Josh McDowell vs. Kevin Kelly | Jesus Creed points to these two opinions about the internet and its potential for harm or health respectively.
- In the negative corner: Apologist Josh McDowell: Internet the Greatest Threat to Christians, Christian News
- While in the optimistic corner, Kevin Kelly: Geek Theologian | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction
I read Kelly’s blog The Technium from time to time. An interesting mixture of futurism, spirituality, and commentary on technology through an optimistic lens. In a course I teach I get students to read the following and respond in class to it: Kelly, Kevin. “Nerd Theology.” Technology in Society 21, no. 4 (1999): 387-392.
There’s also an interview in “Science and the Spiritual Quest: New Essays by Leading Scientists” (Phillip Clayton, Mark Richardson, Robert J. Russell, Kirk Wegter-McNelly), followed by a similar essay.
Kelly’s ideas on technology as a third-culture are also a good discussion starter. See: Kelly, Kevin. “The Third Culture.” Science 279 (1998): 992-993.
And related to digital life, Paul has some recent thoughts over at:
- fishers, surfers and casters » Coming of age in the digital era
- fishers, surfers and casters » Sherry Turkle has Carr syndrome
And I’ve been concerned with other things over the past year or so, but here’s a couple of transhuman/posthuman links to note:
Matt Hauger
Thanks for linking to sites on the posthuman singularity; my mind wandered that direction after reading the interview with Kelly. What will the Church say if Kurzweil is right–and human consciousness can be uploaded within our lifetimes? How will theologians respond? How will the Singularity impact doctrines of humanity, salvation, the Gospel, creation, eternal life, etc., etc.?
Even if his theology proves overly optimistic about human progress, Kelly is doing the Church a service. At least he’s *asking* such questions.
Do you know of any other theologians (Christians or otherwise) wrestling with posthuman issues?
Stephen
Matt,
One place to start would be Brent Water’s book “From Human to Posthuman : Christian Theology and Technology in a Postmodern World” published by Ashgate (2006).
And there’s a new book coming out later this year edited by Ronald Cole-Turner called “Transhumanism and Transcendence”. See http://press.georgetown.edu/book/georgetown/transhumanism-and-transcendence
There are also some essays with a range of views here too: http://www.jetpress.org/contents.htm (Scroll down to Vol 14, Iss. 2, in particular).
And Elaine Graham has written some things in this area a while back, before she moved more into public theology.
Cheers,
Stephen