conversation about artificial intelligence—another topic that is captivating hearts and minds with both hope and fear—the brilliant apologist and Oxford mathematician John Lennox reminded me that, in Scripture, conversations about the unknown are joined by the admonition, “Be not deceived.” Paul warned that, in the future, even the elect would be at risk for deception except for the goodness of God in securing our hearts and minds. In other words, if a release of secret documents or any future revelation about unexplained phenomena causes a “crisis of faith” among believers, that would say more about the state of the Church than about aliens.

According to the Biblical record, among the creatures that exist are both the angelic and the demonic, and neither is made in the image of God. In other words, when thinking about any other living creatures in the universe, human exceptionalism is a starting point for discernment. The Genesis account provides a plain description of the cosmos and of who we are. God exists. He made everything that is. Humans are made in His image. Angels are curious about this, and demons are jealous.

Another phrase repeated in Holy Scripture about the unknown, often said by angelic beings visiting humans, is “fear not.” As John Donne wrote, “. . . he that fears God, fears nothing else.” Thus, it is possible to be fearless about the unknown, even that which seems able to overwhelm our strength and our senses.

In a couple of books, the late historian Rodney Stark observed that early Christians condemned a fear of supernatural beings, believing that Satan’s defeat by Christ was definitive and that the Resurrection had enthroned Him above all other powers. That is, of course, what Scripture proclaims. In other words, when thinking about things like UFOs, aliens, and UAPs, the best place to start is with the rule and reign of Christ over all things. With the certainty that the Christ who has risen is eternally triumphant over all that is seen and unseen, we can properly understand even the unexplainable.

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Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Artem Peretiatko

John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.

BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 – 2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a variety of audio formats: on the web, the radio, or your favorite podcast app on the go.