Welcome to the COTR Museia: The seasonal celebration of learning in partnership with the Cranbrook Public Library.
What is a Museia? A festival of honour of the Greek muses who inspire sciences, mathematics, literature, and arts.
What is the COTR Museia? A public lecture series created by the faculty in Arts and Sciences at College of the Rockies.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | 6:30-8:30 pm | College of the Rockies Lecture Theatre
This event is free to attend but we do ask that you pre-register to help us manage our venue occupancy.
Believing the Unbelievable: UFO Religions and the Human Search for Meaning
New religious movements have appeared throughout history as responses to moments when the world no longer seems coherent. They provide meaning, belonging, and guidance in periods of uncertainty. UFO religions represent one contemporary example of this broader pattern. From Raëlism to Heaven’s Gate, these groups illustrate how narratives of cosmic visitors emerge as frameworks for understanding human existence.
This Museia Talk explores UFO religions not as curiosities to dismiss, but as windows into the ways people construct meaning, identity, and hope in modern life. Audience members will leave with a deeper understanding of how extraordinary beliefs often reflect very ordinary human needs and how studying them reminds us that the search for meaning is something we all share.
About The Presenter
Dr. C. Shaun Longstreet
Dr. Longstreet, Dean at College of the Rockies is a scholar of religion with a focus on early Judaism and Christianity, the ancient Near East, and the emergence of new religious movements. He earned his Ph.D. in Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity from the University of Notre Dame, along with graduate degrees in theology and comparative religion. His teaching and research have included ancient Hebrew scriptures, South and East Asian philosophies, and contemporary new religious movements including apocalyptic Buddhism, Wicca, and charismatic Christian spirituality. Dr. Longstreet has published and presented widely on pedagogy, diversity, and the intersections of religion and culture, and continues to explore how communities construct meaning in times of rapid change.
Upcoming Public Lecture Series
