2026 Russell Family Fellowship Research Conference

2026 Russell Family Fellowship Research Conference

Friday, November 6, 12 PM - 4 PM

Hybrid online and Dinner Board Room

Technology, Propletic Grace, and Life of Planetary Hope

Can technology—particularly artificial intelligence—serve as a source of hope for humanity and the planet amid increasingly complex challenges? One may consider three possible responses to this question: hope "without" technology, hope "through" technology, and hope "with" technology. I adopt the third position—one that acknowledges the indispensability of technology but resists its deification—and then further develop it by drawing on philosophical and theological traditions of hope from the past century, alongside insights from recent posthumanist and new materialist discourses. In brief, I propose reimagining the world we inhabit as communities of eschatological companions and co-creators. Within this framework, I argue that the concept of divine grace operating in a proleptic manner mediated through myriad interwoven webs of mutual entanglement can serve as the foundation of hope. Furthermore, by introducing the concept of the ultimate future that both embraces and transcends transient historical time (rather than referring to an indeterminate future in terms of sustainability), I will explore a vision of life grounded in hope on a planetary scale, that is, "hope against hope” that moves beyond both premature despair and the hubris of self-salvation.

Junghyung Kim is an Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. He was awarded joint first prize in the 2010 ISSR Essay Competition in honor of John Polkinghorne and received the 2007–2008 Charles H. Townes Graduate Fellowship from the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS). Since completing his doctoral dissertation in 2011 on Christian eschatology in dialogue with scientific cosmology, he has published extensively in the field of religion and science. Recently, his primary research interest has focused on reconfiguring— from theological, ontological, and sociological perspectives—the processes through which God, nature, humanity, and technology are co-creating the future of the world. Going a step further, he is also interested in questions such as the role of human beings within this process of co-creation, as well as the kinds of spirituality and virtues required of humanity.

12-12:15 Welcome Remarks

12:15-1:15 Russell Family Fellows Presentation

1:15-1:30 Respondent 1

1:30-1:45 Discussion with Respondent and Fellow

1:45-2:00 Break

2:00-2:15 Respondent 2

2:15-2:30 Discussion with Respondent and Fellow

2:30-2:45 Repondent  3

2:45-3:00 Discussion with Respondent and Fellow

3:00-3:30 Q&A

3:30-3:45 Russell Family Fellows Final Remarks

3:45-4:00 Announcement of Charles Townes Graduate Student Fellowship