Digital Public Square

This week, I am joined by Dr. Carl Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania, and we talk about his latest book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Carl Trueman:Dr. Trueman earned an MA in Classics from the University of Cambridge, and a Ph.D. in Church History from the University of Aberdeen. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books. He is an esteemed church historian and previously served as the William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and Public Life at Princeton University. Resources:The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution by Dr. Carl TruemanThe Ethics of Authenticity by Charles TaylorHow (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor by James K. A. SmithLiberty for All: Defending Everyone’s Religious Freedom in a Pluralistic Age by Andrew T. WalkerPublic Discourse

In this episode, I am joined by my friend David French who serves as senior editor at The Dispatch and a columnist for Time, and we talk about his new book “Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation“ and the role of social media in the divisions we face.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet David French:A graduate of Harvard Law School and a constitutional lawyer, David most recently worked as a senior writer for National Review and a senior fellow at the National Review Institute. He is also a New York Times bestselling author. David is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and from 2007-2008, he served with the Second Squadron, Third Armored Cavalry Regiment, in Iraq, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.Resources:Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation by David FrenchThe Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan HaidtAlienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse by Timothy P CarneyOur Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Ben Mitchell, editor of Ethics & Medicine: An International Journal of Bioethics and a Research Fellow with the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, and we talk about bioethics, medicine, and technology.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Mitchell:Dr. Mitchell previously served as the Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy at Union University for 11 years. Prior to joining the Union faculty, he taught ethics, including bioethics and contemporary culture for a decade at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is a senior fellow in the Academy of Fellows of the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity and previously served as its executive director. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles examining the intersection of science and ethics and has contributed to a number of books.Resources:Why We Plan to Get Vaccinated: A Christian Moral Perspective by Matthew Arbo, Ben Mitchell, and Andrew T. WalkerBioethics: A Primer for Christians by Gilbert MeilaenderChristian Bioethics: A Guide for Pastors, Health Care Professionals, and Families by Ben Mitchell and Joy Riley

In this episode, I am joined by my friend Trevin Wax who serves as a vice president at LifeWay Christian Resources, and we talk about his latest book, “Rethink Your Self: The Power of Looking Up Before Looking In” and the rise of individualism, especially with the influence of technology and social media.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Trevin Wax:A former missionary to Romania, Trevin hosts a blog at The Gospel Coalition and regularly contributes to the Washington Post, Religion News Service, World and Christianity Today, which named him one of 33 millennials shaping the next generation of evangelicals. His books include Eschatological Discipleship, This Is Our Time, and Gospel-Centered Teaching among other published works. He and his wife, Corina, have three Children.Connect with Trevin Wax:Website: trevinwax.comTwitter: @TrevinWaxFacebook: @trevinwax  Book: Rethink Your Self: The Power of Looking Up Before Looking InResources:Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical by Tim KellerThe Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch12 Ways your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke

On this special episode of WeeklyTech, all of the hosts from the ERLC podcasts are together for one big crossover episode to wrap up 2020 with highlights, favorite things, and the banter that turns co-workers into friends.This MEGACAST joins the ERLC Podcast crew–Josh Wester, Lindsay Nicolet, and Brent Leatherwood–with the Capitol Conversations team–Jeff Pickering, Chelsea Patterson Sobolik, and Travis Wussow–and Jason Thacker of the WeeklyTech podcast. Thanks be to Gary Lancaster, our fearless producer and America’s most elite audio engineer!This episode is sponsored by The Good Book Company, publisher of Searching for Christmas by JD Greear. Find out more about this book at thegoodbook.com.Resources from the ConversationERLC Podcast with Josh Wester, Lindsay Nicolet, and Brent LeatherwoodCapitol Conversations with Jeff Pickering, Chelsea Patterson Sobolik, and Travis WussowWeeklyTech with Jason ThackerThis Week’s PromosCheck out The Good Book CompanyLearn more and apply at ERLC.com/internshipsMake an end of year donation at ERLC.com/donateFrom the Highlights ConversationWhat Hong Kong reveals about the future of China by Travis WussowThe tension of technology: Hope and fear in the digital age by Jason ThackerHidden in Plain Sight: a call to bring hope and help to victims of abuse, winter edition of LIGHT MagazineWatch The Pearl Brown DocumentaryLooking for Truth in Post-Election America by Russell MooreFavorite BooksBrent | A Time to Build by Yuval LevinChelsea | Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund + A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph LoconteLindsay | Spy Novels by Daniel SilvaTravis | The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III by Peter Baker and Susan GlasserJason | The Technological Society by Jacques EllulJosh | Po

