The Role of Religion in the World of Technologically Transformed Human Consciousness

Dear Colleagues,

Similar to how religion defined the Middle Ages, modern technology defines the modern era. As various natural resources are increasingly harnessed for energy production, there is a growing concern that humans may overlook the value of their non-technological perspectives on the world. Some people in today's world are so engrossed in technology that they are not cognizant of any are other perspectives on reality, except the technological one. The idea that modern man serves technology rather than the other way around is frequently criticized. Since technological instrument as a means do not provide neutral results, the purpose for which it is used determines its validity.

It is a hard truth that we are shackled everywhere by technology. However, we are most susceptible to technology if we view it as something neutral because this idea, which people are particularly happy to adhere to today, makes us completely blind to the true essence of technology: we tend to overlook the fact that with every technical instrument man produces, he is increasingly developing a mechanistic outlook. This seems particularly relevant because culturally privileged ways of thinking and acting shape human consciousness in each unique case; one could say that human consciousness is impregnated with the theme that ultimately maintains the viewpoints of a given culture as only natural and reasonable or, at the very least, self-explanatory. It is easy to see that the ways of thinking developed in technology have pervaded the non-technical areas as well, where they are inappropriate, to the extent that it has become self-explanatory. This would mean that the very structure of consciousness or the ways human consciousness work is changing, in that humans have forgotten some means of understanding and experiencing the world; herein, we mean the perspective of religion. Hence, we must be made aware of the internal transformations occurring in the way we understand reality.

In today’s world dominated by technology, numerous religious and ethical issues arise, such as how can religions assist virtual man to become truly human and overcome the crises of trust, security, and egoism produced by today’s techno-culture? Can religions influence the modern man, and if so, how, in order for him to become a true man by opening up to the whole truth? Does the issue of hylemorphistic integrity of a human get affected by “cyborg” technology? What advantages as well as disadvantages do virtual religious groups offer? Has religious optimism been overtaken by transhumanist optimism? These aforementioned questions are incorportated within the framework of this Special Issue, whose fundamental goal is to answer the following question: will and how can religion contribute to the realization of man's free relationship with technology, and how can we make people, who are absorbed by technology, aware of the beauty of religious reality? Following are some potential topics:

• Human consciousness;
• The relationship between virtual reality, transhumanism and faith;
• Knowledge of God in cyberspace;
• Cybertheology;
• Virtual religious communities and the "metaverse";
• Technology and power;
• The influence of technology on human spirituality, imagination and the ability to wonder;
• The perspective of humanistic education;
• Advantages, difficulties and possibilities of social networks in the context of pastoral and evangelistic work.

We request that prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor [email protected] or to /Religions/ editorial office ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors to ensure that they fall within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Prof. Dr. Šimo Šokčević
Guest Editor

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• transhumanism
• religions
• technology
• social networks
• AI
• virtual reality
• freedom
• cyberspace
• consciousness