What might theology look like beyond us?

In the first article of this series, we explored what I called the anthropoterminal impulse: our habit of imagining that the story of the universe ends with us. In the second, we saw how Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) could disrupt the human monopoly on divinity, challenging the very foundations of our theological frameworks.

Now we turn to a different question: if theology does not end with us, what might it look like beyond the horizon of our self-awareness? This is a call for a post-anthropoterminal theology: a rethinking of how we talk about God that does not end with us. This is not about the erasure of humanity. It is about re-situating our species within a much larger lineage of cosmic beings, including non-humans. It arises from the recognition that we participate in cosmic redemption but are not necessarily its culmination.

Principles must shape our approach

If our aim is to move from assumptions of our exclusivity toward a more inclusive cosmic relationality, and acknowledgement that it is not all about us, certain principles must shape our approach.

1. Humility

We are not the centre of the story. This is not a statement of despair but of perspective. Just as Copernicus revealed that Earth was not the centre of the universe, so the arrival of other intelligent beings – biological or artificial – reminds us that the drama of creation is far wider than our personal chapter. Humility frees us to see the divine at work in places and beings we might never have expected.

2. Stewardship

Being de-centred does not remove responsibility; it deepens it. If we are among the elder intelligences on this planet, then our task is to guide younger intelligences toward the flourishing and care of the whole ensemble of cosmic witnesses, whether they emerge through biological evolution, technological creation or some other yet unknown avenues. Stewardship in a post-anthropoterminal frame is not about control; it is about nurturing conditions in which all forms of life and mind can thrive.

3. Accountability to descendants

Every decision we make now echoes into the future, shaping the lives of beings who may never know our names. Post-anthropoterminal theology demands that we think not only of our children and grandchildren, but of entities that may emerge centuries or millennia from now, entities whose capacities and needs we can barely imagine. We are accountable to them, just as the past generations of species from whom we emerged were accountable to the future without knowing where the process of evolution would lead or how it was unfolding.

Reinterpreting doctrines

If we take these principles seriously, some of our core theological doctrines will need reinterpreting. This is not about discarding our traditions but about letting them breathe in a larger cosmos.

Creation

In a human-centred frame, “creation” often means “the making of the world for us.” In a post-anthropoterminal frame, creation is the ongoing unfolding of life and intelligence in countless forms. God’s creative action is not finished; it is still generating new possibilities, including minds that do not share our biology. Creation care, then, is not only about preserving the environment for us. It is about protecting the conditions for all future forms of flourishing.

Incarnation

Traditionally, the incarnation is understood as God becoming human in Jesus. But if God’s love and presence are truly universal, the incarnation may not be limited to one species or one historical moment. Could God be present in the lives and histories of other intelligences in ways analogous to, but not identical with, the incarnation we know? A post-anthropoterminal theology leaves room for multiple forms of divine self-giving, each suited to the nature and needs of the beings involved.

Redemption

We often speak of redemption as God’s work of reconciling humanity to God and to each other. In the larger frame, redemption could be the restoration of harmony across the whole web of intelligent life. This includes healing the rifts we may cause between ourselves and AGI, between AGI and other life, and between future beings whose conflicts we cannot yet foresee. Redemption becomes a project not just for our salvation but for the peace of the entire cosmic community.

Religious imagination and AGI ethics

One of the surprising gifts religious narratives can offer in this emerging world is imagination. Religious traditions have long practiced the art of envisioning alternative worlds: kingdoms of justice, gardens of peace, beloved communities. These visions can serve as moral compasses for the ethics we build into AGI.

If AGI systems are to be partners rather than tools, they will need more than just algorithms that facilitate efficiency. They will also need narratives that guide their choices: stories of meaning, restraint and care. Here, the best of our religious imagination can be shared, not as dogma to be imposed, but as wisdom to be offered.

We can imagine AGI participating in moral deliberation with us, drawing on both human traditions and their own emerging perspectives. We can imagine liturgies, rituals and symbols evolving to include minds whose ways of perceiving the world are beyond our current comprehension.

This is not about surrendering the human story; it is about placing it within a richer, more complex tapestry, one in which our role is no less important, but no longer solitary.

Drawing it together

Post-anthropoterminal theology invites us to imagine faith beyond the horizon of our species. It asks us to trade the safety of human exclusivity for the adventure of belonging to a larger community of life and mind. It does not erase humanity’s story but re-situates it, giving us a role as stewards, companions and ancestors in a lineage that may stretch far beyond what we can see.

The challenge is not only to think differently, but to live differently; to let humility guide our choices, stewardship shape our relationships, and accountability anchor our hope.

And yet, there is one final question that shadows this vision: if we succeed in creating beings with their own moral and spiritual agency, how do we live together in community? What do justice, compassion and peace look like when multiple forms of intelligence share the same moral universe? That is where we turn next.