The Christian Transhumanist Podcast
Explore Christianity and Transhumanism, with provocative guests from the leading edges of science and theology.
Conference 2018 Preview: Aubrey de Grey & Radical Life Extension (RE-RELEASE)
August 15, 2018
Christian Transhumanist Conference—August 25th, 2018—with keynote speaker Aubrey de Grey!
Ep 43: Derek Webb & the AI
July 26, 2018
Derek Webb gets inside the head of the first A.I. waking up to consciousness.
Ep 42: Taryn Southern Lives in the Future
July 12, 2018
Taryn Southern teaches AI to sing, releases the first song on the blockchain, and talks about how to use VR for good.
Ep 41: David Pearce & Engineering Paradise
June 21, 2018
David Pearce lays out a plan for building heaven on earth, shows us why vegans need more science fiction, and explains why computers will never become conscious.
Ep 40: Justin Lee—Gay, Geek & Christian
June 07, 2018
Justin Lee navigates being gay & Christian, talks about Paul, the Bible, and Christian ethics, and bridges the ultimate divide: geeks vs nerds!
Ep 39: Ilia Delio, Christ & Evolution
May 31, 2018
Ilia Delio explains how Jesus is like the Singularity, shows us why Christianity is the religion of evolution, and explores the thought of Teilhard de Chardin—the 1930s priest who foresaw the internet.
Ep 38: NT Wright & the Future of God
May 24, 2018
NT Wright explains why we don't want to go to Heaven, points us toward medical technology as a sign of the Kingdom, and clears up our biggest misconceptions about the apostle Paul.
Ep 37: Robin Hanson & The Elephant in the Brain
May 16, 2018
Robin Hanson explores a future of robotic human uploads, helps us worry about The Great Filter, gives us strategies for living in a Simulation, and casually points out the Elephant in the Brain.
Ep 36: Aubrey de Grey & Radical Life Extension
August 28, 2017
Aubrey de Grey pioneers anti-aging research, answers your questions about the future this is leading to, and explains why not working to defeat aging would be a sin.
Ep 35: David Deutsch & Humanity's Infinite Reach
July 28, 2017
David Deutsch explains the physics of humanity’s profound place in the cosmos—and our potentially unlimited future.
Ep 34: Meghan O'Gieblyn's Strange Journey into Transhumanism
June 25, 2017
Meghan O'Gieblyn lost her faith—and found transhumanism. Then she realized that those two things weren't quite as far apart as she first believed.
Ep 33: Ron Cole-Turner & The Theology of Transformation
April 26, 2017
What does Christianity bring to the conversation about humanity’s future? How do we move beyond the selfishness of short-term thinking, and embrace technology as part of the renewal and transformation of all life? Ron Cole-Turner, professor of theology & ethics, explores all this and more!
Ep 32: Shannon Vyff, Cryonics & Religious Education
April 11, 2017
Is cryonics selfish? What do Harry Potter, transhumanism & religious education have in common? What happens when kids go door-to-door raising money for life extension? Shannon Vyff—Transhumanist, Unitarian Universalist, and author of “21st Century Kids“—discusses all this and more!
Ep 31: Peter Enns & How to Stop Defending the Bible (So You Can Actually Read It)
March 21, 2017
How can certainty be a form of idolatry? Why should Christians embrace the humanity of the scriptures? How did an existentialist rant sneak into the Bible? And what does that teach us about faith? Peter Enns joins us to explore all these questions and more!
Ep 30: Robert Wright & the Purpose of Evolution
March 13, 2017
Can evolution have a purpose? Are we living in an alien zoo? Does the cosmos evolve? Why did Christianity emerge when it did? What is the direction of human society—and are we at a crisis point in history? Best-selling author Robert Wright explores all these questions and more.
