**3. Backspace**

430 Social Sciences and Cultural Studies – Issues of Language, Public Opinion, Education and Welfare

mind. Within this broad domain of interest, questions relating to forms of embodiment therefore play an important role in the quest for relevance, especially taking into account that "[t]o enter virtual reality is to cross a threshold where physical and temporal limits are

In the evolving understanding of our age as the *annus virtualis* (Joubert, 2010, p. 48) – and in thinking ahead into the future – the traditional lines of demarcation are being eliminated (Barna, 2011, Kindle edition). A futuristic possibility exists of "scanning our consciousness into computers", enabling us to "enter a virtual existence or swap our bodies for immortal robots and light out for the edges of space as intergalactic godlings" (Time, 2011, p. 27). This links up with Graham's (2003, p. 32) observation that "technological advance is reshaping

Taking this evolving understanding as a point of departure for a critical reflection on the scientific fields of practical theology and, in particular, pastoral care – as well as futures studies, *inter alia* – the domain of interest is not only reflected upon, but recent and future developments are also taken into account, paving the way for the motivation of an interdisciplinary discourse. The research on which this contribution is based is characterised by a philosophical analysis of relevant concepts leading to theory building. In coherence with the theme of the contribution, the documentation of research is delineated by making use of the metaphor of internet connectivity and associative networks of meaning (Müller & Maritz, 1998) as a possible expression of the "technologization of nature" (Graham, 2002, p 2). Connecting to the internet evokes the expectation of encountering landscapes of meaning – some in the form of old, familiar territories, while others comprise uncharted virtual

The term 'loading' evokes the experience of a webpage being downloaded and loading onto the computer screen. A virtual experience is commonly facilitated by connecting to the internet, thereby creating 'cyberspace', which refers in this context to the "symbolic, imagined space between nodes on the network that allows new selves and new worlds to be created" (Garner, 2004, p. 16). In using the metaphor of the internet, I do not wish to imply that this is the only expression of technological advancement. Rather, it is an expression of the current "medium-is-the-message" world (Carr, 2010, p. 1). Graham (2002, p. 4) explains

*Just as the boundaries between humans, animals and machines are eroded, so too are distinctions between the virtual and the real. New digital technologies have reconfigured taken-for-granted* 

My particular approach to the theme of the article is reflected in the understanding that "anthropology is essentially a hermeneutical problem" (Louw, 1999, p. 157). In this approach the emphasis falls on hermeneutical methodology, in which spirituality as a universal human concern in the quest for transcendence and meaning is investigated in terms of a variety of religious traditions and scholarly disciplines (Schneiders, 2005). It is from this point of view that an investigation of the meaning and implications of the

futuristic concept of 'singularity' is conducted, in terms of the following definition:

suspended" (Waters, 2006, p. 52).

what it means to be human".

horizons that await the exploring visitor.

the world of shifting realities:

*patterns of physical space, communication and intimacy.* 

**2. Loading** 

I remember a time when, in the process of rethinking the meaning of anthropology for pastoral care, I reflected on the work of a German anatomist, Gunther von Hagens. During the late 1970s, he developed the so-called plastination technique, revealing inner anatomical structures (Van den Berg, 2008). One of the images portrayed a praying man holding his heart between his hands. To my mind, this image not only depicts the intimate relationship between body and soul, but also metaphorically points to an embodied understanding of spirituality in pastoral care. This insight occurred a few years ago, and at the time I thought that this comprised a new understanding of a bodily spirituality. These days, I find myself in front of the computer, thinking about embodiment in virtuality, where "much human interaction" currently "occurs in a bodiless world" (Herzfeld, 2010, p. 125). As if this were not enough, it is further anticipated that singularity, merging the human being with the machine, will allow "human beings to transcend some of their perceived limitations" (Garner, 2004, p. 16). Understandably, this possible scenario challenges the expectation as to how spirituality will be embodied in an era of singularity. In this regard Dean-Drummond (2005, p. 365) has already pointed out the importance of "[q]uestions about human identity – such as, who am I? Where do I come from? What does the future hold?"

