Authors

Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373 AD) was one of the most influential theologians in Christian history, serving as the twentieth Pope of Alexandria and playing a decisive role in the development of Trinitarian doctrine. His lifelong defense of the Nicene Creed against Arianism earned him the title ‘Father of Orthodoxy,’ while his writings on the incarnation articulated a vision of human transformation that continues to resonate in Eastern Orthodox theology and beyond. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Athanasius received a thorough education in Greek literature, philosophy, and Christian scripture. As a young deacon, he accompanied Bishop Alexander to the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, where he witnessed the formulation of the creed that would define Christian orthodoxy. Three years later, at approximately thirty years of age, Athanasius succeeded Alexander as bishop of Alexandria—a position he would hold for forty-five years despite being exiled five times by various emperors sympathetic to Arianism. Athanasius ’ s most enduring theological contribution appears in his treatise On the Incarnation , written when he was still a young man. In this work, he articulated the doctrine of theosis—the belief that God became human so that humans might become divine. This concept, sometimes expressed as ‘God became man that man might become god,’ became central to Eastern Orthodox spirituality and has profound implications for understanding human potential and destiny. Throughout his tumultuous career, Athanasius faced opposition from Arian bishops, imperial persecution, and periods of exile in the Egyptian desert, Rome, and elsewhere. Yet he persisted in defending what he understood as apostolic faith against theological compromise. His friendship with the desert monks, including Anthony the Great, influenced his biography of Anthony, which became foundational for Christian monasticism and hagiography. Athanasius’s doctrine of theosis resonates profoundly with transhumanist themes. His vision of humanity’s potential for transformation and participation in divine nature anticipates contemporary discussions of human enhancement and transcendence. The idea that humans are destined for a radical elevation of their nature—not merely moral improvement but ontological transformation—connects ancient Christian theology with modern aspirations for human flourishing beyond current limitations.

Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis (354–430), commonly known as Augustine of Hippo or Saint Augustine, was a theologian, philosopher, and Bishop of Hippo Regius in Roman North Africa. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the development of Western Christianity and Western philosophy. Augustine's major works include Confessions , a pioneering spiritual autobiography, and The City of God , a monumental defense of Christianity against pagan criticism following the sack of Rome. His theological contributions shaped doctrines on original sin, divine grace, predestination, and the nature of the Trinity. Before his conversion to Christianity, he explored Manichaeism and Neoplatonism, and his synthesis of Christian doctrine with classical philosophy profoundly influenced medieval thought, the Protestant Reformation, and modern philosophy alike. Augustine's concept of deificatio (divinization) — the idea that humanity is called to participate in the divine nature — resonates with Mormon Transhumanist themes of theosis and the elevation of human potential. His emphasis on humanity's restless longing for God ("Our hearts are restless until they rest in You") speaks to a vision of human beings as fundamentally oriented toward transcendence. However, significant tensions exist between Augustine's theology and Mormon Transhumanist thought. Augustine's doctrine of original sin and total human depravity, his skepticism of unaided human will, and his emphasis on predestination stand in marked contrast to Latter-day Saint affirmations of human agency, moral capacity, and an optimistic anthropology. Additionally, Augustine's commitment to creatio ex nihilo and the absolute ontological distinction between Creator and creature diverges from Mormon theology's more materialist and continuity-oriented understanding of God and humanity. Nevertheless, Augustine's enduring call to seek wisdom, his insistence that faith and reason are complementary, and his vision of humanity's ultimate union with the divine ensure his lasting relevance to conversations at the intersection of faith, philosophy, and human flourishing.

Brigham Henry Roberts (1857–1933) was an English-born Latter-day Saint leader, historian, theologian, and politician who became one of Mormonism’s foremost intellectuals. He served as a member of the First Council of the Seventy for nearly five decades and produced foundational works of Church history and theology that shaped Latter-day Saint scholarship throughout the twentieth century. Born into poverty in Warrington, Lancashire, England, Roberts’s childhood was marked by hardship. His father struggled with alcoholism and gambling, leading Roberts to later describe his early years as “a nightmare” and “a tragedy.” After both parents converted to the Church in 1857, his mother emigrated to Utah in 1862, leaving young Roberts in England. In 1866, at age nine, he walked much of the way across the plains—often barefoot—to reach Salt Lake City and reunite with his family. Roberts graduated first in his class from the University of Deseret (now the University of Utah) in 1878. He served multiple missions, including as president of the Southern States Mission beginning in 1883. During this assignment, he faced the tragedy of the Cane Creek Massacre in 1884, personally recovering the bodies of two murdered missionaries while disguised to protect his identity. Like many Latter-day Saint men of his era, he served prison time for practicing plural marriage. In 1888, Roberts became one of the seven presidents of the First Council of the Seventy, the Church’s third-highest governing body, a position he held until his death. He also served as Assistant Church Historian from 1902 to 1933. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1898, Congress denied him his seat due to national concerns about polygamy—a pivotal moment in early twentieth-century political history. Roberts’s scholarly output was prodigious. He edited the seven-volume History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and independently authored the six-volume Comprehensive History of the Church . His theological masterwork, The Truth, the Way, and the Life , remained unpublished during his lifetime due to debates with Church leadership over his assertions regarding earth’s age and organic evolution. A “defender of the faith,” he argued that religious truth could withstand rigorous academic examination, contributing to the development of Mormon apologetics while maintaining intellectual honesty about challenges to faith.

