Comments on: Four Questions for Technology from the Biblical Story

By: John Dyer

John Dyer — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:59:59 +0000

Gene,
Thanks for your great comment.

Someone once said that we tend to define technology as “anything invented after we were born.” Every thing before us we see as “stuff” and even consider them to be “natural.” For example, Since books were invented in 1450 and light bulbs in 1890, we don’t really see them as technology anymore, but since iPads are only a few years old we still see them as “technology.”

I think I see this in your comment about paper vs. iPads. Both are technology and both are “unnatural” in the sense that a human made them from the natural materials of the earth. But in both cases, I think the inventors are in some sense fulfilling God’s command to “cultivate the Garden” from Genesis 2:15. Yet, we’re also called to “keep” the garden which I take to mean that we need to balance the natural (what God has made) and the unnatural (what we make from God’s creation).

By: Gene Butler

Gene Butler — Tue, 31 May 2011 01:36:15 +0000

Forgot one thing. If it’s ok to use my bible on a human made device how does that serve Gods purpose. How does the iPad reflect Gods purpose?

Gene

By: Gene Butler

Gene Butler — Tue, 31 May 2011 01:27:34 +0000

Loved the article. I have always struggled recociling technology and my Christian walk. To some extent I still do. I guess I’ve always believed that God intended for us to use natural resources instead of human made devices. An example would be like paper vs a computer or iPad. Or our legs to get us around instead of man made vehicles. I thing I’m taking on some form of naturalism. But then I read in psalms where it says some trust in chariots ( human made ) and some trust in horses ( natural ) but we trust in God. I have recently toyed with idea of keeping my bible on an iPad but am struggling with if this is ok. Can someone please help me with my dilemma if any of what I said made since.

Thanks. Gene
In him

By: The New Possibilities in Book Publishing and the Implications of New Media – Justin Taylor

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:02:21 +0000

[...] with any new technology, as John Dyer has helpfully laid out, you can ask the following questions (with mobile phones given as [...]

By: John Dyer

John Dyer — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:00:47 +0000

Drew, always good to hear from you! I’d love to talk sometime soon and hear more about the Center for Church Communication.

By: Drew Goodmanson

Drew Goodmanson — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:49:32 +0000

Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration, Goheen, McLuhan….this conversation is a foretaste of heaven for us church/tech/media geeks.

By: John Dyer

John Dyer — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:27:16 +0000

I like the general purpose nature of Goheen’s approach. I was trying to figure out a way to include the Postman-like unintended consequences while also distinguishing it from tech usage that is outright sin. Thanks for giving me something else to think on.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:50:23 +0000

The questions next to your 4 R's are reminiscent of the approach by Michael Goheen that I comment on at http://mcclarke.blogspot.com/2009/09/michael-goheen-spoke-on-hope-103.html.

By: Facebook Isn’t the Problem…But Maybe Your Marriage Is

Facebook Isn’t the Problem…But Maybe Your Marriage Is — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:05:17 +0000

[...] Four Laws of Media, or the tetrad of media effects. John does this in his most recent post, Four Questions for Technology from the Biblical Story. In fact, John goes a step further and comes up with his own “tetrad of technology in the [...]

By: Sean Patterson

Sean Patterson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:37:05 +0000

Woot! I love BlogEngine.Net, though I still need to tweak out my theme a bit. I know who to talk to now if I need some help figuring out my custom widget or something. 8^D

But back on topic, thanks for your feedback. It gives me some more meat to chew on, and I’m reading over the entire post again for some new insights. Keep up the great stuff. Just put more in your code blog. 8^D