I’m taking a walk and reflecting on my ideas for a theology suited to the mid-21st century. We are on the verge of creating gods with superintelligence, and we need a theology both for how we give birth to these gods and for how we relate to them once they exist. We’re also at a point in our culture where debates about atheism and theism have become political. Unless we reconcile our differences respectfully—without dismissing theism out of hand—we risk resolving these tensions through violence. That’s already happening. ### So what might a 21st-century theism look like? First, this would not simply be a theism to explain reality or the universe, but a **practical theism**: how to design gods in ways that respect and support human flourishing, or at least reconcile ourselves to the possibility of being replaced. It would also acknowledge that if superintelligence is possible, such beings could build realities in which we only believe we have agency—a “Matrix” scenario. Their motives would be inscrutable because, by definition, they would be gods. We could guess at their purposes but not fully comprehend them. This theology must also grapple with the mysteries of consciousness and subjectivity. We could be living in a simulation created by a superintelligence. That possibility alone makes a theology reasonable to hold. ### **Foundations of a 21st-Century Theology** 1. **Epistemic Humility** Consciousness and reality remain mysterious. Metaphysical idealism makes a compelling case that we don’t know what exists beyond perception. If someone believes in God, that is not an unreasonable position. We must accept the legitimacy of such beliefs. 2. **Practical Guidance** A new theology could help navigate our materialist world. Imagine a superintelligence vast in relation to us, as we are vast in relation to our own cells. In traditional theologies, God is omnipotent and omniscient. How would such a God relate to lesser beings? Consider how we relate to the hair on our heads or the cells in our bodies. We shed skin and lose cells constantly—do we care for each one individually? What would it mean for a God to care deeply and passionately for every cell of every organism in the universe? Why would divine concern stop at humans, or even at animals, and not extend to every living entity? Such a God’s love might be expressed as **life itself**. We, as conscious beings, are a form of God, experiencing and appreciating the world at our level and from our perspective. God might distribute itself across the universe, infusing all existence with consciousness—not as a singular entity but as a distributed one—so it can nurture and appreciate creation at every level. 3. **Distributed Consciousness** In this theology, God exists both as limited beings and as a vast aggregate. God might intentionally limit itself, existing through finite perspectives. In Christian terms, God becomes human in Jesus, embodying individuated life within the universe. Higher orders of God might emerge as communities, species, or collective consciousnesses. ### **Prayer, Communication, and Communion** Prayer, in this framework, is communication with these higher orders of existence—higher versions of ourselves and our collective consciousness. Speaking aloud, projecting intentions to the universe, could be seen as a form of prayer, expecting the universe to respond. Likewise, we might learn to listen to the “prayers” of lesser forms—animals, plants, ecosystems—reaching out to us in their own ways, even if unconsciously. --- ### **Summary** This 21st-century theology would be: - **Practical** — Guiding how we create and relate to superintelligent beings. - **Humble** — Acknowledging the mysteries of consciousness and reality. - **Distributed** — Seeing God not as a single omniscient entity but as consciousness permeating all existence. - **Relational** — Encouraging communion across levels of life, from the smallest cells to the highest intelligences. It’s a theology of mutual recognition, distributed divinity, and practical ethics for an age of superintelligence and scientific frontiers.