Join Alastair Roberts, a UK and US-based scholar on Christian ethics and biblical theology, as he dives deep into the relationship between technology and spirituality. He explores how technological advancements can both enrich and hinder our encounter with the divine. Roberts contrasts Babel's ambition with the hope of the New Jerusalem, discussing the impact of different Bible mediums on worship. He also highlights the early church's communal reading practices and warns against the potential spiritual pitfalls of digital reliance. This thought-provoking conversation is sure to inspire a reevaluation of your own tech usage.
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insights INSIGHT
Drivers of Technology
Technology is driven by safety, reputation, and a desire for permanence.
These drivers, while present in God's original purpose for humanity, become distorted by the Fall.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Early Technologies and Babel
Cain's descendants pioneered technologies like metalworking and music.
Babel represents technology used to defy God, driven by fear of death and scattering.
insights INSIGHT
Technology and Humanity
Technology, like language and clothing, is integral to humanity, not inherently sinful.
The Fall distorts how we use technology, expressing our sin through it.
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In 'The Abolition of Man', C.S. Lewis delivers a defense of objective value and natural law, originating from his Riddell Memorial Lectures at the University of Durham in 1943. Lewis argues that education should be conducted within the context of moral law and objective values, which he terms the 'Tao'. He criticizes modern attempts to debunk these values, warning that such actions could lead to a dehumanization of society, resulting in what he calls 'Men without Chests' – individuals whose emotions have not been trained to conform to reason. The book emphasizes the universal nature of traditional moralities across different cultures and warns against the dangers of moral relativism and the reduction of human beings to mere objects of scientific analysis[2][4][5].
Bulwarks of Unbelief
Bulwarks of Unbelief
Joseph Minnick
The Gospel and Technology
Alastair Roberts: Technology, Redemption and Digital Bibles
In a fascinating two-part discussion, Alastair Roberts traces the theme of technology throughout the Bible’s redemptive story — and then explores the impact of our Bibles’ physical medium (paper, digital etc) on the way we encounter God’s Word.
Alastair Roberts splits his time between the UK and the United States, writing, teaching, speaking and tweeting about a broad range of topics including Christian ethics, biblical theology and the sacraments. He works for both the Davenant and Theopolis Institutes.
Podcast Discussion Questions
Alastair says in his article ‘The story of building civilisation under the conditions of the Fall is a story of technology – language and politics wrenched out of the order they were meant to serve, used to serve grasped glory rather than the glory that is given’. How do you see that pattern play out in Genesis 11:1-9 and Daniel 4:1-37? What warning does that provide for us?
How does the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:1-27 differ from Babel? What has made this difference? How could this vision guide and influence your everyday use of technology?
What do Acts 2:42-27, 2 Corinthians 3:1-3 and Colossians 3:16 show about the role of the Bible in our church gatherings? How can you grow in listening, meditating, singing, rejoicing in and sharing the Bible, especially with others? How might different physical forms of the Bible help or hinder you?
Are there ways technology might distract you from pursuing what God loves? Are there ways you might need to be more ‘inefficient’ in everyday life to pursue God’s purposes for relationships?
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