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Series:   Elements of Christianity and Science

Science Fiction and Christian Theology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2025

Victoria Lorrimar
Victoria Lorrimar
Affiliation:
University of Notre Dame, Australia

Summary

Theologians often struggle to engage with scientific and technological proposals meaningfully in our contemporary context. This Element provides an introduction to the use of science fiction as a conversation partner for theological reflection, arguing that it shifts the science – religion dialogue away from propositional discourse in a more fruitful and imaginative direction. Science fiction is presented as a mediator between theological and scientific disciplines and worldviews in the context of recent methodological debates. Several sections provide examples of theological engagement in relation to the themes of embodiment, human uniqueness, disability and economic inequalities, exploring relevant technologies such as mind-uploading, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality in dialogue with select works of science fiction. A final section considers the pragmatic challenge of progress in the real world towards the more utopian futures presented in science fiction.
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Keywords

science fictionscience and religionembodimentmind-uploadingvirtual realityartificial intelligence
Type
Element
Information
Series: Elements of Christianity and Science
Online ISBN: 9781009428880
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 29 May 2025

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