faith

Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373 AD) was one of the most influential theologians in Christian history, serving as the twentieth Pope of Alexandria and playing a decisive role in the development of Trinitarian doctrine. His lifelong defense of the Nicene Creed against Arianism earned him the title ‘Father of Orthodoxy,’ while his writings on the incarnation articulated a vision of human transformation that continues to resonate in Eastern Orthodox theology and beyond. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Athanasius received a thorough education in Greek literature, philosophy, and Christian scripture. As a young deacon, he accompanied Bishop Alexander to the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, where he witnessed the formulation of the creed that would define Christian orthodoxy. Three years later, at approximately thirty years of age, Athanasius succeeded Alexander as bishop of Alexandria—a position he would hold for forty-five years despite being exiled five times by various emperors sympathetic to Arianism. Athanasius ’ s most enduring theological contribution appears in his treatise On the Incarnation , written when he was still a young man. In this work, he articulated the doctrine of theosis—the belief that God became human so that humans might become divine. This concept, sometimes expressed as ‘God became man that man might become god,’ became central to Eastern Orthodox spirituality and has profound implications for understanding human potential and destiny. Throughout his tumultuous career, Athanasius faced opposition from Arian bishops, imperial persecution, and periods of exile in the Egyptian desert, Rome, and elsewhere. Yet he persisted in defending what he understood as apostolic faith against theological compromise. His friendship with the desert monks, including Anthony the Great, influenced his biography of Anthony, which became foundational for Christian monasticism and hagiography. Athanasius’s doctrine of theosis resonates profoundly with transhumanist themes. His vision of humanity’s potential for transformation and participation in divine nature anticipates contemporary discussions of human enhancement and transcendence. The idea that humans are destined for a radical elevation of their nature—not merely moral improvement but ontological transformation—connects ancient Christian theology with modern aspirations for human flourishing beyond current limitations.

Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis (354–430), commonly known as Augustine of Hippo or Saint Augustine, was a theologian, philosopher, and Bishop of Hippo Regius in Roman North Africa. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the development of Western Christianity and Western philosophy. Augustine's major works include Confessions , a pioneering spiritual autobiography, and The City of God , a monumental defense of Christianity against pagan criticism following the sack of Rome. His theological contributions shaped doctrines on original sin, divine grace, predestination, and the nature of the Trinity. Before his conversion to Christianity, he explored Manichaeism and Neoplatonism, and his synthesis of Christian doctrine with classical philosophy profoundly influenced medieval thought, the Protestant Reformation, and modern philosophy alike. Augustine's concept of deificatio (divinization) — the idea that humanity is called to participate in the divine nature — resonates with Mormon Transhumanist themes of theosis and the elevation of human potential. His emphasis on humanity's restless longing for God ("Our hearts are restless until they rest in You") speaks to a vision of human beings as fundamentally oriented toward transcendence. However, significant tensions exist between Augustine's theology and Mormon Transhumanist thought. Augustine's doctrine of original sin and total human depravity, his skepticism of unaided human will, and his emphasis on predestination stand in marked contrast to Latter-day Saint affirmations of human agency, moral capacity, and an optimistic anthropology. Additionally, Augustine's commitment to creatio ex nihilo and the absolute ontological distinction between Creator and creature diverges from Mormon theology's more materialist and continuity-oriented understanding of God and humanity. Nevertheless, Augustine's enduring call to seek wisdom, his insistence that faith and reason are complementary, and his vision of humanity's ultimate union with the divine ensure his lasting relevance to conversations at the intersection of faith, philosophy, and human flourishing.

Brigham Henry Roberts (1857–1933) was an English-born Latter-day Saint leader, historian, theologian, and politician who became one of Mormonism’s foremost intellectuals. He served as a member of the First Council of the Seventy for nearly five decades and produced foundational works of Church history and theology that shaped Latter-day Saint scholarship throughout the twentieth century. Born into poverty in Warrington, Lancashire, England, Roberts’s childhood was marked by hardship. His father struggled with alcoholism and gambling, leading Roberts to later describe his early years as “a nightmare” and “a tragedy.” After both parents converted to the Church in 1857, his mother emigrated to Utah in 1862, leaving young Roberts in England. In 1866, at age nine, he walked much of the way across the plains—often barefoot—to reach Salt Lake City and reunite with his family. Roberts graduated first in his class from the University of Deseret (now the University of Utah) in 1878. He served multiple missions, including as president of the Southern States Mission beginning in 1883. During this assignment, he faced the tragedy of the Cane Creek Massacre in 1884, personally recovering the bodies of two murdered missionaries while disguised to protect his identity. Like many Latter-day Saint men of his era, he served prison time for practicing plural marriage. In 1888, Roberts became one of the seven presidents of the First Council of the Seventy, the Church’s third-highest governing body, a position he held until his death. He also served as Assistant Church Historian from 1902 to 1933. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1898, Congress denied him his seat due to national concerns about polygamy—a pivotal moment in early twentieth-century political history. Roberts’s scholarly output was prodigious. He edited the seven-volume History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and independently authored the six-volume Comprehensive History of the Church . His theological masterwork, The Truth, the Way, and the Life , remained unpublished during his lifetime due to debates with Church leadership over his assertions regarding earth’s age and organic evolution. A “defender of the faith,” he argued that religious truth could withstand rigorous academic examination, contributing to the development of Mormon apologetics while maintaining intellectual honesty about challenges to faith.

Ben Blair holds a PhD in philosophy and education from Teachers College, Columbia University. He is the co-founder of Newlane University—a platform focused on deinstitutionalizing education. An active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Blair’s work and perspective explore the intersection of religious community and secular ideals. He is particularly interested in how religious and post-religious communities can work towards shared goals, and he questions the equation of any particular organization with the broader concept of the 'kingdom of God'. Blair, along with his wife, Gabrielle Blair, resides in France and they are the parents of six children. He presented at Sunstone West and is an attendee and speaker at Mormon Transhumanist Association conferences, where he explores the philosophical implications of faith, community, and progress.

Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British author, literary scholar, and Anglican lay theologian who became one of the twentieth century’s most influential Christian apologists. Born in Belfast, Ireland, he was educated in England and spent most of his adult life at Oxford and Cambridge universities. Lewis rejected Christianity in his early teens and lived as an atheist through his twenties. His conversion came gradually—to theism in 1930 and to Christianity in 1931—significantly influenced by conversations with his close friend J.R.R. Tolkien. During a famous stroll along Addison’s Walk at Oxford, Tolkien argued that unlike myths, the gospel narratives are true—the myth that became fact. In 1941, Lewis was invited to deliver radio broadcasts on Christianity during World War II’s darkest moments. These broadcasts, later published as Mere Christianity (voted best book of the twentieth century by Christianity Today in 2000), launched his career as a public apologist. He held positions in English literature at Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and later at Magdalene College, Cambridge, which created a chair specifically for him after Oxford repeatedly passed him over, partly for his open Christian advocacy. Lewis’s works of greatest lasting fame include The Chronicles of Narnia , which has become one of the bestselling fantasy series in history. He explained that Aslan is not allegorical but an imaginative exploration of what Christ might be like in another world. His other apologetic works include The Screwtape Letters , Miracles , and The Four Loves . Lewis’s ability to make Christian faith intellectually compelling and imaginatively vivid continues to influence readers across traditions.