Abstract
In her science fiction novel The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell takes on a religious idea that has been deeply entrenched within the monotheistic religions: special election. Are human beings, or is even a religious subgroup of humanity, specially chosen by God? Are Jews the people of the covenant? Are Christians, or certain Christians, specially selected by God to be redeemed? Have Muslims received a special promise from God? Are Mormons the chosen people? If the members of a religious group believe they have been specially blessed by their God, whom they believe is the God of and the creator of the entire universe, does their covenant with God include an obligation and burden to inform others as to how to become one of the elect? If proselytizing is part of the mission for this group of believers, how would that activity be carried out across interstellar and intergalactic distances?
Is the Bible such an inspired book that the only salvation history possible is the one that it records, and is Jesus so central a figure that all intelligent species away from earth must include knowledge of him?
Thomas F. O’Meara (O’Meara, T. F. (1999). Christian theology and extraterrestrial intelligent life. Theological Studies, 60, 3.)
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Notes
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Russell, M. D. (1996). The sparrow. New York: Fawcett Columbine.
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Ibid, (p. 86)
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O’Meara, T. F. (2012). Vast universe: Extraterrestrials and Christian revelation (p. 86). Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press.
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Ibid, [emphasis added].
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Pope Francis, quoted in Heaven for atheists? Pope sparks debate. Retrieved May 23, 2013, from http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/23/heaven-for-atheists-pope-sparks-debate/
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Weintraub, D.A. (2014). Roman Catholicism. In: Religions and Extraterrestrial Life. Springer Praxis Books(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05056-0_8
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