MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — One of the world’s experts on the Heaven’s Gate cult will serve as keynote speaker for the Middle Tennessee State University Religious Studies Colloquium later this month.

Benjamin Zeller, professor of religion at Lake Forest College near Chicago, will present “Why UFO Religions Matter” at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, in Room 220 of the Student Union, 1678 MTSU Blvd.

“If you look at the night sky, the vastness of the universe can be awe inspiring,” said MTSU Religious Studies professor Jenna Gray-Hildenbrand, who teaches the popular “Cults and New Religious Movements” course. “It causes us to ask questions. For religious people, it can inspire religious questions.”

Although the curiosity about extraterrestrial life dates back to ancient times, the “flying saucer craze” of the 20^th century saw the formation of religions like the Unarius Academy of Science, the Aetherius Society, the Valley of the Dawn and others.

As people grapple with existential questions of the universe and God, UFO religions can serve as a way to connect the science and spirituality within the framework of a theology.

“For Heaven’s Gate, they did use the Bible and understood religion through a Christian lens,” said Gray-Hildenbrand, who has done extensive research in the “snake-handling” religions of Appalachia.

Gray-Hildenbrand said the relationship between religion and science is a topic of ongoing debate and UFO religions — and broader UFO spirituality — raise fundamental questions about the nature of religious identity, belief, community and practice.

And they show that the search for the transcendent is broader than traditional forms of belief in the supernatural, and that the lines between religious belief, scientific knowledge, and spiritual claims is permeable, she said.

Along with his book, “Heaven’s Gate: America’s UFO Religion,” Zeller has appeared on podcasts and a documentary on the suicide cult, which was founded in the early 1970s and led to mass suicides among its members in 1997. His research focuses on religious currents that are new or alternative, including new religions, the religious engagement with science, and the quasi-religious relationship people have with food.

Sponsored by the MTSU Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Zeller’s presentation is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided on a first-come basis.

Parking is available in the lots across the street off Blue Raider Drive. Off-campus visitors can obtain a temporary permit from the Parking and Transportation Services office at 205 City View Drive or pay by plate by visiting this webpage, https://bit.ly/mtvisitorparking, and clicking the appropriate link under “Visitor Parking.” Visitor permits are $2 per day. A parking map and more information is available at https://mtsu.edu/parking/.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)