To touch the face of God
Book Description
When Apollo 8 astronauts gazed upon Earth rising over the lunar horizon in 1968, they responded by reading Genesis to millions of listeners below. This moment captures the profound spiritual dimension of humanity's greatest technological achievement, a connection that historian Kendrick Oliver explores with remarkable depth and nuance.
Drawing from extensive archival research and firsthand testimonies, Oliver reveals how religious faith both inspired and complicated America's journey to the stars. He examines the spiritual experiences of astronauts themselves, many of whom found their encounters with the cosmos deeply transformative. Yet the space program also generated unexpected tensions within religious communities, leaving believers to wrestle with whether reaching toward the heavens represented divine calling or human hubris.
The book illuminates fascinating responses from prominent religious thinkers and traces one of the era's most significant grassroots movements. Between 1969 and 1975, over eight million Americans petitioned NASA to support prayer and scripture reading in space, demonstrating how deeply the program resonated with spiritual seekers across the nation.
Oliver's contemplative approach invites readers to consider the larger meanings embedded in humanity's first ventures beyond Earth. This thoughtful historical study offers fresh perspective on how technological progress intersects with spiritual questioning, making it valuable for anyone exploring the relationship between scientific discovery and religious faith in modern life.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~6 hours)
📄 Length: 229 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Religion
- ✓ Explore Astronautics
- ✓ Explore United states, national aeronautics and space administration
- ✓ Explore Political aspects
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore United States
- ✓ Explore United states, politics and government, 1945-1989
- ✓ Explore United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
