The genre of Christian sci-fi excellently combines faith and science, highlighting the importance of Christian values and also God’s timeless presence in the world.
A dystopian present, but a hopeful future
A few years ago, if someone told us that we’d be living on a planet dominated by a deadly virus, we’d think of it as a sci-fi scenario. Indeed, who’d have thought that we’d someday have to wear masks outside? That we’d try not to meet up with our loved ones, in order to protect them from an invisible enemy? Certainly, our current reality is pretty dystopian, but God’s presence in our lives is stronger than that.
Defining sci-fi
So, what is sci-fi, and how is it connected to Christian faith? Sci-fi is defined as a genre of fiction that portrays how scientific developments can impact us individually and as a society. Additionally, it involves imaginative scenarios, such as time-travel, teleportation, and life on other planets.
Of course, this may seem like it’s a bit too far-fetched for Christians; science is usually understood as a domain that rejects the existence of a Creator and is solely based on tangible scientific evidence. Although Christianity and science may appear as clashing, the truth is that they both try to understand the cosmos and give answers to questions like where we come from and where we’re heading to.
Can a devout Christian believe in science?
As Revd Dr John Polkinghorne, a famous Cambridge professor of Physics who later became an Anglican priest once said, “As a Christian believer I am, of course, a creationist in the proper sense of the term, for I believe that the mind and the purpose of a divine Creator lie behind the fruitful history and remarkable order of the universe which science explores”. Therefore, one can understand that there’s no tension between being a devout Christian while also having firm belief in science.
The genre of Christian sci-fi
Christian sci-fi is a genre that tries to connect Christian faith to the passion for science. Additionally, it tries to speculate how life could look like in the future. Keeping in mind that our Creator is beyond our understanding, Christian sci-fi does not attempt to explain why or how the world looks the way it does, but it tries to show that God is timeless, and that Christian values like faith, love, prayer and justice will always be our most powerful weapons against life’s hardships.
If you, like us, are a Christian who is fascinated by the developments of science and is always in the mood for a good sci-fi film, keep reading! We have selected the best Christian sci-fi films on NFN for you. Enjoy!
1. Time Changer
Dr Carlisle is a Bible professor at the end of the 19th century. His newest book is about Christian Ethics. Although he’s about to publish it, another professor in the campus tells him that the book is incorrect and that he should not proceed with it. After a while, Carlisle realises that his colleague has invented a time-machine, which has allowed him to take a glimpse of the future. He offers to send the writer to the future, in order to see the ethics of the future for himself, and reconsider his book… Will he be able to handle it?
2. A Path in Time
After his father’s untimely passing, Tom has lost his faith and is deeply angry at God. However, this changes when he receives a Time Pulse Unit that allows him to travel in time. He finds himself in 1917, he learns his father’s extraordinary secret and he is assigned an important mission… Will he trust God in his new beginning?
3. Unlimited
Simon Orwell is a brilliant but remarkably unfortunate student. It seems that everything in his life has gone wrong. He’s about to give up on his dreams when he gets a call from his old professor, who tells him that his new invention can create unlimited energy. In order to finalise it, he needs his old student’s help. But when Simon agrees to help, nothing goes as planned…
4. Dialtone
A mysterious phone call. A missing lawyer. An abandoned storage space. This is the story of Greg Pleasant, a Seattle lawyer who’s struggling to fulfil the plan that God has for him because other people’s opinions discourage him. One day, he gets informed about a phone that can make calls back in time. That’s when the most difficult challenge of his life will begin.
5. Unidentified
Two young journalists are sent to Texas in order to investigate the increase in cases of people encountering UFOs. Their investigation will reveal the supernatural connection that they have between them. Together they can do everything, but alone they can’t make sense of this unusual case.