Ted Peters(b. 1941)

Ted Peters (b. 1941) is an American Lutheran theologian and ethicist widely recognized for his pioneering work at the intersection of theology and the natural sciences, particularly genetics, cosmology, and emerging technologies. He has served as a professor of systematic theology at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and is the editor of the journal Theology and Science. His prolific scholarly output has made him one of the most influential voices in the religion-and-science dialogue over the past several decades.

Peters is perhaps best known for his extensive engagement with the ethical and theological implications of genetic engineering, human enhancement, and what he terms the “playing God” question. His books, including Playing God? Genetic Determinism and Human Freedom and Science, Theology, and Ethics, address how Christian theology should respond to advances in biotechnology and the prospect of reshaping human nature. He has also written extensively on the doctrine of God, eschatology, and the relationship between scientific cosmology and Christian hope, notably in works like God—The World’s Future: Systematic Theology for a New Era. His participation in major research initiatives, including the Human Genome Project’s ethical dimensions, cemented his reputation as a theologian deeply conversant with cutting-edge science.

Peters has engaged directly with transhumanism, offering both appreciation and critique. He acknowledges the legitimacy of using technology to alleviate suffering and improve human life, resonating with the Mormon Transhumanist conviction that scientific knowledge and technological power can serve as means ordained by God. However, Peters has raised concerns about what he sees as transhumanism’s tendency toward a purely secular eschatology—a vision of salvation through technology alone that displaces divine grace and the promised action of God in bringing about ultimate transformation.

Peters’s legacy lies in his insistence that theology must engage science and technology seriously and critically, neither capitulating to technological utopianism nor retreating into anti-scientific postures. His work remains an essential reference point for anyone exploring how faith communities can thoughtfully navigate the promises and perils of human enhancement and emerging technologies.

Videos by Ted Peters

The Future of Transhumanism as a New Religious Movement
1:07:26

Ted Peters

The Future of Transhumanism as a New Religious Movement

Ted Peters poses the provocative question of whether transhumanism qualifies as a new religious movement, then provides an accessible introduction to the field's theological and ethical dimensions. He walks through the "ABCs" of transhumanism, examining its core tenets and aspirations while exploring how traditional religious thought intersects with—and sometimes conflicts with—transhumanist visions of human enhancement and transcendence.

Panel with Byron Belitsos, Jason Xu, and Ted Peters
23:05

Ted Peters

Panel with Byron Belitsos, Jason Xu, and Ted Peters

Byron Belitsos, Jason Xu, and Ted Peters field audience questions on topics ranging from consciousness evolution and the Turing test to the role of the sacred feminine in religious transhumanism. The panelists debate whether transhumanism functions as a replacement for lost religious faith, with Ted Peters describing it as one of several secular movements where "discarded religious beliefs come back in a disguised, scientized form." The discussion also addresses transhumanism's potential elitism and lack of social justice orientation, with Byron Belitsos warning that without outreach to the poor and marginalized, the movement risks being perceived as a tool of technological oppression.