Theology of Technology
By Josiah J. Batten
The chief end of man, according to the first question of the Shorter Westminster Catechism, is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. God is the great end to which everything else is but a means. God is the ultimate value from which all else derives its lesser value. All of life should be ordered around the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Even as we acknowledge the overall supremacy of God in relation to all else, we must admit it is very easy to be distracted and for our priorities to become misplaced. This is especially so in light of modern technological advancements which keep us but one notification away from cyberspace at any given point in time.
Technology itself is not evil. There is nothing inherently wrong about a hard drive. Having a cell phone connected to the Internet is not inherently evil. In fact, technology presents great opportunities for the proclamation of the Gospel in areas where it otherwise might not reach. Properly used, technology can be a wonderful tool for evangelism and discipleship. Improperly used, technology can signify a spiritually deadly vice of distraction that prevents us from ever thinking about the most important questions of life or from having serious interpersonal relationships with one another.
The difference between properly used technology and improperly used technology is simply the question of whether technology is an end in itself, or whether it is a means to an end. If it is a means to an end, we must further ask “to what end?” To treat technology as an end in itself, as something of ultimate value and inherent worth, is idolatry. It would be to worship and serve something created over the Creator (see Romans 1-2). Likewise, to allow technology to use us, to dictate to us how we spend our time and what we think about, would be to allow it to become our master. And no man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).
Simultaneously, technology can (and should) be used as a means to the end of the glory of God. The Gospel can be presented in Youtube videos, in blogs, in Facebook statuses, and tweets. Rich theological material can now be accessed online for free. Ebooks are now a legitimate means of publishing systematic theologies and making them much more affordable than hard copies. Works that might otherwise be out of print now remain accessible through Kindle. A message can be presented to a conference without requiring the physical presence of the speaker. These are all good uses of modern technology, and they should by no means be neglected.
The challenge we face is in balancing the dangers of modern technology with the benefits. First, we must be aware of what Neil Postman warned in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Technology is a medium for conveying a message, and the medium always influences the message that is conveyed. If all communication were reduced to tweets and texts, systematic theology would be impossible. In fact, those who can only communicate in 140 character sound bites may soon find they are unable to entertain the full force of a sustained argument. I was recently listening to a motivational speaker who lamented that he was writing a book and his publisher required the book be no longer than 100-120 pages. The rationale the publisher gave was that people now have shorter attention spans, and they need to be able to read a book in a couple of hours.
This is a travesty. The uncritical overuse of technologies such as text messaging and tweeting seems to be incapacitating one of the most unique elements of humanity itself: Rationality. This is nothing short of an assault on the image of God itself. Know this: The less capable we are to sustain a line of thought over a long period of time, the less capable people will be to understand and accept the Gospel itself.
This is so because the Gospel is embedded in the overarching biblical story. If we do not understand the fall, we cannot understand the need for the Gospel. If we do not understand creation, we cannot understand consummation. In a world dominated by sound bites that must be conveyed in 140 characters or less, presenting the Christian worldview becomes an impossibility. Technology may erect a communication barrier even more severe than that faced by missionaries working among foreign cultures and speaking a second language.
To illustrate the point, try to convey the Gospel using the commonly accepted text jargon, such acronyms as “LOL,” “ROFL,” “WRUD,” “NBD,” “BTW,” and “IMHO.” If such jargon were limited to text messages, there might not be much cause for concern. But texting is increasingly the preferred method of communication, even above face-to-face communication.
This matters because words are symbols that convey ideas. The more our words and vocabulary are limited, the fewer ideas we can entertain. And the fewer ideas we can entertain, the less time we will spend thinking about what actually matters, questions such as meaning, morality, and destiny. If a language can be reduced to eliminate any concepts of transcendence, talk about God will become incomprehensible and meaningless to those who can only understand three to four letter acronyms.
I do not write this to be an alarmist. We clearly have not reached that point yet, thank God. Yet trajectory is important, and the current trajectory is not a good one. Technological development has in many ways outpaced our ability to think rationally and morally about it. Without any theology of technology, we are destined to become idolaters who serve technology rather than servants of God who place technology under His sovereignty.
We are called to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). We cannot do this if we allow technology to so dominate us that we forget God Himself. Likewise, we will be handicapped in making disciples if we fail to faithfully utilize technology to the glory and honor of God.
Our theology of technology must begin with a recognition that all of life, including technology, is grounded and centered in Christ (Colossians 1:16-17). As such, technology is not an end in itself, it is but a means to the glory of God. Technology must not be our master, it must be utilized by God’s servants in advancing a kingdom not built with hands. We must simultaneously limit our use of technology to appropriate ends, even as we do not neglect technology and what it represents as a means for advancing the glory of God. Technology cannot dictate to us how we live and think, we must dictate to technology how it will be used to advance the Gospel in a world dominated by distractions. Technology must never become a replacement for a real relationship with God and our fellow man, but it can be a helpful means in facilitating love for God and for others when it is kept in its proper place.
