Science, Faith, and the Sustaining God: Reflections on Jesus and Alien Life
- Rev Prof David Wilkinson, a Durham University theologian and astrophysicist, spoke during a visit to Singapore to discuss how science and faith intersect on questions about God, reality, and salvation. - The nature of God: God is not a mere first cause with a beginning; He sustains the universe moment by moment and is a different kind of cause than simply the originator of all things. - Alien life and the Jesus event: Exoplanets are abundant, but intelligent life elsewhere may be very rare. The Jesus event has two aspects for Christians: it reveals what God is like and provides salvation from sin. If intelligent extraterrestrials exist and have sinned, it remains uncertain how they relate to salvation, but the God seen in Jesus would act as needed to bring about salvation for them as well. CS Lewis’s Space Trilogy is cited as a literary exploration of these issues. - Faith and evidence: Scientific practice involves evidence, data, models, and trust, with no absolute proofs for big theories (e.g., the Big Bang). Faith in science parallels faith in Christian discipleship: evidence leads to trust, which guides action, and scientific models are provisional and open to refinement. - Resurrection and miracles: God is not limited by the laws of thermodynamics; the bodily resurrection of Jesus is presented as evidence of God’s power beyond those laws—supported by the empty tomb, appearances, and the growth of the early Church. Miracles (signs and wonders) are viewed as unusual acts that reveal God’s activity and the Kingdom. - Overall stance: There is no inherent conflict between science and faith; both involve evidence, trust, and action, though many questions—such as the existence and nature of alien life and how Jesus relates to them—remain open and subject to ongoing theological reflection.
Source: saltandlight.sg
