God and Gadgets: Following Jesus in a Technological World

by Brad J. Kallenberg

Technologies are deeply embedded in the modern West. What would our lives be like without asphalt, glass, gasoline, electricity, window screens, or indoor plumbing? We naturally praise technology when it is useful and bemoan it when it is not. But there is much more to technology than the usefulness of this or that artifact. Unfortunately, we tend not to consider the inherently social and moral character of technology. As a result, we are prone to overlook the effects of technology on our spiritual lives. This book investigates the role technology plays in helping and hampering our Christian practice and witness.

Genres: Theology, Technology

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Justin Bailey]

I thought the title was a bit deceiving on this one; the subtitle is more true to the content of the book, which is really a sort of primer on theological ethics that takes technology as a major case study. I suppose I was hoping for more specifics on technological micro-practices that surround our ubiquitous use of gadgets. Still, Kallenberg knows what he is about, and provides helpful categories for thinking about what it means to follow Jesus in an increasingly complex world.

[Jonathan Friess]

The Philosopher James K A Smith, meditating on technology like the IPhone or Facebook, notes: «Now at this point I’m supposed to make the obligatory observation that no cultural artifact is necessarily evil—that cultural systems and products are latent with possibilities that can be used, proverbially, “for good or ill.” Such provisos and qualifications want to resist simplistically demonizing any particular cultural phenomenon. So they put the onus for disorder on users: if Facebook became a problem for me—if it began to function as a disordering liturgy—then the problem lies with me as a user. But shouldn’t we concede that cultural artifacts also come loaded with the intentions of their creators, and that they also take on a life of their own that can outstrip the intentions of even their creators and users? [Footnote: For illuminating analysis and wisdom, see Brad J. Kallenberg, God and Gadgets, esp. 82–105.]»

[Drew]

A book that names real problems but seems to make up reasons for them so as to fit an overall thesis. Some of those reasons were convicting and thought provoking but most of them felt agenda driven, cogs to move his point along.

[Samuel]

Great book!