Derek Schuurman: Technology and the Biblical Story

[Music] [Music] technology and the biblical story years ago as a young engineer recently out of school sitting in a cubicle farm I recall wondering what does the gospel have to say about my technical work as an engineer what does faith have to do with technology is there a distinctively Christian view of technology the early church father Tertullian once posed the question what does Athens have to do with Jerusalem what he meant by this was what does Athens a city representing culture have to do with Jerusalem which represented faith in other words what does faith have to do with culture we can update this question for this day and age and ask what does Silicon Valley have to do with Jerusalem or to put it another way what do bytes have to do with beliefs now here's a spoiler alert it turns out that bytes and beliefs do have something to do with each other and I hope to sketch some of the ways they do in the next 25 minutes or so could it begin with an assertion that technology is not neutral that technology is in fact value Laden and give you a few examples very very briefly the first example is the automobile it's not just the neutral tool from getting from point A to B it fundamentally and radically shapes our environment and our culture our cities have been built around roads and streets to accommodate the automobile where we live work and shop and worship are now disconnected Erik Jacobson's book the space in between is one example that describes how the built environment shapes our churches our communities and our life together with our neighbors likewise digital technology is not neutral and it shapes us in some profound ways I brain surviving the technical alteration of the modern is a book by neuroscientist Gary small who explores how digital media appears to be changing the very structure of our brains research into brain plasticity reveals that our brains change in response to what we do in our habits and our rituals in a sense the neurons that get fired are the neurons that get wired small describes how technological activities sculpt and shape our brains and small suggests that the digital revolution has quote plunged us into a continuous state of partial attention unquote and in this state people no longer have time to reflect contemplate or make thoughtful decisions perhaps st. Augustine was correct when he said years ago habit if not resisted soon becomes necessity technology has a bias sherry Turkle a thoughtful social scientist from MIT is written a book called alone together why we expect more from technology and less from each other in it she explores how the digital communications world that we live in and social robotics along with it change us in some profound ways she laments how certain technologies encourage us to sacrifice companionship for merely interacting with something her most recent book reclaiming conversation the power of talk in a digital age explores the loss of empathy that occurs when we sacrifice face-to-face communication for mayor' digital conversation akin the connection in his book the glass cage nicholas carr explores the effects of automation and work he describes what's called the substitution myth which suggests that automation does not just substitute for a job or a portion of it but rather it alters the entire character of a task he suggests that automation tends to turn us from actors into observers and cites various studies including one that suggests relying on a GP in a GPS instead of exercising our own navigational skills can literally shape our brains in terms of the size of the hippocampus again we shape our tools but our tools literally shape us these are just a few examples and you don't need to look far to see that many writers and thinkers are talking about how technology has a bias and it's changing things including ourselves this notion that technology is not neutral is not new decades ago prophetic voices like Neil postman and Marshall McLuhan were making the same point Media was changing us in his book technically Neil postman writes embedded in every tool is an ideological bias a predisposition to construct the world as one thing rather than another to value one thing over another to amplify one sense or skill or attitude more loudly than another Marshall McLuhan coined the cryptic phrase the medium is the message by which he meant to suggest that the medium embeds a bias that goes far beyond the content of any message for example the impact of television is more significant than the content of any individual show everything that goes through it becomes entertainment it changes entertainment and as we have recently seen also s in Canada looking south of the border it changes politics to John Culkin summarizing Marshall McLuhan wrote we shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us every technological artefact is created with some kind of bias it opens up some possibilities while simultaneously closing down others because technology is value-laden there are definite implications for us as Christians as we engage with technology first we need to understand what we mean by technology technology is just not simply about widgets and artifacts I like this definition which is provided in the book responsible technology and it reads as follows technology is a distinct cultural activity in which human beings exercise freedom and responsibility in response to God by forming and transforming the natural creation with the aid of tools and procedures for practical ends or purposes I like this definition because it recognizes that technology is something that we do it's what we make of the world it's a cultural activity furthermore this definition recognizes that technology is an area where we access sighs both freedom and responsibility these always go together now here in New York City you have the famous Statue of Liberty which I have yet to visit a symbol of freedom Viktor Frankl in his book man's search for meaning once suggested that the Statue of Liberty on the Atlantic coast should be supplemented by a statue of responsibility on the west coast and I I think that's a good idea those things go together freedom always comes with responsibility this is a biblical notion but if technology is an area in response to God how do we know how we ought to respond of course our ultimate guide for holy living is the scriptures but what do the ancient scriptures have to say about our work with modern technology if you look in a Bible dictionary you can't find the word computer someone I once know jokingly suggested that perhaps Psalm 81 was referring to technology when it says I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices but of course of course that's not an appropriate use of Scripture at all how do we use the Bible as a lamp unto our feet a lamp unto our path when we're traveling along new paths john calvin once suggested that the scriptures are like spectacles through which we see the world it helps us to see more clearly and the one way to see more clearly is to ask ourselves what is the story in which we are living we live within the grand biblical narrative each of our own individual narratives is nested within that biblical narrative the big sweep of Scripture from creation to new creation shapes a Christian worldview and it's informed by the biblical themes of