What is the 'posthuman'? Is becoming posthuman inevitable-something which will happen to us, or something we will do to ourselves? Why do some long for it, while others fearfully reject it? These questions underscore the fact that the posthuman is a name for the unknown future, and therefore, not a single idea but a jumble of competing visions - some of which may be exciting, some of which may be frightening, and which is which depends on who you are, and what you desire to be. This book aims to clarify current theological and philosophical dialogue on the posthuman by arguing that theologians must pay attention to which form of the posthuman they are engaging, and to demonstrate that a 'posthuman theology' is not only possible, but desirable, when the vision of the posthuman is one which coincides with a theological vision of the human.
All people have dignity because they are created in the image of God. This theological belief has been a liberating force among its believers, providing a myriad of beautiful implications in our world. On the other hand, where the idea of being created in God’s image has been misunderstood, the implications can be devastating. Created in the Image of God brings together leading experts to discuss what it means to be made in image of God and to bring clarity and guidance for implications in the midst of our cultural confusion. The overall approach of this work, though distinct and focused in each of the chapters, reflects a consensus understanding that men and women have been created in God’s image, that they have fallen and are influenced by sin, that Christ has provided redemption through his vicarious death and resurrection, and that there is hope in the promise of eternal life in Christ. Christ succeeded where Adam failed (Rom 5:12-21; 1 Cor 15), allowing those who trust in him to enjoy and glorify him forever. The rich chapters within, and their helpful application to human dignity issues, will help our world to regain a sense of the marvelous privilege that is ours as image bearers and how that should impact our engagement with complex dignity issues of our day.
The book intends to present a critique of some select, 21st Century, hard science fiction novels in order to explicate the various ways in which the elements of posthumanism, transhumanism, techno-singularity intersect and interact with other such ideas as monstrosity, animality, machinicity, post-anthropocentrism, and Anthropocene. The study divides its analysis into seven different chapters and attempts to present an elaborate study on various aspects of posthumanism, transhumanism, and singularity. The book despite being a collection of miscellaneous essays actually intends to show how a technologically mediated transhuman/posthuman culture will normally be defined by a total dissolution of binaries such as digital and real, animal and human, and machine and man. The book also wants to describe through its analysis of some select hard science fiction novels, that man-machine merger and creation of hyper-immersive virtual reality can function as two of the most effective agents for catalyzing a radically transformative, posthuman, post-scarcity, and techno-utopian culture. The analysis presented in the book is not totally oriented to the discussion of far-future implications of accelerated technological progress which is imperative for arriving at a transhuman or posthuman stage; rather, the book is equally concerned with the implications of rapid technological advancements in our present times, and so the study also posits that before ascending to the heights of posthuman status mankind has to cope with the good and bad aspects of the Anthropocene which is the next stage in our collective evolution and journey towards the trans-/posthuman state. The first chapter of this study attempts to bring to focus the phenomenon of a technologically-mediated dissolution of the binaries between man/animal, human/nonhuman, and subject/object which will be extremely important in the analysis of the emergence of a posthuman culture later in the study. Technological advancements can be seen here as either conducive towards creating a harmonious relationship between man and animal or through systematic denigration of the agency of the animal it can pave the way for the emergence of monstrosity. In Chapter 2 of the book, we shall delve deep into the analysis of horror as illustrated in the novels and video games of the Dead Space series. Here, through a multi-theoretical perspective, we shall find how horrors and monstrosity can manifest themselves in both written as well as digital, virtual media. In Chapter 3, we shall delve into the discussion of the power of simulation in the construction of an immersive and hyperreal post- /transhuman culture where the distinction between real and virtual and material and immaterial vanishes altogether. In Chapter 4 we dedicate the entire chapter to the study of Kim Stanley Robinson’s systems novel The Ministry for the Future (2020) to attempt a critique of the elements of good and bad Anthropocene. Though not directly and intimately related to the study of posthumanism and transhumanism, yet a discussion of the elements of the Anthropocene will be of immense contemporary relevance to us. The next Chapter, i.e., Chapter 5 will attempt to present an explication of the role of machines in the realization of posthuman culture. Chapter 6 is primarily concerned with an analysis of Stephen Baxter’s novels to see how posthuman culture is constructed around the agency of the autopoietic machines. The final chapter attempts to present a brief analysis of three of Iain M Banks’ Culture novels, namely Matter, Surface Detail, and Hydrogen Sonata to elaborate on the employment of posthuman/transhuman tropes in these works.
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