By Josiah J. Batten
The chief end of man, according to the first question of the Shorter Westminster Catechism, is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. God is the great end to which everything else is but a means. God is the ultimate value from which all else derives its lesser value. All of life should be ordered around the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Even as we acknowledge the overall supremacy of God in relation to all else, we must admit it is very easy to be distracted and for our priorities to become misplaced. This is especially so in light of modern technological advancements which keep us but one notification away from cyberspace at any given point in time.
Technology itself is not evil. There is nothing inherently wrong about a hard drive. Having a cell phone connected to the Internet is not inherently evil. In fact, technology presents great opportunities for the proclamation of the Gospel in areas where it otherwise might not reach. Properly used, technology can be a wonderful tool for evangelism and discipleship. Improperly used, technology can signify a spiritually deadly vice of distraction that prevents us from ever thinking about the most important questions of life or from having serious interpersonal relationships with one another.
The difference between properly used technology and improperly used technology is simply the question of whether technology is an end in itself, or whether it is a means to an end. If it is a means to an end, we must further ask “to what end?” To treat technology as an end in itself, as something of ultimate value and inherent worth, is idolatry. It would be to worship and serve something created over the Creator (see Romans 1-2). Likewise, to allow technology to use us, to dictate to us how we spend our time and what we think about, would be to allow it to become our master. And no man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).
Simultaneously, technology can (and should) be used as a means to the end of the glory of God. The Gospel can be presented in Youtube videos, in blogs, in Facebook statuses, and tweets. Rich theological material can now be accessed online for free. Ebooks are now a legitimate means of publishing systematic theologies and making them much more affordable than hard copies. Works that might otherwise be out of print now remain accessible through Kindle. A message can be presented to a conference without requiring the physical presence of the speaker. These are all good uses of modern technology, and they should by no means be neglected.
The challenge we face is in balancing the dangers of modern technology with the benefits. First, we must be aware of what Neil Postman warned in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Technology is a medium for conveying a message, and the medium always influences the message that is conveyed. If all communication were reduced to tweets and texts, systematic theology would be impossible. In fact, those who can only communicate in 140 character sound bites may soon find they are unable to entertain the full force of a sustained argument. I was recently listening to a motivational speaker who lamented that he was writing a book and his publisher required the book be no longer than 100-120 pages. The rationale the publisher gave was that people now have shorter attention spans, and they need to be able to read a book in a couple of hours.
This is a travesty. The uncritical overuse of technologies such as text messaging and tweeting seems to be incapacitating one of the most unique elements of humanity itself: Rationality. This is nothing short of an assault on the image of God itself. Know this: The less capable we are to sustain a line of thought over a long period of time, the less capable people will be to understand and accept the Gospel itself.
This is so because the Gospel is embedded in the overarching biblical story. If we do not understand the fall, we cannot understand the need for the Gospel. If we do not understand creation, we cannot understand consummation. In a world dominated by sound bites that must be conveyed in 140 characters or less, presenting the Christian worldview becomes an impossibility. Technology may erect a communication barrier even more severe than that faced by missionaries working among foreign cultures and speaking a second language.
To illustrate the point, try to convey the Gospel using the commonly accepted text jargon, such acronyms as “LOL,” “ROFL,” “WRUD,” “NBD,” “BTW,” and “IMHO.” If such jargon were limited to text messages, there might not be much cause for concern. But texting is increasingly the preferred method of communication, even above face-to-face communication.
This matters because words are symbols that convey ideas. The more our words and vocabulary are limited, the fewer ideas we can entertain. And the fewer ideas we can entertain, the less time we will spend thinking about what actually matters, questions such as meaning, morality, and destiny. If a language can be reduced to eliminate any concepts of transcendence, talk about God will become incomprehensible and meaningless to those who can only understand three to four letter acronyms.
I do not write this to be an alarmist. We clearly have not reached that point yet, thank God. Yet trajectory is important, and the current trajectory is not a good one. Technological development has in many ways outpaced our ability to think rationally and morally about it. Without any theology of technology, we are destined to become idolaters who serve technology rather than servants of God who place technology under His sovereignty.
We are called to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). We cannot do this if we allow technology to so dominate us that we forget God Himself. Likewise, we will be handicapped in making disciples if we fail to faithfully utilize technology to the glory and honor of God.
Our theology of technology must begin with a recognition that all of life, including technology, is grounded and centered in Christ (Colossians 1:16-17). As such, technology is not an end in itself, it is but a means to the glory of God. Technology must not be our master, it must be utilized by God’s servants in advancing a kingdom not built with hands. We must simultaneously limit our use of technology to appropriate ends, even as we do not neglect technology and what it represents as a means for advancing the glory of God. Technology cannot dictate to us how we live and think, we must dictate to technology how it will be used to advance the Gospel in a world dominated by distractions. Technology must never become a replacement for a real relationship with God and our fellow man, but it can be a helpful means in facilitating love for God and for others when it is kept in its proper place.