Calvin Mercer

Dr. Calvin Mercer is a Professor of Religious Studies in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at East Carolina University, where he has established himself as a leading scholar at the intersection of religion and emerging technologies. With 11 authored and edited books and approximately 30 articles to his name, his scholarly output has significantly shaped the emerging field of religion and technology studies.

Dr. Mercer holds a unique interdisciplinary position, combining his expertise in religious studies with clinical psychology training. He practiced as a therapist part-time for about a decade, specializing in cases where religion was a factor in mental distress, which has deeply informed his scholarly work on fundamentalism and religious psychology.

• Professor of Religious Studies at East Carolina University
• Founding chair of the American Academy of Religion's Human Enhancement and Transhumanism Group
• Co-editor of Palgrave Studies in the Future of Humanity and Its Successors
• Recipient of the International Society for Science and Religion Prize

Dr. Mercer's research primarily focuses on the religious and social implications of radical human enhancement technologies, including biohacking, artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and radical life extension. His work examines how religious traditions respond to and interpret technological advancements that challenge traditional understandings of human nature, mortality, and spirituality. He has made significant contributions to understanding the theological implications of superintelligence and mind uploading.

His most notable publication, Religion and the Technological Future: An Introduction to Biohacking, Artificial Intelligence, and Transhumanism (co-authored with Tracy Trothen), received the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) Prize for Books Suitable for a Professional Audience, an annual award funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. The book has been widely praised for its comprehensive, accessible approach to a complex subject and has been translated into Arabic.

• International Society for Science and Religion Prize for Books Suitable for a Professional Audience
• Reader's Favorite 5-Star Award for children's book There Ought to Be a Law

Dr. Mercer frequently gives public lectures on religion and human enhancement technology, as well as on his psychological interpretation of fundamentalism. His interdisciplinary approach, combining religious studies with clinical psychology insights, makes him a distinctive voice in contemporary scholarship on religion and technology. He continues to be an active scholar with forthcoming work including Transhumanism as a New Religious Movement (Cambridge University Press, 2025).