03/07/2026 17:20 - 19:30

HALL: Pola - A104

Contact: Voogt A.

Chair: Voogt A.

Recent years have witnessed growing scholarly and public attention to ideological movements influential in Silicon Valley and global technology circles, particularly regarding striking parallels between transhumanism, cosmism, and related ideologies with traditional religious themes. Observers frequently note that these movements—sometimes collectively designated by the acronym TESCREAL—function as quasi-religious systems within the predominantly secular culture of tech communities, appropriating narratives, symbols, and ideas from established religious traditions. Notable examples include apocalyptic and eschatological narratives in discourse surrounding AI and the so-called Singularity, as well as expectations of human immortality through bio-enhancement or mind-uploading.


What often remains absent from this discourse, however, are methodologically rigorous approaches to studying the religious dimensions of transhumanism and cosmism that move beyond superficial analogies. This panel addresses this lacuna by exploring theoretically and methodologically grounded frameworks for studying and reflecting on these movements' religious characteristics. We primarily consider historical studies of the influence of religion on the development of transhumanism and cosmism or other historical links between these traditions, with a focus on Christianity and Islam. We welcome other papers that broadly fit this direction, yet we also welcome empirical research documenting the presence and function of religious elements within contemporary transhumanist and cosmist discourse. Individual papers will present research that fits these approaches, followed by a general panel discussion on methodological issues, general implications and future research directions on the relationship between transhumanism, cosmism and religion.