Should We Consider Transhumanism as Pelagianist?

Abstract

If the Christian theologian is to respond to the ethical risks of transhumanism, he or she may benefit from referring to the past for guidance. Is it a contemporary form of Pelagianism, the heresy commonly believed to have elevated free will to an unorthodox status? Particularly, how should one think of transhumanist efforts to bioenhance morality? In the present paper, I explore transhumanism, examine moral bioenhancement, discuss Pelagianism, compare and contrast transhumanism with Pelagianism, and discern some pastoral challenges of the Christian theologian vis-à-vis the preceding sections.