The Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Western and Southern Europe organised the colloquium ‘Human Enhancement or Human Deification?’ to examine the challenges posed by new technologies and digitalisation to the spiritual life, according to Orthodoxie.com.
The event took place on 20–21 June in Suresnes and Paris. It was organised by the Metropolis’s Department for Theology and Science in collaboration with the St Dumitru Stăniloae Centre for Studies and Research.
The sessions explored themes including the interior life in relation to technological environments, patristic anthropology, deification in the light of the New Testament, and the Orthodox response to the challenges of transhumanism.
Lectures and presentations delivered by professors, invited speakers, and students highlighted how the rapid development of technology is reshaping perceptions of the human person, freedom and identity, while underlining the need to preserve a Christian understanding of humanity.
An Interdisciplinary Conference
A key moment of the colloquium took place at the Cathedral of the Holy Archangels in Paris, where Fr Răzvan Ionescu delivered the lecture titled “Human Enhancement or Human Deification?” on 21 June.
The lecture was followed by a round-table discussion featuring Adrian Lemeni, Professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest and head of its Doctoral School, Tudor Rotaru, lecturer at the Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iași, and Archpriest Isaac Reynaud.
The discussion highlighted the challenges that digitalisation and technological development pose to the spiritual life, while emphasising the importance of preserving a Christian anthropology in a society increasingly focused on performance and technological optimisation.
Book Presentation
The colloquium concluded with the presentation of the volume Human Enhancement or Human Deification?, dedicated to the existential choices facing humanity in a world undergoing rapid digital transformation.
The organisers also presented the educational and formation programmes offered by the St Dumitru Stăniloae Centre for Studies and Research, emphasising its role in fostering dialogue between theology, culture and contemporary challenges.
The conference is available to watch in full online.
Photo: Orthodoxie.com