Ben Blair holds a PhD in philosophy and education from Teachers College, Columbia University. He is the co-founder of Newlane University—a platform focused on deinstitutionalizing education. An active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Blair’s work and perspective explore the intersection of religious community and secular ideals. He is particularly interested in how religious and post-religious communities can work towards shared goals, and he questions the equation of any particular organization with the broader concept of the 'kingdom of God'. Blair, along with his wife, Gabrielle Blair, resides in France and they are the parents of six children. He presented at Sunstone West and is an attendee and speaker at Mormon Transhumanist Association conferences, where he explores the philosophical implications of faith, community, and progress.

Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British author, literary scholar, and Anglican lay theologian who became one of the twentieth century’s most influential Christian apologists. Born in Belfast, Ireland, he was educated in England and spent most of his adult life at Oxford and Cambridge universities. Lewis rejected Christianity in his early teens and lived as an atheist through his twenties. His conversion came gradually—to theism in 1930 and to Christianity in 1931—significantly influenced by conversations with his close friend J.R.R. Tolkien. During a famous stroll along Addison’s Walk at Oxford, Tolkien argued that unlike myths, the gospel narratives are true—the myth that became fact. In 1941, Lewis was invited to deliver radio broadcasts on Christianity during World War II’s darkest moments. These broadcasts, later published as Mere Christianity (voted best book of the twentieth century by Christianity Today in 2000), launched his career as a public apologist. He held positions in English literature at Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and later at Magdalene College, Cambridge, which created a chair specifically for him after Oxford repeatedly passed him over, partly for his open Christian advocacy. Lewis’s works of greatest lasting fame include The Chronicles of Narnia , which has become one of the bestselling fantasy series in history. He explained that Aslan is not allegorical but an imaginative exploration of what Christ might be like in another world. His other apologetic works include The Screwtape Letters , Miracles , and The Four Loves . Lewis’s ability to make Christian faith intellectually compelling and imaginatively vivid continues to influence readers across traditions.

Charles William Penrose (1832–1925) was a British-born Latter-day Saint leader, journalist, hymn writer, and theologian who served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and later as First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born in Camberwell, London, England, on February 4, 1832, Penrose was reportedly reading the Bible by age four. He converted to the LDS Church at eighteen, being baptized on May 14, 1850—a decision that cost him his relationship with his widowed mother, who disowned him for joining the faith. Penrose’s missionary service in Britain exceeded that of any other Latter-day Saint missionary, totaling over seventeen years. During his first decade-long mission, he wrote the beloved hymn “O Ye Mountains High” and authored “Rays of Living Light,” a series of missionary tracts used widely for nearly a century. In 1861, he finally emigrated to Utah with his wife Lucetta Stratford and their three children, crossing the plains by ox team to settle in Farmington, where he worked as a farmer, log hauler, and schoolteacher. Settling later in Ogden on the advice of Franklin D. Richards, Penrose entered journalism, publishing the Ogden Junction . In 1877, he became assistant editor of the church-owned Deseret News under George Q. Cannon, eventually serving as editor from 1898. His intellectual contributions extended to academia as professor of theology at Brigham Young Academy (1897–1899, 1901–1902) and as a founding director of the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1894. Ordained an apostle on July 7, 1904, Penrose served as president of the European Mission (1906–1910) before being called as Second Counselor to President Joseph F. Smith in 1911. Following Smith’s death, he continued as Second Counselor to Heber J. Grant and was elevated to First Counselor in 1921 after the death of Anthon H. Lund. His contributions to Utah statehood earned him recognition as one of its key architects. Penrose’s theological writings and sermons explored themes of eternal progression, human potential, and the relationship between faith and reason—ideas that resonate with transhumanist thought. His vision of humanity’s divine destiny and capacity for endless improvement reflected the optimistic theology of early Latter-day Saint leaders. He died in Salt Lake City on May 16, 1925, leaving a legacy as one of the most prolific missionaries, influential editors, and beloved hymn writers in LDS history.

