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UFO religion

{{Short description|Type of religion which includes beliefs about UFOs or extraterrestrial aliens}}

{{for|the examination of theological issues as they pertain to extraterrestrial intelligence|Exotheology}}

{{use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}

{{Ufo}}

A UFO religion is any religion in which the existence of extraterrestrial (ET) entities operating unidentified flying objects (UFOs) is an element of belief. Typically, adherents of such religions believe the ETs to be interested in the welfare of humanity which either already is, or eventually will become, part of a pre-existing ET civilization. Other religions predate the UFO era of the mid 20th century, but incorporate ETs into a more supernatural worldview in which the UFO occupants are more akin to angels than physical aliens, but this distinction may be blurred within the overall subculture. These religions have their roots in the tropes of early science fiction (especially space opera) and weird fiction writings, in ufology, and in the subculture of UFO sightings and alien abduction stories. Historians have considered the Aetherius Society, founded by George King, to be the first UFO religion.

Summary

Some adherents of UFO religions believe that the arrival or rediscovery of alien civilizations, technologies, and spirituality will enable humans to overcome current ecological, spiritual, and social problems. Issues such as hatred, war, bigotry, poverty and so on are said to be resolvable through the use of superior alien technology and spiritual abilities. Such belief systems are also described as millenarian in their outlook.{{harv|Partridge|2003|p=274}}{{cite journal |last=Grünschloß |first=Andreas |author-link=Andreas Grünschloß |date=December 1998 |title=«When we enter into my Father's spacecraft». Cargoistic hopes and millenarian cosmologies in new religious UFO movements |url=https://archiv.ub.uni-marburg.de/ep/0004/article/view/3771/3587 |journal=Marburg Journal of Religion |publisher=University of Marburg |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=1–24 |doi=10.17192/mjr.1998.3.3771 |issn=1612-2941 |access-date=6 October 2024}}

UFO religions developed first in such countries as the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and Japan as the concept presumes the cultural context of a society technologically advanced enough to conceive of ET as such and one in which religion of any kind is not discouraged or suppressed. The term "flying saucers" and the popular notion of the UFO originated in 1947.{{harv|Partridge|2003|pp=7f}} The study of UFO religions among sociologists, historians, theologians, scholars of religious studies and new religious movements began during the 1950s.{{cite book |author-last=Ashcraft |author-first=W. Michael |year=2021 |chapter=Scholarship on UFOs and Religion: The First Seventy-five Years |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tkswEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA16 |editor-last=Zeller |editor-first=Ben |title=Handbook of UFO Religions |location=Leiden and Boston |publisher=Brill Publishers |series=Brill Handbooks on Contemporary Religion |volume=20 |doi=10.1163/9789004435537_003 |isbn=978-90-04-43437-0 |issn=1874-6691 |pages=16–35|s2cid=234904304 }}

Notable UFO religions

{{main article|List of UFO religions}}

{{#section-h:List of UFO religions|Background}}

See also

{{Portal|Religion|Space}}

References

{{reflist}}

Bibliography

  • {{cite book | last=Lewis | first=James R. | year=1995 | title=The Gods have landed: new religions from other worlds | publisher=SUNY Press | isbn=978-0-7914-2329-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nZebj4m6ev4C}}
  • {{cite book | last=Partridge | first=Christopher Hugh | year=2003 | title=UFO religions | publisher=Routledge | isbn=978-0-415-26323-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Aqhdas-u1UgC}}
  • {{cite book |last=Hexham |first=Irving |title=Pocket Dictionary of New Religious Movements |publisher=InterVarsity Press |year=2002 |isbn=0-8308-1466-3}}
  • {{cite book |last=Hunt |first=Stephen |title=Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |year=2003 |isbn=0-7546-3410-8}}
  • {{cite book |last=Nelson |first=Victoria |url=https://archive.org/details/secretlifeofpupp00nels |title=The Secret Life of Puppets |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2002 |isbn=0-674-00630-5}}
  • {{cite book |last=Partridge |first=Christopher Hugh |author-link=Christopher Partridge |title=Introduction To World Religions |publisher=Fortress Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-8006-3714-3}}
  • {{cite book |last=Partridge |first=Christopher Hugh |author-link=Christopher Partridge |title=New Religions: A Guide: New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualities |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |year=2004 |isbn=0-19-522042-0}}
  • {{cite book |last=Reece |first=Gregory L. |title=UFO Religion: Inside Flying Saucer Cults and Culture |publisher=I. B. Tauris |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-84511-451-0}}
  • {{cite book |last=Swatos |first=William H. |title=Encyclopedia of Religion and Society |author2=Peter Kivisto |publisher=AltaMira Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-7619-8956-0 |ref={{sfnref|Swatos|1998}}}}

{{UFOs}}

{{Extraterrestrial life}}

{{New Religious Movements}}

Religion