The lure of the edge: scientific passions, religious beliefs, and the pursuit of UFOs

315 Pages·2003·1.7 MB·English

by  Brenda Denzler

The Lure of the Edge

The Lure of the Edge
Scientific Passions, Religious Beliefs,
and the Pursuit of UFOs
Brenda Denzler
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Berkeley . Los Angeles . London
University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
University of California Press, Ltd.
London, England
© 2001 by
The Regents of the University of California
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Denzler, Brenda, 1953–
The lure of the edge : scientific passions,
religious beliefs, and the pursuit of UFOs /
Brenda Denzler.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn0-520-22432-9 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Alien abduction. 2. Human-alien
encounters. 3. Unidentified flying objects—
Religious aspects. 4. Religion and science—
Miscellanea. I. Title.
bf2050 .d466 2001
001.942—dc21 2001027670
Printed in the United States of America
08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper used in this publication is both acid-free
and totally chlorine-free (TCF). It meets the mini-
mum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992
(R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).
To Connie M.,
who allowed me to conceive of the impossible,
and to the late John Trechak,
who didn’t laugh at me when I did.

The Soul of Man ... comprehendeth all ages in a moment, and
unless it perceive something more excellent, is very desolate. All
worlds being but a silent wilderness, without some living thing
more sweet and blessed after which it aspireth.
Thomas Traherne,Centuries, #62

Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
1. A Short History of the UFO Myth 1
2. A Short History of Alien Encounters 34
3. Ufology: On the Cutting Edge or the Fringe of Science? 68
4. Ufology and the Imaginal 103
5. Ufology, God-Talk, and Theology 124
Afterword. Final Thoughts on Science, Religion, and UFOs 155
Appendix. A Picture of the UFO Community 161
Notes 179
Bibliography 243
Index 287