Titus Flavius Clemens , known as Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215 AD), was a Christian theologian and philosopher who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexandria. A convert to Christianity, he was an educated man who was familiar with classical Greek philosophy and literature. As a writer and teacher, Clement sought to demonstrate the harmony between faith and reason, and between Christian doctrine and Greek philosophy. He is best known for his trilogy of works: the Protrepticus (Exhortation), the Paedagogus (Tutor), and the Stromata (Miscellanies). Clement’s theology emphasized the role of the Logos in the creation of the world and the enlightenment of humanity. He taught that the goal of the Christian life is deification (theosis)—becoming like God through the pursuit of knowledge (gnosis) and the practice of virtue.

David Henry Fowler was an American educator, writer, and civic leader in the state of Utah, known for his decades of service in public education and his editorial contributions to early twentieth-century Latter-day Saint periodical literature. Born on May 8, 1879, in Hooper, Weber County, Utah, Fowler was the son of Samuel Fowler and Rachel Taylor. He was raised in a pioneer Latter-day Saint household during a formative period in Utah's territorial and early statehood history, and from an early age demonstrated an aptitude for study that would shape the trajectory of his life's work. In 1906, Fowler was called to serve a proselytizing mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Northern States Mission. His capabilities as a writer and communicator were soon recognized, and he was transferred to the mission headquarters in Independence, Missouri, where he was appointed Associate Editor of Liahona, the Elders' Journal . This publication—one of the principal periodicals serving missionaries and members outside the Intermountain West—provided doctrinal instruction, mission news, and devotional literature to a wide readership. Fowler's editorial labors placed him among a small circle of early twentieth-century Latter-day Saint writers helping to amplify the voice of the Church during a period of expanding national presence. Fowler pursued higher education at the University of Utah, completing his degree in 1919. His academic pursuits translated directly into a career in public education, where he rose to serve as both a high school principal and a superintendent of schools in Emery and Summit counties, Utah. In these roles, Fowler shaped the educational foundations of two rural communities at a formative moment in Utah's development as a state, helping to build institutional structures that would serve generations of students. Fowler's career reflected a lifelong conviction that education, faith, and community progress were inseparable. As an administrator, he worked to extend the reach of secondary schooling into communities whose economic realities often competed with classroom attendance, and as a writer and editor he helped articulate the intellectual and spiritual aspirations of his religious tradition for a dispersed readership.

Dallin Harris Oaks (born 1932) is an American religious leader, author, and former jurist who currently serves as the 18th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called into the holy apostleship in 1984. Prior to his call as Church President, he served as First Counselor in the Church’s First Presidency from 2018 to 2025. Born in Provo, Utah, Oaks earned his law degree from the University of Chicago, where he later served as a professor and interim dean. He served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren and as president of Brigham Young University from 1971 to 1980. He also served as a justice on the Utah Supreme Court. His teachings emphasize the compatibility of faith and reason, the importance of priesthood blessings alongside medical science, and the practical application of gospel principles. He has spoken extensively on religious freedom and the relationship between science and religion.

Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf (born 6 November 1940) is a German-American religious leader and former airline executive who serves as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born in Moravská Ostrava in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia (now Ostrava, Czech Republic), he experienced World War II as a refugee child, fleeing with his mother and siblings through bombed areas to Zwickau in eastern Germany. His family joined the Church in 1947 after his grandmother encountered a member in a soup line. When Uchtdorf was eleven, his father’s political dissent from Soviet rule endangered their lives. He was conscripted into the West German Bundeswehr in 1959 and volunteered for the air force, training as a fighter pilot in Big Spring, Texas, where he earned the Commander’s Trophy as the best student pilot in his class. After six years as a fighter pilot, Uchtdorf joined Lufthansa in 1965, becoming a captain at age 29. His career included flying the Boeing 737, Airbus, DC-10, and Boeing 747, rising to senior vice president and chief pilot of Lufthansa flight operations. He also served as chairman of the Flight Operations Committee of the International Air Transport Association. Called as a general authority in 1994, Uchtdorf was ordained an apostle on October 7, 2004—the first German apostle in Church history and the first born outside North America since 1952. He served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency from 2008 to 2018 under Thomas S. Monson. A naturalized U.S. citizen, he has been married to Harriet Reich since 1962; they have two children and multiple grandchildren. His messages on grace, new beginnings, and God’s love for all people have resonated across cultures and languages.