Brave New Us: Choosing Human in a Synthetic World

Samantha N Stephenson
  • 5.0 (51)
  • Christianity

From gene editing and artificial wombs to brain implants and digital immortality—what does it mean to be human in a world trying to remake us? Brave New Us explores how emerging technologies are reshaping what it means to be human. Hosted by Catholic bioethicist and author Samantha Stephenson, the podcast sits at the crossroads of faith, science, and ethics, featuring expert interviews and incisive commentary on biotechnology, AI, transhumanism, reproductive technologies, human enhancement, and the moral questions they raise. Whether you're questioning the ethics of cutting-edge science, navigating a rapidly changing technological world, or simply seeking clarity in an age of unprecedented innovation, Brave New Us will help you think critically, live intentionally, and choose what is deeply human. Samantha Stephenson holds master's degrees in theology and bioethics, served as a Paul Ramsey Fellow at the Center for Bioethics and Culture, and taught for the McGrath Institute at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of several books helping readers grow in faith and navigate the spiritual and ethical questions shaping our rapidly changing world. In addition to hosting the Brave New Us podcast, Samantha writes the Choosing Human newsletter on Substack where she explores faith, family, and the future of being human. Learn more at www.snstephenson.com. Subscribe now—and stay human in an age that’s forgetting how.

  1. Jul 29

    BONUS: Guardians of the Home: Discerning the Voice of Truth and Forming Peace-Filled Homes

    Recorded live at the Rocky Mountain Catholic Home Educators Conference (June 20, 2026) Our homes are not just places where we live—they are places where souls are formed. In this keynote from the 2026 Rocky Mountain Catholic Home Educators Conference, Samantha Stephenson invites parents to see their vocation with fresh eyes. In a culture saturated with anxiety, distraction, algorithms, and competing voices, mothers and fathers are called to become guardians of their homes—carefully discerning what enters their family's imagination, habits, and hearts. Drawing from Scripture, Catholic tradition, and practical wisdom for everyday family life, Samantha explores how we can cultivate homes rooted in truth, beauty, goodness, and peace. Rather than reacting to every cultural trend or technological advance, Christian families are called to become intentional communities that form children capable of recognizing the voice of the Good Shepherd. Whether you're homeschooling, raising young children, or simply longing for a more peaceful home, this talk offers encouragement and practical tools for reclaiming your family's attention, imagination, and mission. In this episode: Why parents are the primary formators of their children's hearts and minds How modern media and technology compete for our attention Learning to recognize the difference between God's voice and the voices of fear, consumerism, and distraction Building a home centered on truth, beauty, and goodness Creating habits that foster peace instead of anxiety Practical ways to cultivate silence, prayer, and wonder in family life Why the culture of your home matters more than the culture around you If this episode encouraged you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with another parent who could use a little encouragement. Connect with Samantha 🌿 Newsletter: Choosing Human 🎙️ Podcast: Brave New Us 📚 Books: Reclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad The Bellbind Letters Grow Where You're Planted Thank you for listening.

  2. Jul 8

    BONUS: Should Catholics Trust AI?

    Artificial intelligence is changing how we search for information, write, create, learn, and even pray. But what happens when AI enters the life of the Church? In this episode of Brave New Us, Samantha Stephenson sits down with Tim, creator of Chatechism, one of the most ambitious Catholic AI projects to date. Together they explore not only what AI can do for Catholics, but also where it should—and shouldn't—go. Rather than offering easy answers, this conversation wrestles honestly with some of the biggest questions facing the Church in the age of artificial intelligence: Can an AI ever be trusted with spiritual guidance? What responsibilities do Catholic developers have toward truth, ecology, and the common good? Should AI help write homilies or daily reflections? And what might faithful innovation actually look like? Whether you're excited about AI, deeply skeptical, or somewhere in between, this episode offers a thoughtful Catholic framework for engaging one of the defining technologies of our time. In this episode: Why Catholics shouldn't simply fear artificial intelligence—or embrace it uncritically. How large language models actually work, and why hallucinations remain one of their biggest limitations. Why Chatechism was created and the vision behind building a distinctly Catholic AI. What makes a trustworthy Catholic AI different from a generic chatbot trained on religious content. The ethical responsibilities of Catholic AI developers, including concerns about bias, reliability, environmental costs, and cooperation with morally problematic technology companies. How one Catholic family is navigating AI with children of every age—from toddlers to adults. The risks AI poses to education, creativity, and authentic human formation. Whether AI-generated spiritual reflections and homilies enrich the Church—or risk displacing the unique work of the Holy Spirit through human authors, pastors, and communities. Why Catholics need to help shape the future of artificial intelligence instead of watching from the sidelines. Tim's answer to the Brave New Us closing question: Who best embodies what it means to be truly human? Resources Mentioned Chatechism Download the app Use promo code BRAVENEWUS for a month of full features for FREE For more, check out Samantha’s article “Can AI Be Redeemed?” Connect with Samantha If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about biotechnology, artificial intelligence, faith, and what it means to remain deeply human in an age of rapid technological change, subscribe to Brave New Us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also find Samantha's writing at Choosing Human, where she explores bioethics, motherhood, technology, and Christian anthropology.

