Welcome to Choosing Human
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We live in an age that is constantly trying to remake us—to upgrade, to optimize, to control, to redefine what it means to be human.
In many ways, this impulse is nothing new. A dozen Christian heresies throughout history sprang out of this same impulse, really the impulse: to make of ourselves our own gods. What is new is the technological power we now wield to manipulate matter, to impose our will upon our flesh. We now exercise that power C.S. Lewis so presciently described in The Abolition of Man:
What we call Man’s power over Nature turns out to be a power exercised by some men over other men with Nature as its instrument…
The final stage is come when Man by eugenics, by prenatal conditioning, and by an education and propaganda based on a perfect applied psychology, has obtained full control over himself. Human nature will be the last part of Nature of surrender to Man….
The power of Man to make himself what he pleases means, as we have seen, the power of some men to make other men what they please.
This power is being wielded freely by those who wish to exercise it, without deliberation, reflection, or consent by the human community that it stands to transform. The Synthetic Age begs for a robust theological anthropology: that is, an understanding of who and what—and Whose—we are. We must remain grounded in this truth if we are to answer the unspoken questions these technologies presuppose.
In many ways, the torrent of technological innovations and the array of potential futures that may follow can be terrifying. As Christians, we are uniquely equipped to face—and shape—these futures with hope. With our eyes fixed on Jesus, the storm cannot prevail. With these innovations comes the opportunity to engage in questions of ultimate meaning in a sociopolitical climate that demands such engagement. The felt need for answers presses upon all people of good will, and thus presents us with unique opportunities for evangelization. We have the Bread of Life in a generation starved for meaning.
We have the Bread of Life in a generation starved for meaning.
These questions of ultimate meaning, though at times sparked by science, are not scientific questions. The further we stretch the bounds of our technological capacities, the more apparent it becomes that the realm of science is not and cannot be the ultimate end of our inquiry. Technological capacities, though perhaps uniquely human, are not what makes us most human.
Choosing Human and its companion podcast Brave New Us together comprise an attempt to wrestle with the technological deluge and the profound reshaping of society that follows in its wake.
In short, this newsletter is home base for an exploration of human formation in a technological age. Contemporary life is a constant assault on our attention, perhaps the most precious gift we have to give.
Ultimately, prayer isn’t an add-on to human life; it is the lifeblood of an authentically human life. We have been created for divine communion and thus can never be fully human without prayer.
That might mean you receive posts in your inbox about what robot monks teach us about human consciousness and the ethics of using human neurons to power data centers and what that tells us about embodiment or about praying through the chaos of everyday motherhood.
What can I say? It’s not a niche; it’s a vocation—one firmly grounded in the conviction that prayerful homes shape faithful futures.
I’m so glad you’re here.
AMDG,
Samantha
About me
I’m Samantha Stephenson, a Catholic author, mother, and bioethicist eternally preoccupied by what it means to be human. Through my books, podcast, and this newsletter, I explore the spiritual dimensions of the vocation of motherhood and the ethics of a society in the midst of this onslaught of emerging technologies. I am especially interested in how we can recover a sense of embodiment and human flourishing that resists both reductive individualism and technological utopianism.
You can find out more at my author website.
Where to begin
Start with a few of these:
Or subscribe below to receive new essays each week.
Brave New Us Podcast
I interview thinkers, priests, philosophers, doctors, scientists, theologians and other thoughtful people wrestling with the question of how to be human in a world where technology is shifting how we understand what that means. Think of it as office hours with brilliant and interesting people exploring how to be authentically human. This is a podcast for people who are allergic to small talk and deeply driven to pursue the truth.
If that sounds like you, I encourage you to subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast app (and leave a 5-star rating, naturally!).
I also encourage you to go back to Season 1, a storytelling format exploring the implications of genetic editing. I created this back before I understood why these podcasts have entire production teams, and that creating a series like this is more akin to writing a book. Still, glutton for punishment that I am, I do have aspirations for another season like this one. Perhaps one day…
My Books
These books explore different dimensions of the same question: what it means to live a fully human life.
Grow Where You’re Planted — a prayerful guide to seasonal abundance and sustainable family life
The Bellbind Letters — a creative take on C.S. Lewis’s spiritual classic for moms
Reclaiming Motherhood — a theology of the body for motherhood
Mama Prays — a devotional for the early years
Upcoming Titles
I am currently working on two manuscripts for Ignatius Press, coming to you in 2027 and 2028:
Motherhood Incarnate: 52 Devotions for the Domestic Church, helping mothers see the holy imbued in the embodied realities of everyday motherhood
Choosing Human: Theology of the Body for the Biotech Era, equipping Christians proactively for dialogue with the culture on emerging biotechnologies that seek to redefine our humanity
You’ll hear updates, behind-the-scenes, and preorder details here as they take shape.
A note on paid subscriptions:
While I feel very strongly that much of this research and message should remain free to reach as many people as possible, I do want to give something back to those who offer financial support. Once a month, I send my perspective, written and audio, offering paid subscribers insight they won’t find on any other platform.
I am also offering FREE signed copies of my book, Reclaiming Motherhood, to all subscribers while supplies last. All you need to do is DM me your address after you subscribe.
An invitation on mission:
If you’d like to support this project but cannot afford yet another Substack subscription, I ask for your prayers that you intentionally share each newsletter and podcast episode. DM for a code, and the paid tier is yours.