Below is a select scholarly bibliography of articles related to the implications of extraterrestrial life for religion (mainly Judeo-Christianity). The articles come mainly from scholarly academic journals, but some are essays found in books and websites. With respect to book titles, see the library of recommended books located elsewhere on this blog.

My goal is to steadily work through each entry in the bibliography, writing a review of the article after I read it. For each entry in the bibliography I will provide a link for downloading the article when possible, along with a link to my review.

Web-based articles:

Alexander, Alexander UFO Religious Crisis Survey: Development of Questions and Analysis of Responses

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Alexander, Alexander UFO Religious Crisis Survey: The Impact of UFOs and Their Occupants on Religion

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Balthaser, UFO Research and Christian Faith

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Davies, E.T. and God: Could earthly religions survive the discovery of life elsewhere in the universe?

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Robbins, “Politics, Religion, and Human Nature: Practical Problems and Roadblocks On the Path Toward Official UFO Acknowledgment” (2009)

Robbins, “Politics, Religion, and Human Nature – Organized Religion and the Impact of Declassification” (2009)

Robbins, “Politics, Religion, and Human Nature – Fundamentalism and UFOs” (2009)

Spradley, Religion and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

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Wilkinson, Missionaries to Mars? The religious implications of the search for life in the Universe

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Articles and essays from scholarly journals and books:

Almar and Race, Discovery of extra-terrestrial life assessment by scales of its importance and associated risks,” Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A  369 (2011): 679-692

Andersson, “Ancient Alien Brothers, Ancient Terrestrial Remains: Archaeology or Religion?” Pages 264-274 in Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact (Syracuse University Press, 2007)

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Arnould, “Does Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life Threaten Religion and Philosophy?” Theology and Science 6:4 (2008): 439-450

Bonting, “Theological Implications of Possible Extraterrestrial Life,” Zygon 38:3 (2003): 587-602

Cross, “A Confederacy of Fact and Faith: Science and the Sacred in UFO Research,” Pages 249-263 in Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact (Syracuse University Press, 2007)

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Dean, “Alien Doubts: Reading Abduction Narratives Post-Apocalyptically,” Pages 239-255 in UFO Religions (Routledge, 2003)

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Denzler, “Attitudes Toward Religion and Science in the UFO Movements in the United States,” Pages 301-313 in UFO Religions (Routledge, 2003)

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Fagg, “Dialogue in Our Cosmic Aloneness,” Theology and Science 6:2 (2008): 233-238

George, “ET Meets Jesus Christ: A Hostile Encounter between Science and Religion?” Logos 10:2 (2007): 69-94

Harrison, “Fear, pandemonium, equanimity, and delight: human responses to extraterrestrial life,” Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A  369 (2011): 656-668

Kracher, “Meta-humans and METANOIA: The Moral Dimension of Extraterrestrials,” Zygon 41:2 (2006): 329-346

Kubiak, “Aliens from the Cosmos: A Discourse of Contemporary UFO Myths,” Pages 210-216 in Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact (Syracuse University Press, 2007)

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Lewis, “The URANTIA Book,” Pages 129-148 in UFO Religions (Routledge, 2003)

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Olson and Tobin, “An Eastern Orthodox Perspective on Microbial Life on Mars,” Theology and Science 6:4 (2008): 421-437

O’Meara, “Christian Theology and Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life,” Theological Studies 60 (1999): 3-30

Partridge, “Alien demonology the Christian roots of the malevolent extraterrestrial in UFO religions and abduction spiritualities,” Religion 34 (2004):163-89

Partridge, “Understanding UFO Religions and Abduction Spiritualities,” Pages 3-44 in UFO Religions (Routledge, 2003)

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Peters, “Exo-Theology: Speculations on Extraterrestrial Life,” CTNS Bulletin 14:3 (1994): 1-9

Peters, “The implications of the discovery of extraterrestrial life for religion,” Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A  369 (2011): 644-655

Randolph, “Reconsidering the Theological and Ethical Implications of Extraterrestrial Life,” CTNS Bulletin 17:3 (1997): 1-8

Rojcewicz, “The ‘Men in Black’ Experience and Tradition: Analogues with the Traditional Devil Hypothesis,” Journal of American Folklore 100:396 (Apr-June 1987): 148-160

Ronnevig, “Toward an Explanation of the ‘Abduction Epidemic’: The Ritualization of Alien Abduction Mythology in Therapeutic Settings,” Pages 99-127 in Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact (Syracuse University Press, 2007)

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Roth, “Ufology as Anthropology: Race, Extraterrestrials, and the Occult,” Pages 38-93 in E.T. Culture: Anthropology in Outerspaces (Duke University Press, 2006)

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Rothstein, “UFO Beliefs as Syncretistic Components,” Pages 256-273 in UFO Religions (Routledge, 2003)

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Saler, “Secondary Beliefs and the Alien Abduction Phenomenon,” Pages 128-137 in Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact (Syracuse University Press, 2007)

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Saliba, “Review Essay: A Study of UFO Religions,” Nova Religio 10:2 (2006): 103-123

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Saliba, “Religious Dimensions of UFO Phenomena,” Pages 15-64 in The Gods Have Landed (SUNY Series in Religious Studies; SUNY 1995)

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Scribner, “Alien Abduction Narratives and Religious Contexts,” Pages 138-152 in Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact (Syracuse University Press, 2007)

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Strange, “Observations from Archaeology and Religious Studies on First Contact and ETI Evidence,” Pages 239-248 in Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact (Syracuse University Press, 2007)

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Trompf, “UFO Religions and Cargo Cults,” Pages 221-238 in UFO Religions (Routledge, 2003)

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Wendt and Duvall, “Sovereignty and the UFO,” Political Theory 36 (2008): 607-633

Whitmore, “Religious Dimensions of the UFO Abductee Experience,” Pages 65-84 in The Gods Have Landed (SUNY Series in Religious Studies; SUNY 1995)

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Wojcik, “Apocalyptic and Millennarian Aspects of American UFO-ism,” Pages 274-300 in UFO Religions (Routledge, 2003)

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