Conditional to What?: Achieving Immortality in a Technological World
Humanity has long sought immortality - but now, with the prospect of lifeextending medical enhancement technologies, immortality is closer than it ever has been previously. Or is it? And at what price? This paper brings together two important strands of Alister McGrath’s teaching and research - the...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Paternoster Press
2023
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| In: |
Science & Christian belief
Year: 2023, Volume: 35, Issue: 2, Pages: 140-148 |
| Further subjects: | B
Theology
B theocentric immortality B PRICES B CHRISTIAN eschatology B DOCTRINAL theology B Eschatology B Medical Technology B Transhumanism B Conditional immortality B ALISTER McGrath B Immortality B Hell B technocentric immortality |
| Summary: | Humanity has long sought immortality - but now, with the prospect of lifeextending medical enhancement technologies, immortality is closer than it ever has been previously. Or is it? And at what price? This paper brings together two important strands of Alister McGrath’s teaching and research - the history of systematic theology, and the science-religion dialogue. In this paper, I discuss the Christian doctrine of conditional immortality in relation to the prospects of technocentric immortality achieved through proposed radical transhumanist technologies. Drawing on the work of Brent Waters and Juraj Odorjak, I highlight the points of divergence between technocentric immortality and a recognisably Christian eschatology and, in relation to conditional immortality, I explain why the achievement of technocentric immortality is both theologically problematic and a futile objective in relation to the spiritual health of the Christian believer. I conclude by describing the implications of the doctrine of conditional immortality for the prospect of human enhancement, and vice versa, thus providing a preliminary worked example of the interaction of science and theology envisaged by Professor McGrath in A Scientific Theology. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Science & Christian belief
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