Digital Public Square

In this episode, Dr. James Eglinton, Meldrum Senior Lecturer in Reformed Theology at the University of Edinburgh, joins me, and we talk about the work of Herman Bavinck and how his example can help us navigate the modern challenges of science and culture.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Eglinton:Dr. Eglinton is the author of “Bavinck: A Critical Biography” and “Trinity and Organism.” He has written for Christianity Today, The Times, The Herald, The Scotsman, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He is a graduate of the Universities of Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.Resources:The Wonderful Works of God by Herman BavinckBavinck: A Critical Biography by James Eglinton

In this episode, I am joined by my friend Dr. Kutter Callaway, associate professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and Co-Director of Reel Spirituality, and we talk about his work on technology, film, and culture.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Callaway:Dr. Callaway has been actively engaged in writing and speaking on the interaction between theology and culture–particularly film, television, and online media–in both academic and popular forums. He has been a steering committee member for the Religion, Film, and Visual Culture group at the American Academy of Religion since 2013. He has also served on the Windrider Film Forum Advisory Board and on the steering committee for the Brehm Center’s Church in Contemporary Culture Initiative since 2011. He is ordained as a Baptist minister.Resources:Strength to Love by Martin Luther King, Jr.Resources from Kutter Callaway

This week, I am joined by my friend Klon Kitchen, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and we talk about technology policy, national security, and the rise of China.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Klon Kitchen:At AEI, Kitchen focuses on the intersection of national security and defense technologies and innovation. Through his research, he works to understand and explain how emerging technologies are shaping modern statecraft, intelligence, and warfighting, while focusing on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum sciences. Before joining AEI, Mr. Kitchen was director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Technology Policy, where he led an enterprise-wide, interdisciplinary effort to understand and shape the nation’s most important technology issues. Prior to joining Heritage, Klon was National Security Advisor to Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska and also the Staff Director of the National Security and International Trade and Finance Subcommittee for the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.Resources:AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the new world order by Kai-Fu LeeThe Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity by Jason ThackerThe Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch

On this episode of WeeklyTech, I am joined by my colleague Josh Wester, Chair of Research in Christian Ethics at the ERLC, and we talk about Amazon, book removals, and content moderation. A few weeks ago, Josh and I wrote a piece at the ERLC titled “Should Amazon be able to ban books?.” Today we dialogue about Ryan Anderson’s book “When Harry became Sally” and discuss its removal from Amazon as well as some of the underlying issues related to digital governance and questions surrounding Section 230. Since the original recording of this episode, Amazon has provided some clarity to their decision to remove Anderson’s book from the marketplace. Resources:Should Amazon be able to ban books? | ERLCIs content moderation stifling public discourse? | ERLCUnderstanding Twitter suspensions and the need for consistent policies | ERLCSign up for the WeeklyTech Newsletter

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Brian Brock, Professor of Moral and Practical Theology at the University of Aberdeen in Aberdeen, Scotland, and we talk about ethical technology.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Brian Brock:Dr. Brock is the author of numerous books including “Christian Ethics in a Technological Age,” “Singing the Ethos of God: On the Place of Christian Ethics in Scripture,” and “Disability in the Christian Tradition.” He has written extensively on medical ethics and disability theology.Resources:Christian Ethics in a Technological Age by Dr. Brian BrockThe Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power by Shoshana ZuboffThe Limit of Responsibility: Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Ethics for a Globalizing Era by Esther D. Reed

In this episode, I am joined by Drs. James Davison Hunter and Paul Nedelisky, both professors at the University of Virginia, and we talk about the nature of science and morality based on their book “Science and the Good: The Tragic Quest for the Foundations of Morality” from Yale University Press.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Drs. James Davison Hunter and Paul Nedelisky:Dr. James Davison Hunter is LaBrosse-Levinson Distinguished Professor of Religion, Culture and Social Theory at the University of Virginia and Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. He is the author of “Culture Wars” and “The Death of Character.”Dr. Paul Nedelisky is an Assistant Director and a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. His research interests center on issues in metaphysics and ethics. Nedelisky received a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Virginia in 2013.Resources:Science and the Good: The Tragic Quest for the Foundations of Morality by James Davison Hunter and Paul NedeliskyCulture Wars: The Struggle To Control The Family, Art, Education, Law, And Politics In Americaby James Davison HunterExperiments in Ethics by Kwame Anthony AppiahThe Atheist’s Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions by Alex Rosenberg

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Brent Waters who serves as the Jerre and Mary Joy Stead Professor of Christian Social Ethics at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and we talk about theology, science, and technology ethics.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Waters:Dr. Water’s primary interests are in the areas of theology and technology, bioethics, and economics and ethics. He is the author of several books including This Mortal Flesh: Incarnation and Bioethics and From Human to Posthuman: Christian Theology and Technology in a Postmodern World.Resources:“This Mortal Flesh: Incarnation and Bioethics” by Dr. Waters“From Human to Posthuman: Christian Theology And Technology in a Postmodern World” by Dr. Waters“Technology and Justice” by George Grant“Technology and Empire: Perspectives on North America” by George Grant“Christian Ethics in a Technological Age” by Brian Brock

My friend Brett McCracken, senior editor for the Gospel Coalition, joins me on WeeklyTech to talk about the search for wisdom in the midst of information overload.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Brett:Brett McCracken is a writer and journalist based in Southern California. He is the author of several books and has written for places such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN.com, Christianity Today, and ERLC. He speaks and lectures frequently at universities, churches, and conferences. Brett is a graduate of Wheaton College and UCLA and is currently pursuing a master’s in theology at Talbot School of Theology. Brett and his wife Kira live in Santa Ana, California and are active in their local church, Southlands, where Brett serves as a pastor/elder. Resources:The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World by Brett McCrackenAmusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil PostmanThe Technological Society by Jacques Ellul

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Derek Schuurman, Professor of Computer Science at Calvin University, and we talk about his work in computer science from a faith perspective.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Schuurman:Derek Schuurman worked in industry for several years as an electrical engineer and later completed a Ph.D. in electrical engineering at McMaster University in the area of robotics and computer vision. Besides his technical research, he has also taught and written about a Christian perspective on technology and computer science. He has taught computer science at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario and at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa and is currently professor of computer science at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Resources:Shaping a Digital World: Faith, Culture and Computer Technology by Dr. SchuurmanThe Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place by Andy CrouchFrom the Garden to the City: The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology by John DyerModern Technology and the Human Future: A Christian Appraisal by Craig GayThe American Scientific AffiliationChristian Engineering SocietyAssociation of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. O. Carter Snead, Professor of Law and the director of the Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame. Today, we talk about his latest book, “What It Means to be Human: The Case for the Body in Public Bioethics.” Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Snead:Professor Snead is one of the world’s leading experts on public bioethics. His research explores issues relating to neuroethics, enhancement, human embryo research, assisted reproduction, abortion, and end-of-life decision-making. He has written more than 50 journal articles, book chapters, and essays. His scholarly works appear in such publications as the New York University Law Review, the Harvard Law Review Forum, the Vanderbilt Law Review, Constitutional Commentary, and others. Resources:What It Means to be Human: The Case for the Body in Public Bioethics by Dr. SneadBody, Soul, and Bioethics by Gilbert C. MeilaenderThe President’s Council on Bioethics