An Anthropology of *Singularity*?

world.

**4.2 Futures studies** 

Pastoral Perspectives for an Embodied Spirituality in the *Annus virtualis* and Beyond 433

believers. There is also another movement away from a therapeutic pastoral model to a

In this regard, the discipline of futures studies not only enables us to be cognisant of our current world; it also develops the ability to read the possible contours of a coming time and

The recognition of the general human capacity to approach the future – which includes specific alternatives and choices and which is formed, *inter alia*, by structures, perceptions and forces – in a strategic and purposeful manner, falls within the domain of research and study (Lombardo, 2008; Slaughter, 2001). In terms of this view, "the idea that changes are real and that humanity is in charge of its own fate" (Time, 2011, p. 27), as expressed by the singularity movement, is not only emphasised, but also resonates with futures studies.

The objective of this approach – and also of the broader field of futures studies – would thus naturally be "to contribute toward making the world a better place in which to live, benefiting people as well as plants, animals, and the life-sustaining capacities of the Earth" (Bell, 1997, p. 3). In my opinion, it is important to take cognisance of these challenges, and to address them, since they determine accents of relevance, sustainability and strategy. The focus in futures studies thus falls on "increasingly find[ing] ways to integrate futures

Falling within the focus field of the domain of futures studies is the movement of transhumanism, in which advanced technologies are portrayed in the pursuit of human perfection: the construction of artificial intelligence to augment intellectual functions, as well as the use of biomedical transplants, prostheses, genetic modification and cryonic

Entering the uncharted terrain of "extremely rapid developments in both science and technology" leads to an awareness of "possibilities for radical revision of concepts of humanness in the future" (Murphy, 2010, p. 21-22). In this regard, even the theologian would do well to take the words of Korowai to heart, namely that inventing "is a lot like surfing: you have to anticipate and catch the wave at just the right moment" (Kurzweil, 2010, Kindle edition). By way of analogy, it is therefore understandable that – in terms of the central metaphor in the documentation of the research – I will need to make use of the Forward button in the search for new markers for an embodied spirituality in this uncharted

As pointed out earlier on, the general human capacity to approach the future in a strategic and purposeful manner is one of the focus areas in the domain of research and study (Lombardo, 2008; Slaughter, 2001). It also resonates well with the central metaphor of virtual

*… the endeavour to read, understand and interpret texts within contexts. Hermeneutics underlined anew the importance of our human quest for meaning [… and] the importance of* 

hermeneutically oriented pastorate, in which emphasis is placed on

literacy with futures strategy" (Slaughter, 2001, p. 415).

preservation to stave off the effects of disease and ageing.

and ever-unfolding terrain of virtuality and beyond.

connectivity associated with the delineation of the research.

**5. Forward** 

*compassion: the dimension of pathos in theology (Louw, 2003, p. 54).* 

Travelling in the space created by a post-foundational practical theology (Müller, 2005) – with longitudes and latitudes of modernity and post-modernity – where various perspectives from science (Deane-Drummond, 2005) are entertained, cognisance is taken of the post-modern 'anthropological approach*'* to spirituality, as explained by Schneiders (2005, p. 26):

*This approach is rooted in the recognition that spirituality is an anthropological constant, a constitutive dimension of the humanum. Human beings are characterized by a capacity for selftranscendence toward ultimate value, whether or not they nurture this capacity or do so in religious or non-religious ways …* 

If, in terms of the above, spirituality is regarded as an "anthropological constant", it becomes an even more challenging quest to reconsider how this "constitutive dimension of the humanum" is to be embodied in an era of singularity. In order to investigate this phenomenon, the overlapping domains of practical theology as a housing discipline for pastoral care, and futures studies as a housing strategy, with a view to sustainability, will be further explored.
