Spiritual Themes Explored in the Novel
Will Religion Still be Relevant in the Distant Future?
Any book about the future that mentions religion at all must, by default, answer this question. In this story, the answer is, basically, "Yes, but not to many people." And, "Yes, and it forms the backbone of some people's entire existence." Also, "Only if it comes up in conversation; otherwise, not really."
The prediction here is that there will be an interest in, questions about, and even adherence to certain religious thoughts with us always. This is simply an extension of what has happened on Earth to date. If Communist Russia couldn't stamp out the Russian Orthodox Church (not that it didn't damage it in some very real ways), then faith is something that will never be eliminated completely or just fade away, as much as some people would prefer it. The first man in space, the very face of the Soviet--Communist, atheist Russia's--space program, Yuri Gagarin, was a practicing Orthodox Christian, who was quoted as saying, “An astronaut cannot be suspended in space and not have God in his mind and his heart.” Pesky, sticky, controversial, comforting, salvational religious thoughts and arguments are not going away; they are part of the human condition.
So, which religious thought is that of the future? Well, they're all there, and then some. Take your pick. Just like today. That's what this book predicts, anyway. One thing it doesn't do is predict that such things are going to disappear completely. Of course, there is a particular worldview and religion that becomes most relevant to our characters and in fact is the true driver of the most impactful, sweeping events in the galaxy. Unfortunately, it is almost completely unknown to most of the characters in the novel.
Will Religion Still be Relevant in the Distant Future?
Any book about the future that mentions religion at all must, by default, answer this question. In this story, the answer is, basically, "Yes, but not to many people." And, "Yes, and it forms the backbone of some people's entire existence." Also, "Only if it comes up in conversation; otherwise, not really."
The prediction here is that there will be an interest in, questions about, and even adherence to certain religious thoughts with us always. This is simply an extension of what has happened on Earth to date. If Communist Russia couldn't stamp out the Russian Orthodox Church (not that it didn't damage it in some very real ways), then faith is something that will never be eliminated completely or just fade away, as much as some people would prefer it. The first man in space, the very face of the Soviet--Communist, atheist Russia's--space program, Yuri Gagarin, was a practicing Orthodox Christian, who was quoted as saying, “An astronaut cannot be suspended in space and not have God in his mind and his heart.” Pesky, sticky, controversial, comforting, salvational religious thoughts and arguments are not going away; they are part of the human condition.
So, which religious thought is that of the future? Well, they're all there, and then some. Take your pick. Just like today. That's what this book predicts, anyway. One thing it doesn't do is predict that such things are going to disappear completely. Of course, there is a particular worldview and religion that becomes most relevant to our characters and in fact is the true driver of the most impactful, sweeping events in the galaxy. Unfortunately, it is almost completely unknown to most of the characters in the novel.
How Does the Existence of Life Elsewhere in the Universe Impact Religious Thought?
Whether there is other life out there is a question currently without an empirically derivable answer. We haven't found any life outside of Earth, but there is no way we can say with certainty what is out there, everywhere. The rest of the universe could be lifeless, or there could be life but we just haven't found it (or don't recognize it as life). So, it's an open question. Personally, I think it's quite all right, even appropriate, to say you don't have an answer or a belief about whether extraterrestrial life exists. Or, you can pick an answer, yes or no, but you're really just going on faith either way.
Many believers insist that there simply is not life anywhere beside on Earth because the Bible does not mention extraterrestrial life, we have never met any such life, so there is none. This seems to be a recurring insistence of many evangelical Christians. The Catholic Church has famously released a statement asserting that the faith is not incompatible with the existence of extraterrestrial life. Of course, the Orthodox Church makes no claim other than that if there is life elsewhere, it wouldn't change a thing about Orthodoxy, and it certainly wouldn't change a thing about God or His relationship with Man. Some believers have entertained the notion that life may exist elsewhere, but that aliens would either not be in need of salvation or would not have access to the Gospel's salvation that is preached here on Earth to Earthlings.
In this story, alien life exists, is sentient, intelligent, and a lot of those lifeforms are definitely sinners. This story asks the question: If that is the case, then what? Does human faith in spiritual things in general, or in the Gospel in particular, disintegrate, continue unaffected, or is it somehow magnified?
In the novel, Earth's society in 3335 predominantly adheres to a worldview which is an evolution of the secular humanism of today. Most of the people have very little religious thoughts at all. People who do are considered quirky or possibly even unable to keep up with the mainstream hegemony due to some mental or emotional deficiency. This is, again, not so different from today, depending on what circles you move in or purposely inhabit.
What is explored is, when people are found in such a setting--with intelligent life elsewhere in the universe a known quantity--would the spiritual questions that normally occur to someone today disappear, remain unchanged, or perhaps become even more compelling? And, if these questions persist even in such a setting, what answers are satisfying?
One point of writing the book was to posit the answer to this question and explore it through a fictional narrative.
Whether there is other life out there is a question currently without an empirically derivable answer. We haven't found any life outside of Earth, but there is no way we can say with certainty what is out there, everywhere. The rest of the universe could be lifeless, or there could be life but we just haven't found it (or don't recognize it as life). So, it's an open question. Personally, I think it's quite all right, even appropriate, to say you don't have an answer or a belief about whether extraterrestrial life exists. Or, you can pick an answer, yes or no, but you're really just going on faith either way.
Many believers insist that there simply is not life anywhere beside on Earth because the Bible does not mention extraterrestrial life, we have never met any such life, so there is none. This seems to be a recurring insistence of many evangelical Christians. The Catholic Church has famously released a statement asserting that the faith is not incompatible with the existence of extraterrestrial life. Of course, the Orthodox Church makes no claim other than that if there is life elsewhere, it wouldn't change a thing about Orthodoxy, and it certainly wouldn't change a thing about God or His relationship with Man. Some believers have entertained the notion that life may exist elsewhere, but that aliens would either not be in need of salvation or would not have access to the Gospel's salvation that is preached here on Earth to Earthlings.
In this story, alien life exists, is sentient, intelligent, and a lot of those lifeforms are definitely sinners. This story asks the question: If that is the case, then what? Does human faith in spiritual things in general, or in the Gospel in particular, disintegrate, continue unaffected, or is it somehow magnified?
In the novel, Earth's society in 3335 predominantly adheres to a worldview which is an evolution of the secular humanism of today. Most of the people have very little religious thoughts at all. People who do are considered quirky or possibly even unable to keep up with the mainstream hegemony due to some mental or emotional deficiency. This is, again, not so different from today, depending on what circles you move in or purposely inhabit.
What is explored is, when people are found in such a setting--with intelligent life elsewhere in the universe a known quantity--would the spiritual questions that normally occur to someone today disappear, remain unchanged, or perhaps become even more compelling? And, if these questions persist even in such a setting, what answers are satisfying?
One point of writing the book was to posit the answer to this question and explore it through a fictional narrative.