This is my third article on Ghost in the Shell and transhumanism. You can find the first one here and the second here. Christianity has interacted with all of the world’s major philosophies. See Plato, Aristotle, and stoicism for classical examples. Look to communism, existentialism, and libertarianism for more modern. If there’s a philosophy out […]
Ghost in the Shell, part III: Transhumanism and Salvation Read More »
In my previous article, I discussed the idea of transhumanism as shown in the 1995 film Ghost in the Shell. Ghost in the Shell, created by Masamune Shirow, began in 1989 as a manga, (comic book). The 1995 film adaptation failed in the theaters, but achieved enormous success in the VHS rental market. From 1997
Ghost in the Shell: Transhumanism, Part II. Read More »
Padre Pio himself said, “It would be easier for the world to exist without the sun than without the Holy Mass.” To believe this statement beyond a mere pious platitude about the importance of the liturgy requires a deeper spiritual vision that not only accepts the power of worship, but revels in our participation in
Thanksgiving: the Apocalypse Antidote Read More »
Each year, the Catholic Church celebrates Hallowtide in autumn. This triduum of feast days includes All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween), All Saints’ Day (a holy day of obligation), and All Souls’ Day. These are days on the liturgical calendar that call to mind our mortality, the joy of the Church Triumphant, and the need to pray
St. Augustine and Shuri: Sorrow Over the Death of Our Loved Ones Read More »
At last we’ve come to the final installment in our series exploring Walter M. Miller, Jr’s remarkable science fiction novel A Canticle for Leibowitz. In part one and part two, we examined the complex relationship between faith and science, both in the real world and in the fictional future dystopia facing the monks of Saint
The Woman and the Atom: Part 3 of A Canticle for Leibowitz Read More »
“Dracula,” by Bram Stoker, must be the most abused book in literary history. Wikipedia summarizes the themes of Dracula in a pithy three categories: gender and sexuality, race, and disease. I’m going to put my cards on the table up front. That’s an absurd assessment of “Dracula.” But it’s a great example of how mainstream
Dracula Doesn’t Suck! – part 1 Read More »
In the first installment of this three-part essay series exploring Walter M. Miller, Jr.’s magnificent science fiction novel A Canticle for Leibowitz, we examined the book’s first novella, “Fiat Homo.” Here, the monks of Miller’s fictional Albertian Order of Leibowitz offer striking parallels to the history of the Catholic Church’s relationship with the natural sciences.
A “Lux” Shines in the Darkness: Part 2 of A Canticle for Leibowitz Read More »
In 1995, the San Francisco 49ers won the Superbowl, OJ Simpson was found not guilty, and Ghost in the Shell showed in theaters. If you don’t remember this last one, don’t worry. No one else does, either. Ghost in the Shell bombed. The joint UK-Japan anime effort appeared to be headed for the dust-bin of
Are we Just a “Ghost in the Shell”? Transhumanism and Christian Anthropology Read More »
What I love most about the science fiction genre is that it doesn’t shy away from tackling big questions about the future, human nature, and potential misuse of advanced technologies. One of my favorite sci-fi novels of all time explores these big questions from an explicitly Catholic perspective by shining a light on the Christian
Let there be…a classic sci-fi dystopian novel Read More »
I don’t get the multiverse…Let me rephrase that. I don’t get the appeal of the multiverse. Let me rephrase that. I don’t get the explanatory appeal of the multiverse. This being said, I have actually generally liked multiverse-concept movies or TV shows, one of my favorites being Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse (although, the movie is
The Multiverse Doesn’t Prove What You Wish it Did, Bruh’ Read More »
