Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth for the Colson Center on Johnstone Street. In 1976, Carl F. H. Henry published God, Revelation, and Authority, one of the most significant works of theology in the 20th century. Five years later, Gordon Clark released A Christian View of Men and Things.
And in the same tradition, David Noble's magisterial understanding of the times covered 10 areas to which A Worldview Speaks. from theology and philosophy to economics, ethics, sociology, and history. And then all on his own, the late Christian philosopher Ron Nash, in about 30 books, covered almost every other conceivable topic from a Christian worldview.
Now what's missing in this 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 formally classified. But the Christian view of UFOs, aliens and unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, that one remains to be written. NPR described this move by the Trump administration this way: quote: In all, the Pentagon released more than 160 records, citing President Trump's call for unprecedented transparency and giving the public access to federal and military records related to unexplained encounters with strange phenomena, end quote. The release files date back as far as the 1940s and included reports of the unexplained from military sources, government officials, even the crew of Apollo 11.
So far, the response has ranged from a buzz by enthusiasts to a sense by others of just another letdown by a government that overpromised but in the end delivered nothing but 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 these released documents. Thankfully, at least so far, No such faith crisis has materialized.
When it comes to aliens and life on other planets, the Bible's basically silent. In both the Narnia series and his space trilogy, CS Lewis seemed to entertain the idea of other worlds that were populated by non-human creatures that were created and loved by God. But there's 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's applicable here was one that was acknowledged by Lewis and applied to his imagined worlds.
namely, the universal reign of Christ over all that's created in heaven and earth. In all worlds, if there are any other worlds, Christ is over and above every created power.
Now the Bible does discuss and at times even 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 I had about artificial intelligence, another topic that's captivating hearts and minds with hopes and fears, the brilliant apologist and Oxford mathematician John Lennox reminded me, that throughout scripture.
Conversations about the unknown are often joined by an admonition. Be not deceived. Paul warned that in the future, even the elect could 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 phenomenon causes a crisis of faith among believers, That would say more about the state of our faith than about aliens. According to the biblical record, among the creatures that exist are both the angelic and the demonic, and neither are 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 that God exists, that He made everything that is, that humans are made in His image, and angels, they're curious about this, and demons, they're jealous. Another phrase repeated throughout Holy Scripture about the unknown, even said often by angelic beings visiting humans, Fear not. As John Donne wrote, he that fears God fears nothing else. Thus it is possible for us to be fearless about the unknown, even that which seems able to overwhelm our strength and our senses.
In a couple of his books, the late historian Rodney Stark observed how early Christians often condemned a fear of supernatural beings, even demons, believing that Satan's defeat by Christ was definitive and that the resurrection had enthroned Christ above all other powers.
Now, that's, of course, what the scripture clearly proclaims. In other words, when thinking about things like UFOs, aliens, or UAPs, the very 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 or unseen, we can properly understand. Even the unexplainable. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street with Breakpoint.
If you're a fan of Breakpoint, leave us a review wherever you download your podcast. And for more resources or to share this commentary with others, go to breakpoint.org. The 2026 Rooted Educator Worldview Summit is right around the corner, and this year's theme is created and called Biblical Anthropology for Christian Education. We will hear John Stone Street, Sean McDowell, Michael Craven, Megan Allman, Elizabeth Urbanowitz, and more. And you can save $30 when you register by May 31st with the code Rooted 30.
Register at colsoneducators.org slash rooted. That's colsoneducators.org slash rooted.
