The Professor of UFOlogy: Confessions of a Catholic Prof with James Madden

"How do we tell the truth about something that we're not designed to talk about?" Perhaps the last place one might find a college course on UFOlogy would be at a conservative, midwestern Catholic school.

Dr. James Madden, author of "Unidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the World" is a professor of philosophy at Benedictine College in Kansas, discusses “re-thinking UFO/UAP phenomenon” with guest host Christopher Naughton. Madden’s central claim is that understanding the UFO will require a re-thinking of ourselves and our standing in what is revealed as a much wider cosmos. Here, he explores the openness to the odd and the supernatural within Catholicism and what impact UFOs are having on religion and politics. The discussion also examines the potential consequences of disclosure, and the reaction of students to UFO studies, as well as the concept of the “end of the world” and its connection to technology.

Chapters
00:00 Welcome and Intro
01:50 Religious background, early UFO interest
04:54 Catholicism’s openness to the odd and supernatural
09:06 UFOlogy as a religion, a new spiritual movement?
13:16 Rethinking the UFO phenomena: myths & symbols
16:42 The death of fundamentalism?
22:40 The impact of UFOs on religion and politics
29:59 Government suppression and political institutions
32:57 The implications of disclosure
38:58 Carl Jung, UFOs and what they represent to the soul
42:01 The reaction of students to UFO studies
49:50 The “end of the world” and the role of technology

#uap #ufo #UFOandSpirituality

Edited subtitles for this video are available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Swedish.

[NewThinkingAllowed]

Statement of Comment Etiquette for New Thinking Allowed

[robertrozier]

What an absolutely amazing and stimulating conversation!! Well done.

[EarInn]

I'd love to take James Madden's class. Maybe he could make a public/internet version of it. Christopher Naughton, you are a very valuable addition to NTA, making thoughtful, well planned and considered segments.

[donnwatt]

This discussion has awakened me to an entirely new perspective on the UFO phenomenon. Many thanks.

[stephenbastasch]

Thanks for this. Madden is eloquent, articulate, and knowledgeable. Hope he can come back to the program again!

[anonymoushuman]

I've noticed that Catholic institutions are more likely to have offerings in the thought of C.G. Jung and analytical psychology. It is not that they are less rigorous or less scientific. It's that their concern with spiritual and religious life makes them more open to things that are ignored by contemporary scientism. They are not as afraid of things that defy current scientific orthodoxy.

[Niles-Guy]

Fascinating discussion. Hoping for a part II

[alexcalderon]

I have never felt soo uncertain in our future. Philosphy can help society think more intelligently

[goodshepard]

I really enjoyed this interview. Thank you.

[augustusbetucius]

"It's about whether or not we have abdicated our lives to technological systems." All but a very few have. Most don't even realize it, most don't care. Ask the average person walking down the street, staring at their phone, and barely connected to so-called reality, if they care that they've done this. I fully expect they don't/won't. I fully expect you'd get answers such as "Whatever" or "I love my cell phone", etc. I don't mean to be cynical, but I think only the more thoughtful and sensitive members of the species would think about this, or care about it. I'm glad that Mr Madden has loosed that idea upon the world. Maybe it will gain traction.

[kramnam]

Kids would be absolutely fine with discovering this because they have open minds. It’s the adults that are the problem.

[anhumblemessengerofthelawo]

You can tell he's sincere about seeking knowledge -- unlike the disinformation hacks more in the spotlight.

[joedonovan]

I just completed Jim's online course about the "Hyperobject" book. Outstanding!

[JuanCarlosbarquero-fe]

The Catholic Church is extremely diverse, from Opus Dei to Liberation Theology, for example. There's a book written by a priest who talked about his experiences becoming a sorcerer in East Africa. He did this with full permission from church authorities (sorry, i cannot recall the title). Yet, when i spoke to a diocesen priest in East Africa he was quick to say all traditional healers, "mganga" of East Africa were "demonic"

[BugMan_]

The paper discussed @24:00 is Wendt and Duvall, "Sovereignty and the UFO" (2018).

[gregorybarrett]

One of the best New Thinking Allowed shows I've seen in a very long time, MANY THANKS

[manuelalayo]

Also check Padre Perdices. Mirando a la Lejanía del Universo. Father Perdices, a Dominican Friar and school teacher, observed a huge UFO over Valladolid, Spain, in 1967.As a result, he wrote a book called " Mirando a la Lejanía del Universo". In English...Staring into the depths of the Universe .

[belindabird]

Brilliant! Thank you… Now have an expanded reading list… I understand now that I am a “closet philosopher” - this explains so much. Subject matter eloquently discussed. More please!❤

[FesteringGhoul]

Wow. Yall are awesome. Fantastic conversation.

[l.rongardner]

I Googled MOFOology and ended up here.