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Paul Miller, Professor in the Practice of International Affairs at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and we talk about his forthcoming book, “Just War and Ordered Liberty,” and the use of technology in the international order.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Miller:Dr. Miller also served a Senior Fellow with the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council and a research fellow with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. He previously served in the US Army (including a tour in Afghanistan), as an analyst with the CIA, and as Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan on the National Security Council staff.Connect with Dr. Miller:Website: PaulDavidMiller.comPodcast: Awkward ConversationsTwitter: @PaulDMiller2Book: Just War and Ordered LibertyResources:James Turner JohnsonEric PattersonIn Defence of War by Nigel BiggarKlon Kitchen

Michael Sacasas, Associate Director for Educational Programming at the Christian Study Center of Gainesville, joins me to talk about the philosophy of technology and some of the most influential thinkers and writers in this area from the past.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Michael Sacasas:Michael Sacasas earned his MA in Theological Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary in 2002. He was later a doctoral candidate at the University of Central Florida studying the relationship between technology and society with a particular focus on the work of Hannah Arendt. Along the way he has taught in a variety of settings, served as a school administrator, and written extensively on technology and society. He is an Associate Fellow in Ethics and Culture at the Greystone Theological Institute and, for three years, directed Greystone’s Center for the Study of Ethics and Technology. Connect with Michael:Newsletter: theconvivialsociety.substack.comTwitter: @LMSacasasBook: The Frailest Thing: Ten Years of Thinking About the Meaning of TechnologyResources:The Analog City and the Digital CityTechnopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology – Neil PostmanTools for Conviviality – Ivan IllichPower Failure – Albert BorgmannThe Abolition of Man – C.S. Lewis

Dr. Jonathan Pennington, associate professor of New Testament Interpretation and director of research doctoral studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary joins me to talk about his latest book Jesus the Great Philosopher: Rediscovering the Wisdom Needed for the Good Life and how philosophy connects to our everyday lives.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Pennington:Dr. Pennington holds a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He is the author of numerous works including “The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing,” “Reading the Gospels Wisely,” and “Heaven and Earth In the Gospel of Matthew.” He is also on the preaching staff at Sojourn Church East in Louisville, Kentucky.Connect with Dr. Pennington:Website: www.jonathanpennington.comTwitter: @DrJTPenningtonFacebook: @DrJonathanTPenningtonInstagram: @drjtpenningtonResources:“Jesus the Great Philosopher” by Jonathan PenningtonPreaching and Teaching from Jonathan PenningtonScripture’s Knowing: A Companion to Biblical Epistemology by Dru JohnsonHermeneutic of Wisdom by J. de Waal DrydenWhat Is Ancient Philosophy? Pierre Hadot

Dr. Daniel Strand, Assistant Professor of Ethics at USAF Air War College and contributing editor at Providence Magazine, joins me to talk about AI, ethics, and warfare. We discuss just war tradition, autonomous weapons, and what these things mean for us today.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech. Meet Dr. Strand:Dr. Strand’s research interests include the political and moral theology of Augustine of Hippo and the Augustinian tradition, ethics and foreign policy, the just war tradition, bioethics, and moral theory. He is the author of the forthcoming Gods of the Nations (Cambridge University Press), a historical study of Augustine’s political theology in The City of God. He received his BA from the University of Minnesota, MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and PhD in religion and ethics from the University of Chicago.Connect with Dr. Strand:Twitter: @DDFStrandResources:“Army of None” by Paul ScharreProvidence Magazine“Just American Wars: Ethical Dilemmas in U.S. Military History” by Eric Patterson“America and the Just War Tradition: A History of U.S. Conflicts” by J. Gerald Charles

Dr. Jacob Shatzer, assistant professor of theological studies and associate dean in the School of Theology & Missions at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, joins me to talk about transhumanism and Christian discipleship. We look at what it means to understand technology in light of our theology and discuss how we can teach our kids to engage rightly with technology.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech. Meet Dr. Shatzer:Dr. Shatzer graduated from Union in 2007 before earning his M.Div. at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Ph.D at Marquette University. He has served at Union since 2017.  He is an ordained Southern Baptist minister and has served congregations in various capacities, including youth ministry and supply preaching and teaching.Be sure to check out Dr. Shatzer’s book Transhumanism and the Image of God: Today’s Technology and the Future of Christian Discipleship.Other reading:Modern Technology and the Human Future: A Christian Appraisal by Craig Gay12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke10 arguments for deleting your social media accounts right now by Jaron Lanier