  3. May 1

    Season FINALE: Touching Grass, Or Why I Gave Up My Homestead Dream

    What if the answer isn’t escaping modern life, but learning to inhabit it differently? In this season finale, Samantha reflects on her own attraction to the homestead ideal — and why she ultimately reconsidered what it means to live sustainably, faithfully, and attentively in the place God has already given her. This episode marks the beginning of a summer pause for Brave New Us and an invitation to continue the conversation through gardening, stewardship, and cultivation on YouTube. In this episode: The appeal and limits of the homestead dream Stewardship versus escape Gardening as an embodied spiritual practice An invitation to grow where you’re planted Summer Update:Brave New Us will return after a seasonal break. In the meantime, join Samantha on YouTube for garden stories, practical growing, and reflections on embodiment, limits, and care for creation. Buy the book: Grow Where You’re Planted: Reclaming Eden in Your Own Backyard YouTube

  4. Apr 17

    Your Uterus or Mine? How Transplantation Is Changing the Face of Reproductive Medicine | Dr. Andrew Kubick

    Medical breakthroughs often arrive faster than our moral vocabulary can keep up. Samantha speaks with Andrew Kubick of the National Catholic Bioethics Center about uterine transplantation — from its therapeutic promise for women experiencing infertility to the profound ethical questions raised as reproductive technology expands toward increasingly experimental possibilities. When medicine gains the power not only to heal but to redesign reproduction, how should we think about human dignity, motherhood, and the meaning of the body itself? In this episode: The science and ethics of uterine transplants Therapeutic medicine vs. technological expansion Bioethics and Catholic moral reasoning The cultural implications of redefining reproduction Buy the book: Transplanting the Womb Subscribe to the newsletter!

  5. Apr 3

    Made Good: Making Peace with the Body (with a Catholic Nutritionist)

    What if health begins not with control, but with trust? Samantha speaks with a Catholic nutritionist about holistic health, women’s metabolism, and the growing desire to step out of cycles of restriction and anxiety surrounding food and wellness. Together they explore how Christian anthropology offers a different starting point for health: the body as created good, meaningful, and worthy of care rather than suspicion. In this episode: Holistic health and the limits of modern wellness culture Women’s health, metabolism, and stress Faith and nutrition Learning to cooperate with the body instead of fighting it Buy the Book: Made Good Subscribe to the newsletter!

  6. Mar 20

    Disembodiment — Or Something Else?

    Modern culture is often described as disembodied — detached from physical reality and increasingly virtual. But is that diagnosis accurate? In this episode, Samantha responds to arguments about “disembodiment,” proposing instead that modern life has produced a cluster of bodily effects: heightened anxiety about health, constant self-monitoring, and confusion about what the body means or how it should be understood. Rather than abandoning the body, we may be struggling to interpret it. In this episode: A response to Helen Roy’s argument on disembodiment Why modern people are hyper-focused on their bodies rather than detached from them Technology, medicine, and the loss of bodily intelligibility How diagnosing the problem shapes the path toward healing Subscribe to the newsletter!

  7. Mar 6

    Infertile. Now What? | Leigh Snead

    Infertility is often treated as a medical problem waiting for a solution. But for many women, the deeper questions begin after diagnosis. Samantha speaks with Leigh Snead, author of Infertile but Fruitful, about the emotional, spiritual, and relational realities of infertility — and the challenge of understanding the meaning of spiritual motherhood when life unfolds differently than expected. Together they explore how faith reframes suffering, vocation, and hope without reducing them to easy answers. In this episode: The lived experience of infertility beyond clinical language Marriage, identity, and waiting Christian understandings of fruitfulness Finding meaning when life diverges from long-held expectations Buy the book: Infertile But Fruitful Subscribe to the newsletter!

  8. Feb 20

    Change the Language, Change the Culture

    Language does more than describe reality. Over time, it teaches us how to see it. In this episode of Brave New Us, Samantha shares a reading and reflection connected to her spiritual fiction project, The Bellbind Letters, exploring how cultural change often begins not with laws or technologies, but with shifts in vocabulary — especially around the body, femininity, and identity. What happens when familiar words slowly take on new meanings? And how does language shape the way a society understands what it means to be human? This episode opens a larger season-long conversation about embodiment, fertility, health, and the search for a more grounded way of living in a technological age. In this episode: How language quietly reshapes culture Why debates about the body are often linguistic before they are political Fiction as a tool for cultural and moral imagination Setting the stage for conversations on infertility, health, and embodied life Buy the book: The Bellbind Letters Subscribe to the newsletter!

See All (52)

5
out of 5
51 Ratings

About

From gene editing and artificial wombs to brain implants and digital immortality—what does it mean to be human in a world trying to remake us? Brave New Us explores how emerging technologies are reshaping what it means to be human. Hosted by Catholic bioethicist and author Samantha Stephenson, the podcast sits at the crossroads of faith, science, and ethics, featuring expert interviews and incisive commentary on biotechnology, AI, transhumanism, reproductive technologies, human enhancement, and the moral questions they raise. Whether you're questioning the ethics of cutting-edge science, navigating a rapidly changing technological world, or simply seeking clarity in an age of unprecedented innovation, Brave New Us will help you think critically, live intentionally, and choose what is deeply human. Samantha Stephenson holds master's degrees in theology and bioethics, served as a Paul Ramsey Fellow at the Center for Bioethics and Culture, and taught for the McGrath Institute at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of several books helping readers grow in faith and navigate the spiritual and ethical questions shaping our rapidly changing world. In addition to hosting the Brave New Us podcast, Samantha writes the Choosing Human newsletter on Substack where she explores faith, family, and the future of being human. Learn more at www.snstephenson.com. Subscribe now—and stay human in an age that’s forgetting how.

Information

You Might Also Like