Manuel Lopez Zafra is an associate professor of religion at the New College of Florida in Sarasota. He is an expert on Buddhism, especially Tibetan Buddhism, and Hinduism.

Steven Hrotic is a part-time faculty member in religion at the University of Vermont in Burlington. He is the author of Religion and Science Fiction: The Evolution of an Idea and the Extinction of a Genre.

Christopher McMahon is associate professor of theology at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. Much of his research focuses on the Gospels, Christian doctrine and Catholic theology. He wrote “Imaginative Faith: Apocalyptic Theory, Science Fiction and Theology” in the Journal of Theology Dialogue.

Robert Geraci is a professor of religious studies at Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York, where he teaches a course on science fiction, fantasy and religion. He is the author of Virtually Sacred: Myth and Meaning in World of Warcraft and Second Life and Apocalyptic AI: Visions of Heaven in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality.

Richard McGregor is an associate professor of religion and Islamic studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. He teaches courses on the Quran and interpretation, Sufism and methodology in the study of religion.

Laurel Schneider is a professor of religious studies and religion and culture at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. She is a scholar of modern and postmodern Christian thought, trained in gender theory, sociology of religion and Native American religious traditions.

The Albuquerque Friends Meeting House is currently housing an undocumented immigrant. Quakers have no appointed clergy. Church member Rachel Brackbill can handle questions from the press.