creation fall Redemption and restoration like a transmission that connects the engine to the wheels of an automobile a Christian worldview connects the light of Scripture to areas of application like technology where the rubber hits the road let's briefly examine each of these biblical themes and see how they inform how we shape and design technology and so we'll look at each of these very briefly creation we can say for starters that technology is part of the latent potential in creation sometimes when we think of creation we think of stars and trees and plants and flowers and animals but creation is in fact all of the things that God has ordained to be and that includes technology which is part of God's good creation furthermore in the creation story humans are given a cultural mandate called to work and cultivate and keep the earth we are called to fill the earth now this just doesn't mean having lots of kids but it means unfolding all of the latent potential and possibilities in creation things like all art and culture music cuisine but also technology God created humans in His image something that has many implications including ones that inform our view of artificial intelligence like the film clip we just saw and tells us how people are distinct from machines creation is complex and diverse God made each thing according to its kind but people frequently seek to reduce things to a common denominator for instance in computer science we can be tempted to see everything as information or data but not everything that counts can be counted we need to avoid reductionism and remember that creation is both diverse as well as complex in creation God also establishes a pattern of Sabbath rest work and rest are part of the rhythm of creation with our 24/7 digital devices finding time to rest is become more difficult our tools shape us and our tools never rest finally creation has limits laws and norms there are creational laws upon which technology relies and which mark the boundaries of what is possible there are also norms for technology areas where we exercise freedom and responsibility and we'll talk a little bit more about those shortly but somewhere near the beginning the human family fell into sin and all of creation came under a curse and the words of Romans 8 verse 22 the whole creation has been groaning and the words of Bob Dylan everything is broken our work is frustrated by thorns and thistles but how is the fall affected technology how does the fall effect transistors motors computers gears and chemical reactions exactly how has technology been cursed and subject to frustration is difficult to exactly know we don't know exactly what a pristine creation might have looked like but we do know that the fall has had profound implications on all human activities one thing we can say is that create sin does not create anything sin is like a virus that attaches itself to God's good creation like a parasite this may sound unusual but even something like internet pornography is only possible because of God's creation he created the possibility for computer technology and networks as well as human sexuality but internet pornography is like taking God's good creation 'old if tand twisting and perverting it in a way that it was never intended to be so technology has both a structure as well as a direction creational structures and juror God's word for his creation but they can be either directed in obedience to God's intentions or towards more disobedient uses the common question is technology good or bad is actually a false dichotomy technology is part of God's good creation but the important question is to what direction is it pointed towards uses that make us more like the people God intends us to be and closer to the kind of world he wants or towards disobedience an important impact of sin is also on the human heart which can be also misdirected already near the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 11 we read of the tower Babel a technological project which employed new technology for making bricks used by humans in an attempt to bridge heaven and earth to make a name for themselves god disrupts their plans but this temptation to place trust in technology continues efforts toward modern-day towers of Babel persists the term for this is Tecna sysm a word that has been coined to refer to the secularized faith and Jia's rescuer and savior of the human condition a recent book entitled infinite progress includes the subtitle how technology will ultimately solve ignorant disease poverty hunger and war this is religious language proclaiming a bold trust in technology but anytime we put our trust in technology and anything else in creation for that matter rather than the Creator it becomes an idle anything good and creation has the potential to become an idol john calvin talks about our nature as perpetual factories of idols and technology is just one of the counterfeit gods that we manufacture for some the trust in technology goes so far that they look to it for a solution to death as as David was talking about there are some very clever people like Ray Kurzweil who firmly believe that eventually we will be able to upload our brain into a computer and live forever in a virtual paradise this has sometimes been referred to as the rapture of the geeks but this faith and technology is very mistaken it's based on a faulty presupposition about what it means to be human a reductionistic view of life that that life is nothing more than simulating the brain and the particles in the brain and software in his book playing God Andy Crouch observes every idol makes two simple and extravagant promises you shall not surely die and you shall be like God psalm 115 verse 8 suggest that all who make and trust in idols will become like them in this case the end goal will be that they become a computer but God did not leave us without hope I love this passage in Colossians 1 describing the work of Christ and redemption for in him all things were created things in heaven and on earth visible and invisible whether Thrones or powers or rulers or authorities all things have been created through him and for him he is before all things and in him all things hold together and he is the head of the body the church he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead so that in everything he might have the supremacy for God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things whether things on earth or things in heaven by making peace through his blood shed on the cross the repetition of the words all things means exactly that all things redemption is about everything we read that Christ was there in creation that all things were created through him furthermore all things were created for Christ he is the Telos the purpose of all things and in Christ all things hold together the moment-by-moment Providence of Christ in whom all things cohere the Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper once said there is not a square inch in the whole plane of human existence over which Christ who is Lord of all does not proclaim this is mine to be sure redemption is about human hearts but it's bigger than that God is reconciling all things to himself he is on a cosmic salvage operation in 2nd Corinthians 5 God calls us to participate in this work as agents of reconciliation Gordan spike Minh once wrote