Screen-Free Journey: A Monastic Reflection

Carlos Whittaker is an author, podcaster, and global speaker who is backed by, as he puts it, “the power of a massive Instafamilia.” Perhaps it’s no wonder, then, that when he decided to spend 23 hours a day in silence at a Benedictine monastery, he experienced physical detoxification symptoms—including heart palpitations. 

Whittaker and Moore talk about their experiences of spending time screen-free and how it has changed them. They discuss the relational focus made possible by time apart from devices and the transformative effects of communal living. They consider how Christians engage with time, why it’s important to savor experiences, and how believers might reclaim the practice of solitude. 

Ultimately, they speak to the potential for a healthy relationship to technology and discuss what it may look like to pursue it.

Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include:

• Carlos Whittaker
• Pascal’s Penseés 
• Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human by Carlos Whittaker
• Saint Andrew’s Abbey
• Henri Nouwen
• “London Taxi Drivers and Bus Drivers: A Structural MRI and Neuropsychological Analysis”

Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.

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