Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?: . . . and Other Questions from the Astronomers' In-box at the Vatican Observatory Hardcover – Box set, October 7, 2014

This book has the following chapters:1) Biblical Genesis or Scientific Big Bang?2)What happened to Poor Pluto?3) What Really Happened to Galileo?4) what was the Star of Bethlehem?5) What's Going to Happen at the End of the Universe?6) Would you Baptize an Extra-Terrestrial?It is written by two Jesuits, one of whom is an astronomer and the other studies the history and philosophy of science. So they are reasonable sources for commentary on the selected topics. The book is presented as a series of conversations between the two men discussing the various issues. This, they claim, is in homage to Galileo who presented the Copernican theory of the solar system as fact rather than as a mathematical convenience in the prediction of planetary motion. (You can read Chapter 3 if you want more detail.) The problem with this comparison is that Galileo wrote as if two or three men were arguing different positions on a controversial topic. This book is a dialog between two people who essentially agree with each other. That is not as dynamic or as interesting.As an atheist, I found the religious justification for their stances to be enlightening. For one thing, the defeat the tendency of religious fundamentalist to create a "god of the gaps," meaning a generally diminishing god who only controls those aspects of the universe that science has not already successfully tackled. They do this by supposing that god exists outside of the universe, in fact, outside of all universes if the 'brane' theory turns out to be true. However, no matter how they present it, they have created a god that set things in motion and has no current intervention in the workings of the universe or human lives. They give some reasonable arguments for why this is not true, but they are not convincing, at least to me.At any rate, the discussions and examination of each of the topics from both a scientific and Catholic mindset is interesting and informative. There are a lot of aspects of the "Galileo Affair," as it is called, that are not generally known. The Church's stance and actions become more rational. The demotion of Pluto to dwarf planet is explained, which is not really science or religion but should be of interest to many people. I'm not going to go through the rest, but you get the idea.I gave the book three stars because the situations are contrived and the conversation can get boring.I think it is of interest to atheists, Catholics, and Protestants alike in that it can provide a glimpse into each others' thoughts and rationalizations, but you have to be willing to slug through it.

This small book by two Jesuit astronomers at the Vatican Observatory is a gem of a discussion on science and the Bible. Written as an easy colloquial dialogue between them on questions they often receive from lay visitors to the observatory, the reader is nevertheless exposed to a good deal of both theology and science. The easy answer to the loaded question of the title (cf., Is it lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Caesar?) was: “Only if she asks.” The chapter on Genesis offers an opportunity not only to review some modern understandings of cosmology, but to discuss the many kinds of writings in the Bible, many of which were never intended to be taken as literal descriptions of science or history. A chapter on “What Happened to Poor Pluto?” discusses how science progresses, the problem of dealing with changing scientific concepts once they are imbedded in the popular culture, and how even theological pronouncements have often been the result of “messy” political debate. A chapter on Galileo explores the cultural and personality issues at work around his famous condemnation by the church and why this church “error” was far more complex than a presumed Catholic condemnation of science. A section on the “star of Bethlehem” not only explores plausible scientific explanations for something the magi (astrologers) might take note of, but further examines symbolic and allegorical reasons the author of the Gospel of Matthew might include a story such as that of the magi. Finally, scientific theories about the end of the world and the title question of baptizing an extraterrestrial are woven into discussions of the meaning of Christianity, the unity of truth, and the meaning of community. It is hard to find such a responsible discussion of these issues in an accessible and entertaining package of modest length, but the two Jesuit authors have done it.

A great book! It deals with various topics of faith and science in a very sincere, very serious, and at the same time very amusing way, through a dialogue between two Jesuit scholars, one a doctor in planetary sciences and the other a doctor in history and philosophy of science. The explanation they give about the difference between what a mystery means for science and for religion is one of the things that made me think, and I enyoyed the most. Another good subject is the similarity of how scientific knowledge operates, in the example of the problem of the reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet, with respect to how the Church operates in councils, having to define and redefine certain concepts as new observations or situations occur, but without changes in the essential. All other topics are equally interesting and valuable, and are divided into chapters titled by daily and provocative questions like Biblical Genesis or scientific Big Bang ?, What happened to poor Pluto? What happened to Galileo? What was the Star of Bethlehem? What's going to happen when the world ends ?, and Would you baptize an extaterrestrial? However, each chapter goes beyond responding to each of these everyday questions and delves into bigger questions.

Really enjoyed this book even if it is a bit unexpected in style. Brother Guy gave a talk at my parish which I very much enjoyed. This caused me to seek out some of his prolific work. His playful style, love of science in that child like way of wonder, and his deep faith combine into a very engaging teaching style. THis book is set up as a dialogue and each day features a different question. The question ostensibly science based always develops into a catechetical moment as well. Science and Faith are partners not adversaries and few bring this point to the fore better than Brother Guy. Not too heavy on science so the lay reader is fine and I don't think anything to explicitly Catholic to put off other folks from learning about Science and Faith working together. Highly recommend

A mixture of theological and astronomical considerations in the form of a dialogue, with fairly amusing anecdotal interjections. There is actually only a short section on the issue of "ET baptism", the idea officially launched by Pope Francis in May 2014. There is a good deal on the Galileo affair, which is described here not as a real persecution but as the outcome of the Tuscan astronomer's stubborness and political disputes between the Papal States and Tuscany. The section on the "Star of Bethlehem" and the role of astrology is somewhat more interesting.Anyway, Consolmagno (author of several books) and Mueller, the two Jesuits staff members of the Vatican Observatory choose their words very carefully, and Consolmagno candidly recalls that their works require approval by the Society of Jesus in order to be published. The book is mainly useful for readers familiar with the broader background of the position (or positions) of the Catholic hierachy on the issue of extraterrestrial life in general and intelligent extraterrestrials in particular. A background that dates back decades (and perhaps even to the 19th century) and is just hinted at here. And the authors deliberately fail to bridge the cognitive gap between what seems to be their own position, and that of fellow priests, i.e. the virtual certainty that ET exists (otherwise why bother about speculations as to baptism, i.e. the act of initiation into the church community, the doorway to the other sacraments, including ordination...) and the prudent proviso that "this is just speculation". A sort of surreptitious "disclosure" that says, "yes it's all true" but saying it with a wink and a smile. Perhaps just in case they have to "retract" one day: politics as usual...

I really love this book, and finished it in a week.I'd recommend it to any Christian who has ever even slightly liked science. It is the perfect answer to those who think faith and reason are opposed, but mainly because of the sheer joy the authors show in the dialogue between the two. They are different, but they're both better off together.It opened my mind to new ideas and new questions for both science and religion, and I'm better for it.

A lovely, breezy presentation of important questions to human existence, by a pair of learned academics.It deepened my understanding of the universe and of our existence without ever making it feel like a strain, and scattered little nuggets of side-insights as it went.Enjoyable and significant, this book is recommended to any thoughtful reader.

excellent

Fantastic arguments linking theology and science