Hefner revisits the role of created co-creator in a new age of faith, science and technology

Susan BarretoSusan is an author with a long-time interest in religion and science. She currently edits Covalence, the Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology’s online magazine. She has written articles in The Lutheran and the Zygon Center for Religion and Science newsletter. Susan is a board member for the Center for Advanced Study of Religion and Science, the supporting organization for the Zygon Center and the Zygon Journal. She also co-wrote Our Bodies Are Selves with Dr. Philip Hefner and Dr. Ann Pederson.

Lutheran theologian Dr. Philip Hefner has long sought to update his original work on the created co-creator concept and has done just that with a new book released by Fortress Academic this month.

“Human Becoming in an Age of Science, Technology, and Faith,” seeks to answer what it means to be human and what our responsibility for our own becoming means. Hefner shared a chapter exclusively with Covalence in May of this year.

The book was edited by Jason Roberts and Mladen Turk and includes chapters from scholars Hefner has inspired and worked with previously. These contributors include Gregory Peterson, Ted Peters, Ann Pederson, Karl Peters and Anna Case Winters. The book takes into consideration the challenges posed by artificial intelligence and robotics. According to a summary, Hefner explores the ambiguous legacy of created co-creator and the importance of creating and relying on symbols to interpret the concept.