spirituality

Chris Bradford explores the tension between technological instrumentalism and genuine human relationship, drawing on Martin Buber’s distinction between “I-It” and “I-Thou” encounters. He argues that a purely technological approach to the world risks reducing people and nature to mere objects, and that Mormon transhumanism must complement its technological aspirations with the cultivation of empathy, charity, and recognition of the divine in others. Bradford contends that the grace saturating the world—visible when our “eyes are opened”—calls disciples of Christ to see and serve God in every neighbor, making the transhumanist project a fundamentally religious endeavor.

Ben Blair argues that strong communities are byproducts of pursuing worthy aims rather than ends in themselves. He critiques both religious institutions that equate themselves with the kingdom of God and secular groups that make community their primary goal, suggesting that both miss the driving force of shared purpose. Drawing on examples from the D-Day invasion to the Mormon pioneers, Blair proposes that the Mormon Transhumanist Association’s aspirational vision—working collaboratively toward becoming gods who lift each other up—provides the kind of “work cut out for us” that sustains robust, long-lasting communities.

Chris Bradford responds to Richard Bushman’s question about grace in transhumanism by proposing that divine grace is best understood as “givenness”—everything God has given us, in whom we “live, move, and have our being.” Drawing on Russian cosmist Nikolai Fedorov and Mormon scripture, he argues that God needs humanity to complete the divine work begun in creation. Bradford contends that all matter is infused with divinity, blurring the line between divine and human action, and that the transhumanist project—if infused with the spirit of Christ—can build a temple rather than another Tower of Babel.

Byron Belitsos introduces the Urantia Revelation—a purportedly celestial text published in 1955—and explores its implications for transhumanist thought. He argues that the Urantia Book describes prehistoric genetic interventions by celestial beings, including a mission by Adam and Eve as biological “uplifters,” and contends that such transhumanist projects require spiritual depth and celestial oversight to succeed. Belitsos connects these ancient narratives to contemporary scientific findings, including genetic research suggesting a single-source introduction of brain-enhancing genes roughly 37,000 years ago, and calls for an “integrally informed” transhumanism grounded in spirituality rather than materialism.

Dorothy Deasy argues that the perceived threats of transhumanism—often compared to Nazi eugenics—stem not from technology itself but from ideologies of total domination and the commercialization of humanity. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s analysis of totalitarianism, she contends that spiritual transhumanism, grounded in nonviolence, human rights, and co-creation with God, can bring about the promises of the kingdom. Deasy calls for ecosystem and symbiotic thinking across all institutions, urging that transfiguration of society must be intentional and communal rather than individualistic.