Hello and welcome to another unbelievable classic replay. I'm Ruth Jackson and this week

we're delving back into the archives to bring you a discussion on the question. What if

we found alien life and how would that affect Christianity? The setty programme has been listening

to the universe for signs of intelligent life for over 50 years. In his book Science Religion

and the Search for Extra-Torrestrial Intelligence, Astrophysicist revved Professor David Wilkinson,

assesses the evidence for the existence of alien life and what the impact of discovering

it would be on Christianity. Mark, Kidger and astronomer for the European Space Agency

also joined the conversation as an agnostic on God but as a believer in the existence of alien life.

So, without further ado, let's join our guests for today's classic replay.

Joining me on special radio line from Durham University is David Wilkinson. He's the principal

of St. John's College there. He's got a background in astrophysics himself. He's a writer and regular

broadcaster and he's also an ordained Christian minister. So let's meet him now. A very

warm welcome to you. David. David. Great to have you with me on the programme today. You've

got a new book out. Science Religion and the Search for Extra-Torrestrial Intelligence.

Well, we'll get into all that in a moment's time. Do you want to just give us a brief

bio of you though and how you ended up in astrophysics at Durham University and the

interest you've had in science and faith during your life? Yeah, it was an interest that

actually came a little later. I wasn't the kind of four-year-old who built a telescope

or anything like that. At about the age of 18, I became a Christian and at the same time

began to get interested in science and I studied physics at Durham University then went on and did

a PhD in how galaxies evolve and some models of the hot big bang universe. So science and faith

for me have always gone together. They've often asked difficult questions but questions ultimately

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