Human Becoming in an Age of Science, Technology, and Faith

Being human in a time of science, technology, and faith is the challenge and opportunity of Homo sapiens as the created co-creator, according to Philip Hefner. Hefner frames the created co-creator as a memoirist with an ambiguous legacy, explores the roots of this ambiguity, emphasizes the importance of answering it with symbols that can interpret it in wholesome ways, proposes a partial theological framework for co-creating such symbols, and applies this framework to the challenge of using technology like artificial intelligence and robotics to create other co-creators in our own image.

Format: Hardback
Length: 246 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

In the era of science, technology, and faith, what does it mean to be human? The very act of posing such a question implies a partial response, as our self-description plays a significant role in shaping our future. In his book, Philip Hefner reminds us that this inherent condition presents both a challenge and an opportunity for Homo sapiens, as we are the co-creators who have been created.

Hefner presents the created co-creator as a memoirist with a complex legacy, delves into the origins of this ambiguity, highlights the significance of addressing it through symbols that can interpret it in positive ways, proposes a partial theological framework for co-creating such symbols, and applies this framework to the challenge of utilizing technology, such as artificial intelligence and robotics, to create co-creators in our likeness.

To honor Hefner's scholarly career and respond to his call for co-creating a more wholesome future, editors Jason P. Roberts and Mladen Turk have compiled eight responses to his work. These responses offer diverse perspectives and insights into the multifaceted nature of being human in this era of scientific advancements, technological innovations, and religious beliefs.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978708372