Astro sciences - The Great Reversal of View

By adding the prefix "astro" to the common name of some branch of science we indicate that the focus is on space research

astro comes from the Greek word for star astron

Astrobiology - studies life in Solar system and in deep space
Astrochemistry - Chemistry
Astrophysics - Physics

and so on

similarly, we can use Astrotheology for branch of Theology that focuses mainly on the impact of space research on our religious heritage.

The Great Reversal
The rather surprising development in astro sciences is the reversal of roles. "Earthly sciences" familiar to us from the Antiquity are suddenly seen as special cases of events that originate in the Cosmos.

The cosmic scale diminishes the terrestrial observations and experiments and provides a magnificent open world of which the earthly things are specific examples.

Let us take astrochemistry as an example - since mid 20th century scientists have suggested that the elements in the periodic table are actually made in stars. Planet Earth is made of star dust that contains the elements blowing in cosmic winds.

Thus, astrochemistry provides a grandiose supernovaic explanation to how atoms are created by processes of fission and fusion in deep space. They are not just bright flashes of light that might interest a Kepler or two, but actually fundamentally important universal processes making matter as we know it.

In the same way, focus on the search for the origins of life has moved as Astrobiology develops and today scientists are again taking a serious look at the Theory of pansperma suggested by Sir Fred Hoyle  and others.


What reversal in Theology?
As humanity is learning more about the enormousness of Cosmos it is experiencing a collective humbling effect - planet Earth and its inhabitants is not visible very far in the near space and the Sun it rotates is not a crucial player in the Milky Way Galaxy.

With this comes a religious reversal of the role of Jesus Christ, the King of the Kings and the one given power on Heaven and earth. I wrote some texts about Le Petite Prince ruling a rather tiny planet in the vast garden of stars of the Heavenly Father. Also, this reflects in the rational in the confession of Athanasius and the controversy of Arian claim that Father is greater than Son.

And many other things are set into totally new focus, especially the world view - where is heaven and where is hell? as well as the apocalyptic message of the Bible that all is going to come to an end and there will be a change.