Videos

Ted Peters poses the provocative question of whether transhumanism qualifies as a new religious movement, then provides an accessible introduction to the field’s theological and ethical dimensions. He walks through the “ABCs” of transhumanism, examining its core tenets and aspirations while exploring how traditional religious thought intersects with—and sometimes conflicts with—transhumanist visions of human enhancement and transcendence.

A Seventh-day Adventist minister reflects on the surprising parallels between his tradition and transhumanism, noting that Adventists have long invested in life extension through health practices, pioneering medical technologies, and anti-smoking campaigns. He draws a historical parallel to the Millerite movement’s “Great Disappointment” of 1844, cautioning that transhumanists should remain humble about predictions while maintaining hope. The speaker emphasizes the importance of keeping religious agendas out of government, challenges orthodoxies that might impede scientific progress, and urges each religious tradition represented to prevent their communities from obstructing transhumanist goals. He advocates for intellectual humility, distinguishing between beliefs and knowledge, while remaining open to consciousness research that may transcend strict materialist frameworks.

This presentation explores the intersection of transhumanism, atheism, and religion, arguing that a godless perspective naturally aligns with transhumanist ideals of self-improvement and technological advancement. The presenter suggests that as technology continues to offer enhancements like artificial organs, individuals unburdened by religious restrictions will be more inclined to embrace these advancements. Furthermore, the talk highlights the growing number of non-religious individuals globally and posits that their openness to technology and radical ideas will fuel the acceptance of transhumanism, creating a potential conflict with established religious doctrines, particularly within political spheres.

Chris Bradford argues that panpsychism—the view that mental experience is a fundamental feature of the universe—offers the most coherent explanation for consciousness. He critiques substance dualism, physicalism, and strong emergentism as inadequate, drawing on philosopher Galen Strawson’s argument that if everything is physical and experience is part of concrete reality, then panpsychism becomes the only reasonable position. Bradford connects this to Mormon theology’s commitment to materialism (“there is no such thing as immaterial matter”) and presents the free will theorem by Kochen and Conway as evidence that elementary particles possess a form of proto-experiential agency, suggesting that our rich conscious experience may arise from these fundamental proto-mental properties of matter.

Adam Miller’s presentation, “Why Suffering is Eternal and the Body is Forever,” explores Mormon perspectives on agency, materiality, and salvation in relation to transhumanism. Miller argues that Mormonism, both ancient and modern, embraces a unique eschatology where salvation is simultaneously realized and yet to come. He posits that agency, freedom, and suffering are eternally intertwined, and that materiality, even in its purest form, is fundamental; bodies magnify both our capacity for action and our vulnerability to suffering, key considerations in a Mormon approach to transhumanist ideas.

Allen Hansen explores the Hasidic concept of “worship through corporeality”—the idea that mundane acts can be sanctified and transformed into acts of devotion—drawing parallels with Latter-day Saint theology. He traces this doctrine through the legend of Enoch the shoemaker, who achieved exaltation by blessing God with every stitch, and connects it to similar themes in early Mormon thought under Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Hansen argues that both traditions collapse the sacred-secular divide, finding divine significance in daily labor and practical work, and suggests that modern management principles of autonomy, mastery, and purpose align with these religious ideals of meaningful engagement.

Brad Carmack delivers a call to action for smarter charitable giving, arguing that most people donate based on emotion and habit rather than rational analysis. Drawing on Arthur Brooks’s research, he demonstrates that charitable giving correlates with increased happiness, health, and income—even suggesting that each dollar given may drive $3.75 in additional earnings. Carmack urges listeners to consult organizations like GiveWell to evaluate charities’ impact, and challenges transhumanists to support causes that advance their shared objectives.

Chelsea Strayer, a PhD candidate in Biological and Cultural Anthropology at Boston University, examines the evolutionary psychology behind religious belief and adaptation. She explains how religion functions as a byproduct of earlier evolutionary adaptations—including social susceptibility, hyperactive agency detection, and the need for stable social hierarchies—that helped humans survive as highly dependent social creatures. Strayer argues that understanding these biological and cultural mechanisms is essential for appreciating religion’s powerful role in shaping human health, social bonds, and coping strategies, while acknowledging both its benefits and trade-offs.

Don Bradley reflects on the deaths of his brother Charles and his father to develop a distinctively Mormon theology in which temporal and spiritual progress are not separate but intimately integrated. Drawing on Doctrine and Covenants 29 and Joseph Smith’s teachings about embodied divinity, Bradley argues that all constructive human endeavor—every act of learning, kindness, and creation—participates in the literal construction of heaven and the exaltation of humanity. He challenges apocalyptic fatalism by recovering the conditional nature of biblical prophecy, urging listeners to view prophetic warnings as calls to repentance and action rather than resigned acceptance.

Donnie Bradley explores the aesthetic and theological dimensions of Jorge Luis Borges’s fiction, proposing that art serves as a “little laboratory for godhood.” Examining stories like “The Circular Ruins,” “The Library of Babel,” and “The Garden of Forking Paths,” Bradley traces Borges’s autopoetic narratives—texts that describe the conditions of their own creation—and their resonance with Mormon theology’s vision of gods creating worlds to encourage their inhabitants to become creators themselves.