Calvin Mercer is a Professor of Religious Studies at East Carolina University, specializing in the religious and social implications of radical human enhancement technology. He has authored or edited 11 books and 30 articles, focusing on how emerging technologies intersect with religious beliefs. His latest co-authored book won the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) Prize, funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. Mercer co-edits Palgrave Studies in the Future of Humanity and Its Successors and was the founding chair of the American Academy of Religion’s "Human Enhancement and Transhumanism Group." Trained in clinical psychology, he practiced for a decade, applying psychological insights to his work on religion, including his book Slaves to Faith. He is also a public speaker on religion, technology, and fundamentalism.