by Ilia Delio. Published by Orbis Books, 2020. (USD 26.00). Reviewed by Mary Betz

Ilia Delio is first and foremost a philosopher in the tradition of Teilhard de Chardin. She has a passionate belief that cosmic evolution, including the physical, mental and spiritual evolution of humanity, is ever-increasing in unity and conscious complexity toward God.

She contends that Artificial Intelligence (AI) — which, for Delio, includes electronic devices, social media, robots, anything with chips, and indeed most technology — is integral to evolution. We humans are already cyborgs, and we will eventually become hyper-conscious “posthumans” united in a divine collective consciousness. Delio’s almost messianic belief in AI, however, is moderated in the end by a somewhat unconvincing argument for a new gender-fluid and race-transcending global religion which would track AI users toward deeper connectedness.

Delio navigates readers impressively through the history of science, social anthropology and religion. Her book will be of special interest to lovers of philosophy and de Chardin. She has a proclivity for jargon which can make her arguments difficult to follow, and her sweeping assumptions often lack examples or evidence. Delio takes readers places they may not want to go, favouring humanoid robots and implantable software. But she offers fresh theologies of God and Church — and much to challenge us.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 268 March 2022: 27