Abstract

There are striking parallels between contemporary Christian engagement with transhumanism and medieval interest in the so-called monstrous races: cyclops, pygmies, dog-headed people, headless people with giant faces on their torsos, and the like. Several medieval Christians, including Augustine, either believed that these creatures existed in the far-off corners of the earth or at least countenanced the possibility of their existence. Medieval Christians did not just view the monstrous races as curiosities; they also considered the theological implications of such unusual creatures. Of particular interest was what their existence might mean for questions of human nature, original sin, divine providence, and virtue. As contemporary Christians grapple with similar questions in light of transhumanism, they can draw upon insights from the medieval engagement with the monstrous races.