Ep 29: Calvin Mercer—Theology & the Trickiest Questions in Transhumanism
March 06, 2017
How does religion grapple with transhumanism and radical life extension? What does a theology of Extraterrestrials say about a theology of AI? Is Mind Uploading a rejection of the body, or an affirmation of St Paul's theology of resurrection?
Ep 28: Robert Walden Kurtz & the Zero Sum Game
February 21, 2017
Can a Seventh-Day Adventist be a transhumanist? Robert Walden Kurtz, Adventist pastor and Professor of Philosophy, says yes! Join us as we discuss robots stealing your job, mind-mapping Jesus, the hidden threat of washing machines, zero-sum games, hacking the mind, and radical humility.
Ep 27: Christopher Benek—Presbyterian, Pastor, Transhumanist
February 13, 2017
Is it possible to be a Presbyterian and a Transhumanist? Rev. Christopher Benek, pastor of a large Presbyterian church, and graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, says yes! Join us as we discuss how AI will participate in God's redemption, how humans are God's technology, and the surprising connection between Ray Kurzweil and NT Wright.
Ep 26: Philip Clayton & The Spectrum of Belief
December 19, 2016
Raised by atheists, now a theologian and philosopher, Philip Clayton joins us to discuss the messy world between doubt and belief, feeling stuck in Christianity, and being okay with unanswered questions.
Ep 25: Katharine Hayhoe, Christians & Climate Change
December 05, 2016
Katharine Hayhoe shares her unexpected journey to becoming an evangelical Christian climate scientist, discusses evidence for climate change, and explains why working to solve our climate problems doesn't mean "Big Government!". We explore optimistic ways to address global warming, and the incredible economic and health benefits of clean energy.
Ep 24: Greg Boyd & The Open-Ended God
November 21, 2016
Greg Boyd on how God enters the cosmic dance through Science, Scripture, and Us. We explore faith & doubt, quantum physics & relativity, Christ-shaped politics, and the hard parts of the Bible!
Ep 23: Genesis vs The Babylonians
October 24, 2016
Genesis vs the Babylonians, Eastern Orthodoxy vs American Fundamentalism, theosis vs playing god, and why early Christians kept talking about the 8th day of the week.
Ep 22: Derek Flood & Disarming Scripture
October 03, 2016
The Bible is a rap battle! How to read the Bible like Jesus did, how to wrestle with the hard parts, and how the scientific method can make us better Christians.
Ep 21: Science Mike—Losing & Finding God
September 13, 2016
How to lose your religion, disrupt your life, and become a skeptic with faith! Science Mike describes his faith journey, and discusses brain science, space exploration, cryonics, and the oceanification of Miami.
Ep 20: Predestination vs Free Will
July 25, 2016
Why do some people believe it's all determined, and others believe it's up to us? Religious or irreligious, scientist or non-scientist, transhumanist or singularitarian—people can't agree on this subject. We look to CS Lewis, Ghostbusters, the Beatles, and Jupiter's moon for answers!
Ep 19: Frank Tipler & The End of the Universe
June 21, 2016
What does physics say about the ultimate future? Professor Tipler explains the Omega Point Theory, how life can exist all the way to the end of time, and what Christianity has to say about all of this.
Ep 18: Self-Driving Cars & Animated GIFs save the world
June 14, 2016
Amy and Micah tackle self-driving cars, the rise of nomadic culture, how stories create technology, and why animated GIFs are saving the world.
Ep 17: Kevin Kelly and The Inevitable
June 07, 2016
What's Inevitable, and what we get to choose? Micah Redding and Kevin Kelly discuss rapidly approaching technological change, the advent of Artificial Intelligence, and how technology challenges and illuminates our understanding of God, faith, and ourselves.
Ep 16: Wilderness
May 02, 2016
The deep challenges of losing your faith community, questioning your own beliefs, and dealing with the difficult process of building a new world.
Ep 15: Back to the Future!
April 21, 2016
Where are our hoverboards? Our flying cars? Where is the future we were promised? Micah and Amy go Back to the Future, just in time to get this episode out six months late!
