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The Impact of Technologies on African Religions: A Theological Perspective

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African Values, Ethics, and Technology

Abstract

The emergence of technology has and is continuing to influence the world causing a new age of civilisation. Human enhancement technologies have the ability to enhance brain medicine for improved focus, doping, embryo screening and hormonal treatment to prevent ageing. The problem is that human enhancement technology poses new questions, such as what does it mean to be human, or is being human static or dynamic? Chiefly, human enhancement technologies bring new competition with African traditional religions to give meaning to and reshape what it means to be human. The paper will draw from the Shona concept of munhu (human being) and unhu (virtues) to show both the meaning of humanity and how to improve lives in African traditional religions. This study explores the extent to which enhancement technologies are mirrored within the Shona culture. The study used transhumanism theory and text-based research. The findings of this article showed that both enhancement technologies and the Shona culture have the similar goals of improving the lives of people, but from different ethical perspectives. The study concludes that the agenda of technological advancement was always visible within the Shona culture but practised differently.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Human Sciences, Research Institute for Theology and Religion (RITR), University of South Africa (UNISA), Pretoria, South Africa

    Nomatter Sande

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  1. Nomatter Sande
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

    Beatrice Dedaa Okyere-Manu

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Sande, N. (2021). The Impact of Technologies on African Religions: A Theological Perspective. In: Okyere-Manu, B.D. (eds) African Values, Ethics, and Technology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70550-3_15

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