The Promise of Life: Spiritual Traditions and Biotechnological Futures

This event will focus on religion not merely as a stakeholder perspective but as a font of moral reflection on questions fundamental to human life. Through the lens of "promise," we will explore how religious traditions have understood and defined the limits of technology in relation to the meaning, integrity and purposes of the human. For instance, how do ways of thinking about the nature and meaning of biotechnology draw in (or exclude) religious insight? And what productive approaches are there to thinking about how religious traditions contribute to public deliberation about science and technology, and where they stand in relation to secular sources of normative thought.

We are bringing together participants from diverse religious, moral, and philosophical backgrounds to delve into the ethical implications of technological interventions capable of reshaping our understanding of humanity. Instead of foregrounding specific biotechnologies, we intend to reverse the script by placing front and center fundamental questions about the meaning of human life and how diverse religious traditions contend with them. Our discussions will also encompass broader implications for governance across the contemporary life sciences and biotechnology landscape.