Ep 14: Paul Wallace & The Stars Beneath Us
March 16, 2016
Paul Wallace talks about the exhilaration and vertigo of living in expanding cosmos, and how this both humbles us, and helps us rise to the challenge of suffering.
Ep 13: Cloning Jesus with Christian Piatt
February 29, 2016
What if someone cloned Jesus, to kickstart the second coming? What if fringe religious groups USED science for a change? Christian Piatt explains his religious sci-fi thriller, and tackles thorny questions in science, faith, and progressive spirituality.
Ep 12: Politics & Transhumanism
February 01, 2016
Micah and Amy venture into the forbidden world of transhumanist political commentary, while Micah keeps trying to change the subject to almost anything else, including Alien Death Stars, Greek tragedies, time travel, and the first Christian heresy.
Ep 11: Singularity & Superheroes
December 14, 2015
Micah and Amy discuss the disruptiveness of the Singularity, the creepiness of robots, the awesomeness of superheroes, and the importance of origin stories.
Ep 10: Adam Ericksen, Rene Girard & The Mechanisms of Violence
November 30, 2015
Micah Redding talks to Adam Ericksen about Rene Girard, the mechanisms of violence, and how Jesus unravels the ancient cycle of myth and scapegoating.
Ep 9: Thomas Jay Oord and the Open Future of God
November 23, 2015
Micah Redding & Thomas Jay Oord talk about free will, predestination, and the open-ended future of God - and explore deep questions about miracles, science, and recent blockbuster movies.
Ep 8: Liz Parrish, Life Extension & Reversing the Aging Process
November 16, 2015
Micah Redding talks to Liz Parrish, the first human to be given gene therapy to reverse aging. Micah & Liz discuss risk-taking, the potential issues with life extension, and what happens if this treatment becomes available to the world.
Ep 7: Steve Fuller, Space Arks & the Proactionary Imperative
November 09, 2015
Micah Redding and Dr. Steve Fuller discuss SPACE ARKS, the meaning of faith, the risk-taking nature of science, and why the future of politics isn't about left and right.
Ep 6: Evil Capitalists!
November 02, 2015
Micah & Amy discuss whether transhumanism is just an apologetic for capitalism, what will drive the economies of the future, and how Christians need to get out and play more…even if it means finding yourself mixed up in a plot to overthrow Hitler.
Ep 5: James Hughes, Religious Transhumanism & the Longevity Dividend
October 26, 2015
Micah Redding & James Hughes explore cyber-Buddhism, religious transhumanism, and the longevity dividend, covering topics like Universal Basic Income, the Christian theology of personal identity, and the importance of a powerful vision for the future.
Ep 4: Life Extension
August 17, 2015
In this episode, Micah Redding and Amy Gaskin talk about radical life extension.
Ep 3: Practical Steps
August 10, 2015
In this episode, Micah Redding and Amy Gaskin start talking about practicality, and then end up discussing Joseph Campbell, Harry Potter, transcendence, and speculative theology. Don't worry, it's all connected.
Ep 1: What is Transhumanism?
July 06, 2015
In this first episode, Micah Redding and Amy Gaskin ask the question 'What is Transhumanism?', and then go on to explore the landscape at the intersection of Christianity and Transhumanist thought.
Guests
- Kevin Kelly
- NT Wright
- Science Mike McHargue
- David Deutsch
- Aubrey de Grey
- Frank Tipler
- Robin Hanson
- Robert Wright
- James Hughes
- Steve Fuller
- Liz Parrish
- Thomas Jay Oord
- Greg Boyd
- Philip Clayton
- Adam Ericksen
- Christian Piatt
- Paul Wallace
- Derek Flood
- Katharine Hayhoe
- Christopher Benek
- Robert Walden Kurtz
- Calvin Mercer
- Peter Enns
- Shannon Vyff
- Ron Cole-Turner
- Meghan O'Gieblyn