nothing matters but the kingdom but because of the kingdom everything matters and this includes technology our calling is to participate in the renewing of God's world but the question is still how do we shape and reconcile technology a healthful way forward is to recognize creational norms these are things that represent God's order for culture and society areas were recalled to exercise this freedom and responsibility these norms remind us that when we create a technical artifact it's not just bits and bytes and wires and gears and semiconductors but include social economic legal aesthetic and faith implications among others I will briefly list some of these norms that can help us guide us in our technological activities the first normative principle is cultural appropriateness technology should alleviate burdens while still preserving what is good technology used in the workplace worship education and International Development must be appropriate to the setting and fit the culture into which it is being used the second norm transparency deals with providing clear open and honest information this norm requires that users are not mislead or confused by technical designs or documentation it includes the requirement that any claims made about technology are truthful the third norm stewardship it includes economic factors to be sure but it's also concerned with stewarding materials the environment Human Resources it's not all about economics profit must be placed in connection with service to God and neighbor the fourth norm is characterized by delightful harmony this deals with the intersection of function and aesthetics good technology is characterized by being a joy and a delight to use people should not be forced to adapt to the tools of technology but technology should be designed with users in mind the fifth norm is justice ensuring that everything is given what it is rightfully due to act justly is one of the things the Lord requires of us it applies to our interactions with people plants animals in the whole creation in technology this includes issues like the digital divide privacy personal information intellectual property to name a few and dealing justly with workers and customers the sixth norm is one of caring and it involves showing love and care to our neighbors including workers and summers it deals with doing things because we ought to not because we can the caring norm will resist efforts to automate jobs such as nursing child care and elder care which require far more than a pair of hands it will also guide efforts to employ technology to provide assistance caring for the sick elderly and bringing relief to those in need the final norm I want to mention is one of trust and it has two aspects the first aspect deals with the dependability of technical products especially when safety and reliability are essential as is the case in auto pilots and things like I let the electrical grid but the second aspect of this norm deals with trust in God we must always resist the temptation to place our ultimate faith in technology all of these norms can be summarized by Christ's call to love the Lord and our neighbor as ourselves these norms do not dictate exactly what we must do but they point a way forward efforts to pursue technology without attention to norms will lead to consequences sooner or later creation has a way of pushing back and the words of h h farmer if you go against the grain of the universe you get splinters these norms are not exclusive they work together and they help to bring about flourishing and shalom technology in the future the final biblical theme is the theme of restoration where are we going what is to come there are many competing views for the future to common and competing viewpoints are those represented by the optimists and the pessimists the optimists trust in technology in progress and look forward to a future utopia assured in by technology on the other end of the spectrum are the pessimists people who despair about technology expecting that technology will eventually destroy us and eat us this is a common theme in many sci-fi movies like terminator Battlestar Galactica and The Matrix to name a few we're robots revolt and turn-on humanity but what is a biblical perspective of the future the Bible begins with a garden but ends with a garden city a city with all kinds of things in it in Isaiah 60 we read that the riches of the nations will be brought into the city of Zion camels precious metals lumber even the ships of tarshish symbols of pagan commercial power are somehow repurposed for the glory of the Lord in Revelations 21 we read about how the glory and honor of the nation's will be brought into it God will not be making all new things he will make all things new and Micah 4 we read that they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks harmful and distorted technology like weapons will be transformed and redirected to a form that can be employed for peaceful purposes technology that was used for sinful purposes will be redirected to useful purposes in the New Kingdom perhaps Predator drones and battleships will also be there but repurposed for service to the Lord when I talk computer science I used to say to my students I won't be surprised if there's computers in heaven few of them would laugh and chuckle and a few were skeptical I further speculated that these computers would be running the Linux operating system but that's another that's another ultimately we need to be humble and acknowledge that we only see through a glass darkly and we don't know what a world without sin will completely look like but still I won't be surprised if computers are brought into the new heavens and the new earth along with the other glory and honor of the nation's the passages in Isaiah 60 in Revelations 21 describe a restoration of meaning as everything is redirected in service to God in the meantime we wait for the day of Christ's return and in the words of Lois Meads we are called to quote go into the world and make some imperfect models of the good world to come and quote so in conclusion I would like to close by mentioning that while a Christian worldview is important and essential it's insufficient on its own a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is essential faithfulness is not just a matter of our minds but also of our hearts we must recognize the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives to cultivate virtues and shape our hearts philosopher Jamie Smith writes being a disciple of Jesus is not primarily a matter of getting the right ideas and doctrines and beliefs into your head rather it's a matter of being the kind of person who loves rightly who loves God and neighbor and is oriented to the world by the primacy of that love in the words of the respected computer scientist Frederick Brooks if we would have our creation be true beautiful and good we have to attend to our hearts without a connection to Jesus and a love of neighbor any work to shape technology or culture on our own is bound to fail in a world often captivated by dazzling technology we need to be new creation signposts people whose hearts and lives seek to be faithful to God also in the world of technology thank you you

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Length: 25min 10sec (1510 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 13 2017