Andrew Davison: aliens and incarnation

Oxford's Regius Professor of Theology on what life on other planets could mean.

Nick Jones

Nick is the senior editor of Seen & Unseen.

Tarantula Nebula, by the James Webb Space Telescope.

NASA, via Wikimedia Commons.

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What does the possibility of life on other planets mean for the incarnation? Why is there so much fear and panic around theology? Is it merely a set of rigid rules, or is it something more expansive than that?

These are just some of the questions pondered by our three presenters – Jane Williams, Michael Lloyd and Graham Tomlin – along with Andrew Davison, Canon and Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University.

Find out more about Professor Andrew Davison's new role.

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Seen & Unseen Aloud

4 June 2025

1 min read

Thinking Aloud with Seen & Unseen Aloud

Our latest boxset series allows you to dig deeper into some of our most popular articles.

Natalie Garrett

Natalie produces and narrates The Seen & Unseen Aloud podcast. She's an Anglican minister and a trained actor.

Prince William talks with the Dean of Westminster Abbey, 2019.

Episode 1: Miranda Hart's diagnosis of the unseen, by Belle Tindall

In this episode, Seen & Unseen’s Belle Tindall reviews Miranda Hart’s book, I Haven't Been Entirely Honest With You. Belle reckons that beyond the medical illness, the tears and the laughter, Miranda’s onto something supernatural.

Episode 2: Prince William's doubt is normal, by Graham Tomlin

In this episode, Graham Tomlin considers that Prince William's doubt is normal, that our limited human understanding means it's impossible to be certain whether there is a God.

Episode 3: The case for taking a holiday, by Roger Bretherton

In this episode, Roger Bretherton, a Clinical and Coaching Psychologist and regular contributor to Seen & Unseen, helps us work out how to get the best time out of our downtime as he unpacks the joys and perils of taking time out for summer holidays.