A Theory of the Merging Noospheres: Teilhard and Big History. Issue 1 (2nd January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Campa, Riccardo; Corbally, Christopher; Rappaport, Margaret Boone
• Is Part Of: Theology and science. Volume 20:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 85
• Page End: 98
• Publication Date: 2022-01-02
• Subjects: Big History -- noosphere -- Pierre Teilhard de chardin -- extraterrestrial life -- exoplanets -- christianity; Religion and science -- Periodicals; Theology -- Periodicals; 261.55
• DOI: 10.1080/14746700.2021.2012924
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1474-6700

Abstract

ABSTRACT: As the number of detected Earth-like exoplanets keeps increasing, the prospect of contact with extraterrestrial civilizations becomes day after day more plausible. It has been noticed that the encounter between space civilizations implies a fusion of Big Histories. By following Teilhard, the authors argue that the hypothetical contact with alien intelligent life would also result in a merging of the noospheres. The long-term perspective of this process is the awakening of the entire universe. This article provides a history of the idea of noosphere, a reconstruction of Teilhard's "sociological theory, " and an exploration of the theological consequences of his theory.