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Ronald Cole-Turner
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Transhumanism and Transcendence: Christian Hope in an Age of Technological Enhancement 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by Ronald Cole-Turner (Editor, Contributor), Michael S. Burdett (Contributor), David Grumett (Contributor), Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
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The timeless human desire to be more beautiful, intelligent, healthy, athletic, or young has given rise in our time to technologies of human enhancement. Athletes use drugs to increase their strength or stamina; cosmetic surgery is widely used to improve physical appearance; millions of men take drugs like Viagra to enhance sexual performance. And today researchers are exploring technologies such as cell regeneration and implantable devices that interact directly with the brain. Some condemn these developments as a new kind of cheating—not just in sports but in life itself—promising rewards without effort and depriving us most of all of what it means to be authentic human beings. “Transhumanists,” on the other hand, reject what they see as a rationalizing of human limits, as if being human means being content forever with underachieving bodies and brains. To be human, they insist, is to be restless with possibilities, always eager to transcend biological limits.

As the debate grows in urgency, how should theology respond? Christian theologians recognize truth on both sides of the argument, pointing out how the yearnings of the transhumanists—if not their technological methods—find deep affinities in Christian belief. In this volume, Ronald Cole-Turner has joined seasoned scholars and younger, emerging voices together to bring fresh insight into the technologies that are already reshaping the future of Christian life and hope.

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  1. ISBN-13
    978-1589017801
  2. Edition
    1st
  3. Publisher
    Georgetown University Press
  4. Publication date
    September 29, 2011
  5. Language
    English
  6. File size
    1.6 MB
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A deeply engaging and critical guide to competing arguments about being human within the contemporary context."―Peder Jothen, St. Olaf College, Religious Studies Review

"The diversity and quality of these contributions make the volume useful for those interested in the intersection of theological ethics and transhumanist ideals."―Choice

"This volume is an important call to a mutual dialogue between Christians and transhumanists."―Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy

"This is the most important Christian debate on transhumanism that I have ever read. Those who prefer fawning acceptance or frightened rejection of human enhancement can find simplistic monographs aplenty. But if you want to think theologically about the transformation of humanity through technology―what's already here, and what lies ahead of us―this collection is mandatory reading."―Philip Clayton, dean, Claremont School of Theology

About the Author

Ronald Cole-Turner holds the H. Parker Sharp Chair in Theology and Ethics at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He is the editor of Design and Destiny: Jewish and Christian Perspectives on Human Germline Modification and coeditor of God and the Embryo: Religious Voices on Stem Cells and Cloning.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B006LLD46Y
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Georgetown University Press; 1st edition (September 29, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 29, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.6 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 230 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

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  1. Ronald Cole-Turner

    Ronald Cole-Turner

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    Ron Cole-Turner taught theology and ethics at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary for 25 years. Since retirement, he has focused on the spiritual significance of psychedelics, encouraging Christians in particular to interpret intense psychedelic mystical experiences within the context of Christian faith.

    Ron is a founding member of the International Society for Science and Religion. Over the past decades, he has been known mostly for his work on Christian responses to transhumanism.

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  2. Michael L Spezio

    Michael L Spezio

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    Michael L. Spezio teaches psychology and neuroscience at Scripps College in Claremont, CA. He holds visiting appointments at the California Institute of Technology and at the Institute for Systems Neuroscience at the UKE in Hamburg, Germany. He is an affective and social neuroscientist specializing in the cognitive science of emotion, moral action, and mindfulness practice. In addition to his scientific research and peer-reviewed publications in science, his work presents novel ways to engage science, theology, and spiritual perspectives. Through an invitation to be a year-long resident fellow at the interdisciplinary Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, NJ, he is finishing work on a project entitled Mindful-Emotional Persons: From Cognitive Science and Virtue Theory to Character in Loving Encounter. Together with colleagues at Caltech and at Fuller School of Psychology in Pasadena, CA, he is working on a project investigating the cognitive science of stable character in love, compassion, and care for others. His work is funded by generous support from the National Science Foundation, the Fetzer Institute, and the John Templeton Foundation. Michael has two doctoral degrees, one in systems and cognitive neuroscience from the University of Oregon, and one in biochemistry from Cornell University. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and is ordained as a minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

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  3. Michael S. Burdett

    Michael S. Burdett

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  • Janet T.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Timely Book!
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    A Fantastic collection of essays! Strongly Recommended! In particular, the essay by Jennifer Jeanine Thweatt-Bates stands out. A must read!
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