Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, September 30, 2022
Photo: christianitytoday.com
Theologians and other experts from around the world will gather online next week to discuss the Orthodox Church’s attitude towards the philosophical-intellectual movement of transhumanism.
The academic conference, “Church, Ideology, Transhumanism,” is organized by the Center for Systematic Theology at the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Orthodox Theology of Veliko Tarnovo University together with the Holy Protection of the Theotokos Foundation, reports pravoslavie.bg.
The event, which will be held over Zoom October 6-7, “is aimed at a serious academic discussion about the attitude of the Church to ideological influences, and in particular to transhumanism as the newest ideology and utopia for man,” the announcement reads.
Orthodox lawyer and bioethicist Wesley J. Smith has argued that transhumanism—“a materialistic quasi-religion that seeks to conquer death by harnessing technology, helping believers to attain immortality”—is a product of societ’s obsession with death.
The upcoming conference will include presentations by experts in the fields of theology, philosophy, psychology, medicine, and law, with simultaneous translation.
“In its imitations of Christianity, transhumanism is a challenge to the Christian consciousness, especially with its boundless belief in the ability of technology to create a ‘new man,’” the organizers say.
The conference schedule includes two full days of presentations, with several opportunities for discussion.
Those interested can register at pravoslavie.bg before 5:00 PM (10:00 AM Eastern) October 5.The conference can also be followed on Facebook, where questions can be answered in the comemnts section. Questions can also be sent ahead of time here.
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