A Recap of the ‘Exploring Personhood: Challenges to Humanity’ Conference

2024 marks the final year of the Center for Faith and Culture’s three-year investigation into theological anthropology. This year’s conference focused on “Exploring Personhood: Challenges to Humanity” with talks showing the necessity of a multi-disciplinary approach.

The Challenge of Techno-faith

Dr. Fuz Rana spoke on trans-humanism, a once neglected, obscure field that argues that we can “solve” the problems of the world through science and technology. This new “faith” promises salvation by technology. Recent advances in gene editing, brain computer interface and medicine have pushed trans-humanism from fiction to a feasible reality. Christians must be on guard as we engage in difficult ethical questions soon.

The Need for Collaborative Conversations: Race and Patriotism

Dr. George Yancy pointed out that the current Christian response to the racial divide is not dissimilar from the response of the secular world. Two popular views of racial engagements—colorblindness and antiracism—fail sociologically and theologically. Sociologically, recent studies have demonstrated that racism persists despite the widespread cultural denouncement of racism. Theologically, these views are based on the presumption of human perfectibility and not on the Christian doctrine of human depravity. He suggests that the way forward is through the collaborative conversational approach, calling forth the best of Christian virtues to build a way forward.

In the same vein, Dr. John Wilsey made the case that the binding glue for a nation is national identity. This amorphous and ever-changing ideal requires love of nation, neighbors, and the ability for people in a commonwealth to have collaborative conversations guided by the timeless principles that founded the nation.

Evangelism is Through and to Community

Dr. Molly Worthen’s testimony illustrates the importance of close relationships and community while growing in faith. She noted the importance of interactions with J. D. Greear and Tim Keller as they challenged her beliefs and answered her questions But she also drew attention to the hidden network of people who walked alongside with her as she wrestled with questions of faith. She was struck by the fact that a church like The Summit believed what they preached enough to send hundreds into the mission field. Evangelism is not just something done by a person to a lost person but setting forth a compelling vision of a community changed and transformed by God.

Evangelicals Require a More Robust Theology of Suffering

Dr. Elizabeth Hall pointed out that suffering is often handled unhelpfully by Christians. Western Christians have responded to suffering in three different modes: vaguely (God is doing something good in this), triumphalist (look at what God is going to do), and defensive (defending God’s action). Her recommendation is that Christians must work on the spiritual discipline of lament to guide us in and through suffering, but also seeing the meaning behind the suffering as how God works to bring us to the good life.

Theology Requires Community

This conference highlighted the importance that theology must be done in community. The speakers came from a variety of backgrounds—sociology, biology, psychology, theology, and history— and all played a part in helping us to understand the different facets of personhood. As Christians, we must seek out the demanding work of culture-making. Our task is to build a culture and community with people who are open to discuss the hard topics with a posture of intellectual humility and will guide each other to speak rightly about God and His world.