Between Shelves

Welcome to Between Shelves, where we make connections between literature, theology, philosophy, psychology and culture. Join us as we explore the interconnectedness of race, spirituality, psychology, and meta-modernism. Each episode invites you into a thought-provoking journey, unpacking how these elements shape our understanding of the world and ourselves. We invite you to Between Shelves to Learn, Listen and Become.

#BetweenShelves #Podcast #Literature #Theology #Philosophy #Psychology #Race #Spirituality #MetaModernism #MetaSpirituality #Interconnectedness #Individuation #Film #DoubleConsciousness #Theopoetics #Imagination #BetweenSpace #LostRavenStudios

Link to Podcast Website: https://betweenshelves.transistor.fm/

In this episode of Between Shelves, we are thrilled to engage in a thought-provoking dialogue with Dr. Philip Butler on the transformative possibilities of Black Transhumanism and its invitation to reimagine the Black experience and identity in the Digital Age. Together, we explore how this innovative framework intersects with concepts like the Black Technosphere, Data Ownership and Citizenship, Black Meta-Modernism, and Afro-Futurism. What does it mean to expand the boundaries of Black identity through technological and philosophical lenses? How can Black Transhumanism challenge dominant narratives while opening pathways for freedom, resilience, and cultural renewal? Dr. Butler shares insights into how these ideas navigate the complexities of innovation and tradition, individuality and community, and the digital and physical realms. Through an engaging discussion of technology, philosophy, culture, and lived experience, we uncover both the possibilities and challenges that Black Transhumanism presents for imagining new futures. Whether you’re deeply familiar with these ideas or encountering them for the first time, this episode offers an inspiring exploration of identity, agency, and the evolving intersections of Black experience and creativity in a rapidly changing world.

Below is a list of books and films mentioned in our podcast discussions. We've included Amazon affiliate links for your convenience, allowing you to easily access the materials we reference. By using these links, you're directly supporting our podcast project. Thank you for your continued support!

Aristarchos-Vasileios Gkrekas, and Nicholas Kokkinos. Exploring Religious Dimensions in AI and Humanity. Rowman & Littlefield, 2024.

Butler, Philip. Black Transhuman Liberation Theology: Technology and Spirituality. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.

———. Critical Black Futures: Speculative Theories and Explorations. Springer Nature, 2021.

———. “Thinking of a Master Plan: Data Citizenship/ Ownership as a Portal to an Unfettered Black Universal Basic Income.” The George Town Law Journal 112, no. 6 (2024): 1343–54. 

Davis, Erik. TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information. North Atlantic Books, 2015.

Huxley, Julian. “Knowledge, Morality, and Destiny.” Psychiatry 14, no. 2 (May 1951): 129–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/00332747.1951.11022818.

KrügerOliver, Ali Jones, and Paul Knight. Virtual Immortality : God, Evolution, and the Singularity in Post- and Transhumanism. Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag, 2021.

Shatzer, Jacob. Transhumanism and the Image of God: Today’s Technology and the Future of Christian Discipleship. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, an imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2019.

Sorgner, Stefan Lorenz. We Have Always Been Cyborgs: Digital Data, Gene Technologies, and an Ethics of Transhumanism. S.L.: Bristol University Press, 2023.