Calvin MERCER and Tracy J. TROTHEN. Religion and the Technological Future: An Introduction to Biohacking, Artificial Intelligence, and Transhumanism. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021. 266 pp. $43.13 paperback. ISBN: 978-3-030-62358-6. Reviewed by Steve W. LEMKE, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, LA 70126.

If you imagine Alice’s first vision of the Land of Oz, or Christian’s first vision of the Celestial City in Pilgrim’s Progress, this is the sort of vista into the technological future provided in this book by Calvin Mercer and Tracy Trothen. Mercer is a professor of religion at East Carolina University, and Trothen serves as professor of ethics at Queen’s University in Canada. Both authors have training in psychiatry, and have published a number of articles on this emerging field.

The book’s title, Religion and the Technological Future: An Introduction to Biohacking, Artificial Intelligence, and Transhumanism, may seem intimidating to some readers because some of the terms used might not be well-known. However, although learning about the technological future requires learning a certain set of new specialized vocabulary, it was surprising how well the authors communicated these terms in an approachable way. The terms were defined clearly in the text, and a helpful glossary also offered a definition of the key terms in the field. The book was so clear and readable that anyone can read and understand it, although with its documentation and scholarly analysis, it could also be used as an academic textbook.

The central thesis of the book is that the technological future, particularly as it impacts humans and religion, is coming and is veritably inevitable. However, in describing these emerging technologies, the authors extend a call to persons with religion and ethics training to engage in the early phases of the development of this technology. Mercer and Trothen do not prescribe any particular path forward, though they do explain a number of implications, both positive and negative, for religion and for human life. The religious life targeted by the authors is not limited to Christianity, but broadly includes all world religions. The authors also articulate the variety of approaches within each religious tradition, such as liberal and conservative Christianity. However, the book does primarily focus on Christianity since it is the religion that has provided the most response to the transhumanist movement thus far.

“Transhumanist” does not refer to transsexual issues, but to technological enhancement of humans. Mercer and Trothen define transhumanism in the broader sense, which includes (1) sentient beings that develop from humans but to such a degree that they are no longer human in any real sense, and (2) sentient beings that develop apart from humans. Sometimes the words “posthuman” or “cyborgs” are used to describe future beings that develop beyond Homo sapiens. However, the authors articulate thoughtful strengths and weaknesses about all of these proposed technological innovations, and how they anticipate various Christians & representatives of other world religions might respond to each new technology. There is a Christian Transhumanist Society which advocates varieties of transhumanism.

Mercer and Trothen note a very important distinction about the degree of technological enhancement of humans that might be acceptable from a religious and ethical viewpoint. “Precautionary” human enhancement is a more modest, moderate enhancement, primarily making various medical interventions in humans. Organ transplants, knee replacements, artificial limbs, eyeglasses, electronic heart and diabetes monitors, and gene therapy are all examples of “precautionary” improvements. Since religions favor health and healing, most of these technologies are fairly noncontroversial. However, “proactionary” enhancement might be described as a more radical enhancement. Examples of proactionary enhancement includes biohacking human brains, cryonics (freezing a brain or body in hope of future medical breakthroughs), or even uploading one’s brain to a computer such that in the future that “person” (either with no body or with an artificial body) could live on in digital immortality.

The two major end points for proactionary enhancement are Superlongevity and Superintelligence. Transhumanists project that even with moderate enhancements, human life would be extended significantly. Replacing all human parts (as one might replace automobile parts to extend its life), plus perhaps freezing the mind or body (cryonics) would extend human life long enough to perhaps profit from future scientific breakthroughs that provide cures for presently incurable diseases. Of course, one who downloads their brain will continue their digital life indefinitely. The authors survey the strengths and weaknesses of Superlongevity from religious, ethical, and prudential perspectives, giving special attention to choice (is the freedom of the individual respected, or is one programmed to do things) and justice (both distributive and procedural justice issues). The issues of choice include whether a moral enhancement (making one behave in more fruitful ways, or genetically altering infants to shape their behavior) really respects human autonomy and freedom. The issues of justice include whether poorer populations would be able to afford these expensive technologies, and the fact that they tend to be excluded from deliberations about employing these technologies.

Whereas Superlongevity primarily addresses precautionary (modest) enhancement, Superintelligence primarily involves proactionary (radical) enhancement. The primary driver for Superintelligence is artificial intelligence (AI). We already experience the use of “weak” AI in many ways in our culture, but the Singularity involves “strong” AI. The belief is that at some point, AI may be more reliable and predictable than human intelligence. Transhumanists project a future in which the only trace of the former individual is their uploaded brain; the body is likely one of artificial design. But as AI increases its intelligence, and teaches itself new things until there is a dramatic breakthrough in which AI surpasses human intelligence, irreversibly changing human life.

While Mercer and Trothen see many positives about both precautionary and proactionary enhancement, they do also recognize problems from philosophical, ethical, and religious perspectives. For example, enhancement portends the philosophical dilemma of Theseus’ ship, first articulated by Plutarch. If a ship were replaced one plank at a time, at what point would it be a different ship? Of course, the human body replaces every cell every seven years, so that is not a reason to seek modest enhancement. A more serious objection, particularly for Superintelligence, is the “duplication objection” originally described by John Locke. A duplicate of something is just that – a duplicate. It cannot be numerically identical to the person or thing it duplicates, even if it is the same in all other ways. So human duplicates with uploaded brains from humans would be a duplicate, not an extension of that person’s life. Ethically, the challenge with moral enhancement through genetic alteration or brain adjustments is not really a “moral” enhancement. It might change someone’s behavior, but while an implanted module in one’s brain can make one have different behavior (not dissimilar from behaviorist psychology), it does not make one more moral, because morality requires free choice. Religious issues include the affirmation of healing in Scripture, as well as balancing the divine command for humans to have dominion in Genesis 1 with the attempt to play God in Genesis 11, resulting in the Tower of Babel. Where does transhumanism fit within this spectrum?

All these concerns and issues are precisely why Mercer and Trothen penned Religion and the Technological Future – it is a call to action for religious-oriented philosophers, ethicists, and theologians to speak into the transhumanist movement before decisions are made which cannot be reversed. This is a crucially important book that every thinking Christian should read. It is challenging, intriguing, and forward-thinking. Christian academics need to read this and other texts concerning transhumanism so they can speak into this movement at this crucial moment.