Space. The next-to-final frontier. So what’s the final one? It’s the future. As sci-fi fans, Stephen and Zack enjoy debating space travel possibilities, Moon stations and Mars colonies (likelier now after the liquid water finding?), and of course those armies of the aliens. Now we’ll ask whether today’s scientists and speculators recognize Christianity’s crucial role in their disciplines, and whether they see a place for Christianity in their vision of the future.

“The chief aim of all investigations of the external world should be to discover the rational order and harmony which has been imposed on it by God and which He revealed to us in the language of mathematics.”

“To know the mighty works of God, to comprehend His wisdom and majesty and power; to appreciate, in degree, the wonderful workings of His laws, surely all this must be a pleasing and acceptable mode of worship to the Most High, to whom ignorance cannot be more grateful than knowledge.”

Dr. Sarah Salviander is a Bible-believing, power-lifting, cancer-surviving, PhD astrophysicist. She was raised atheist in a secular country: no churches or temples, no scriptures or holy books, no discussions about God or gods. Her north star was science, which led her into a PhD astrophysics program. But pondering the mystery of existence caused her naturalistic beliefs to crumble. And studying the evidence for Christianity convinced her it was true. She’s now a research scientist, professor, and writer, and lives with her family in Texas.

Just finished the new episode y’all did about Lord of the Rings. I was 100% someone introduced to Middle-earth via the first Peter Jackson movie. I had a vague awareness of The Hobbit but no knowledge of LOtR. I remember leaving the theater from Fellowship, going directly downstairs from the theater in the mall into Barnes and Noble to buy the three-in-one trilogy book which I still own until this day. I had the trilogy read by the end of Christmas break and have read or listened to it all multiple times since then. I took Tolkien classes as an undergrad and graduate student and routinely reference Middle-earth in my classes as a teacher at a classical school. In fact, I have made it clear that if a book I teach is removed, I will campaign hard for The Hobbit to be its replacement.

Thank you, Peter Jackson.