In Black Transhuman Liberation Theology, Philip Butler considers the role that technology may play in the role of African American spiritual life and liberation in a society under technocratic rule, a form of “electronic governance (e-governance) by an elite class of technical and technological experts” (5). Butler addresses the issue of Black (trans)humanity. He argues that the denial of African American people from human status is a problem of language and epistemology, with the most prevalent forms of technology being used to subvert Black bodies. Black folk should therefore no longer attempt to become accepted as human and, instead, embrace being transhuman.Transhumanism is a philosophical and cultural movement that uses technology to expand one’s physical, intellectual, or psychological capabilities. It may also be defined as the acceptance of technology within the body itself. That is, one must welcome the reality that the body is a collection of complex systems that involve organs, cells, neurons, and protons that exchange electricity and work together to sustain both life and health. For Black people to become physically liberated, they must first free themselves from the cognitive bondage of the language and meaning of being human. Ultimately, society’s concept of human delineates who is included in that category and employs a technology that excludes certain groups as nonhuman. Instead of wrestling over and struggling to be included as human, Butler suggests that Black people should recognize that the human body is a form of biotechnology.Continuing from the perspective that human bodies are forms of biotechnology, Butler then lays out the foundation for his Black transhuman liberation theology. He introduces vitality, the underlying energy permeating all of existence, as the electrical force that propels and sustains the human biotechnical systems and inanimate objects. It is the recognition that vitality is present in all things that establishes how Black (trans)humans relate to one another and the world. Vitality is the power of the divine. It is incarnate in the body and gives Black (trans)humans the divine capacity for both individual and communal liberation. Responsibility for liberation, therefore, is not the task of a deity or that which is beyond the self. It is the responsibility of those who have vitality flowing through our bodies. Butler writes, “If Black biotech is vitality incarnate, then an appeal to God, or that which is beyond the self, for an intervention against systemic oppression becomes problematic” (69).Spirituality, then, must be understood as an embodied practice beyond Christianity or any other religious doctrine, creed, and tradition. For Butler, spirituality is grounded in human physiology and materiality, stemming from the metabolic process of the body and its cells. It is the means by which individuals train the body to respond in particular ways to internal and external stimuli. As a result, spiritual practices have both neurological and somatosensory effects which allow individuals to accept their self-worth and enhance physiological change. Because each person’s biochemical makeup is unique, each must determine which spiritual practices have the greatest, most positive physical and neurological impact.Butler then suggests spiritual practices that Black (trans)humans ought to practice in order to promote individual and communal vitality and materialize liberation. These include ancestor veneration, cooking and eating, praying, cleansing, crisis contemplation, dancing, ecstatic singing, listening to sermons, mindfulness, mimicry, preaching, and yoga. Although some of these practices are associated with religious traditions, the importance of these spiritual practices for Butler is their impact on neurological and physical health of the body, their ability to promote vitality, and their effectiveness to aid individuals and communities toward liberation.Spiritual practices should occur, however, under constant evaluation. Butler suggests the use of various forms of technology (e.g., mobile phone applications, heart rate measurements, and more) to measure the body vitality and overall fitness. Practices that do not maintain or improve the overall wellness of the individual’s body should be abandoned. Butler ultimately wants Black communities to develop revolt spirituality, which he defines as “a call to demand the most of what makes you while engaging in the absolute violence that dismantles the system,” as a way of pushing against ways of living that maintain white supremacy (138).Philip Butler’s text is essential reading for theologians and scholars of religion who are considering the implications that various forms of technology have on the body and how technology can aid those in oppressed communities move toward liberation. He highlights the use of technology in oppression and introduces practical, embodied ways to measure the effectiveness of spiritual practices for preparing Black (trans)humans to deal with the mental and physiological strains of facing that oppression. Butler’s formation of theology is both interfaith and universal because it is grounded in embodiment instead of specific religious traditions. It is a theology that can be useful to people of faith and to nonbelievers alike.
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Jan 1, 2023
Hannah Marcus 
Open Access