Jottings on science, religion, technology, pop culture and faith from the Antipodes.

Science, Technology & Religion, Transhumanism

Special issue of Dialog on Transhumanism-related material

I’m off to pester the interloan people at the uni library. The uni has a subscription to the journal but only electronically and there’s a 12 month embargo on electronic copy. (So much for the digital technology making it easier for people). Anyway here’s the link to the contents page: Blackwell Synergy: Dialog, Vol 44, Issue 4: Table of Contents and here’s the abstract from one of the articles. Can’t wait to get hold of it.

Imaging God: Cyborgs, Brain-Machine Interfaces, and a More Human Future
By Gregory R. Peterson
Abstract: Recent developments in the neurosciences have made possible the advent of brain-machine interfaces, potentially altering our understanding of our relationship with technology and even the very meaning of what it is to be human. This article briefly examines some of the recent developments in neuroengineering and considers the ethical implications. Working from Jesus’ miracles as well as from a dynamic understanding of the image of God, I argue that the categories of healing and transformation should be employed in thinking through the implications of brain-machine interfaces specifically and neuroengineering generally. Although the vocabulary of the cyborg may represent the newfound freedom that this technology can bring, the category of the face may serve as a reminder of the boundedness of human nature.

Link to abstract page here.