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The Wired Soul: Finding Spiritual Balance in a Hyperconnected Age
If you had time to slow down, you’d You’re more easily distracted lately. You forget the details of your life more often than you used to. You get easily agitated and have trouble resting, even though you’re more tired than you remember ever being. Even your spiritual life is not You struggle to pray, to read the Scriptures, to be still and know that God is God.Welcome to now. Our technology has greatly improved much of our lives, but in the process our brains are being rewired on a daily basis, and our capacity to be centered in our souls, in our lives, is at risk.Brain scientists are aware of this unprecedented change, but the solutions aren’t found in They’re found in the ancient practices of the faith. Tricia McCary Rhodes reintroduces us to the classic disciplines of Scripture reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation, not just as technologies to aid our faith but as tools to keep us focused and mindful in an increasingly disorienting digital age.
- GenresNonfictionChristian
223 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2016
15 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 26, 2020
This is an informative Christian (Protestant) read about our current digital age and how to connect with God within (or despite of) it. It includes practical exercises and tips for reclaiming one's spiritual walk from the digital demands of the age based off of a contemplative tradition.
I picked up this book mainly for the psychology aspect of it. I really appreciated the research that went into studying how technology and social media are shaping our brains, relationships, and society. As someone who's been about one year clean from Facebook, I can attest to a lot of the things she's noticed. I feel a lot better now that I'm drastically limiting my social media intake!
I appreciate the contemplative side of Protestantism since it was extremely valuable in helping me find Orthodoxy. I was familiar with many of the authors she quoted, and I did do many of the practical exercises and enjoyed them, though, honestly, most of them can be found already in Orthodox tradition, and I think that's what frustrated me the most. I just wanted more from this book. I feel like, as far as theology and spiritual practices are concerned, this author just flirts with the edge of how deep you can go and how much is out there. I just wanted to push her off the edge. Her discussion especially of "meeting Christ at the table" was frustrating because that's the perfect place to discuss the Eucharist, and it felt like she danced around it. Fasting is not mentioned once and that floored me because she covers almost every other spiritual discipline, and I know that the psychological benefits of fasting would've been a perfect tie in with everything else she discussed. It's a great start though. I appreciated what I learned from it. I'm curious as to what other research has been found since this book's publication, especially in light of how dependent we've become on technology during this pandemic.
Overall, if you're Christian Protestant, I highly recommend you read this book. The research and psychology is good and the hands-on exercises and contemplative background are definitely what our society needs right now. If you're Orthodox (like me), here's all you need to know: follow the traditions and practices of the Church. Science backs up the importance of all of them on our brains and lives. Also, while I haven't read it yet, I'm fairly certain that Time and Despondency: Regaining the Present in Faith and Life by Nicole Roccas is the Orthodox version of this book. So, if you're Orthodox, read that. If you're Protestant, start with this. It's an easy read, extremely practical, and very eye-opening!
I picked up this book mainly for the psychology aspect of it. I really appreciated the research that went into studying how technology and social media are shaping our brains, relationships, and society. As someone who's been about one year clean from Facebook, I can attest to a lot of the things she's noticed. I feel a lot better now that I'm drastically limiting my social media intake!
I appreciate the contemplative side of Protestantism since it was extremely valuable in helping me find Orthodoxy. I was familiar with many of the authors she quoted, and I did do many of the practical exercises and enjoyed them, though, honestly, most of them can be found already in Orthodox tradition, and I think that's what frustrated me the most. I just wanted more from this book. I feel like, as far as theology and spiritual practices are concerned, this author just flirts with the edge of how deep you can go and how much is out there. I just wanted to push her off the edge. Her discussion especially of "meeting Christ at the table" was frustrating because that's the perfect place to discuss the Eucharist, and it felt like she danced around it. Fasting is not mentioned once and that floored me because she covers almost every other spiritual discipline, and I know that the psychological benefits of fasting would've been a perfect tie in with everything else she discussed. It's a great start though. I appreciated what I learned from it. I'm curious as to what other research has been found since this book's publication, especially in light of how dependent we've become on technology during this pandemic.
Overall, if you're Christian Protestant, I highly recommend you read this book. The research and psychology is good and the hands-on exercises and contemplative background are definitely what our society needs right now. If you're Orthodox (like me), here's all you need to know: follow the traditions and practices of the Church. Science backs up the importance of all of them on our brains and lives. Also, while I haven't read it yet, I'm fairly certain that Time and Despondency: Regaining the Present in Faith and Life by Nicole Roccas is the Orthodox version of this book. So, if you're Orthodox, read that. If you're Protestant, start with this. It's an easy read, extremely practical, and very eye-opening!
August 26, 2016
This will be one of those prophetic books that I will look back to that is taking on the digital life we led head-on. I was especially grateful that Tricia not only pointed out how our digital wired world impacts our walk with God, but she provides hands-on ideas and exercises to counter it. She blends ideas and actions into a worthy read.
November 6, 2018
Absolute MUST-READ for our current hyper-connected society!! Such a GREAT book with practical info and tools.
April 7, 2021
Very helpful
This was not what I was expecting. I thought that I would end up feeling guilty for the amount of time spent on devices. Instead, the author acknowledges that our devices are here to stay. She offers a sensible practical approach to ensuring that we are in charge of our devices rather than them controlling us. She offers practical ways to slow down and be with God. I have tried out some of her ideas to great effect. I will be putting more in place, but slowly and thoughtfully.
This was not what I was expecting. I thought that I would end up feeling guilty for the amount of time spent on devices. Instead, the author acknowledges that our devices are here to stay. She offers a sensible practical approach to ensuring that we are in charge of our devices rather than them controlling us. She offers practical ways to slow down and be with God. I have tried out some of her ideas to great effect. I will be putting more in place, but slowly and thoughtfully.
June 5, 2020
Absolutely invaluable for every Christian in our culture! I will be implementing the spiritual practices set forth in this book and moving on to some of her book recommendations about spiritual disciplines. Excited for the journey on which this book has started me!
June 29, 2017
excellent read with helpful practices
July 23, 2020
Alloows you to think and mediate back into your soul and mind ~ better understanding of where you are spiritually
November 30, 2016
Summary: Explores how our communications technology is changing how our minds work in ways that militate against a centered, focused life and introduces practices of reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation that help us attend to God in a distracted world.
There is no question that laptop computers, wireless technology, tablets and smartphones, and other electronic devices in our lives have changed the way we live and think. They provide an unprecedented connectedness (during the recent attack at Ohio State, I learned that 150 friends were "safe" in under an hour thanks to a Facebook app). They give us instant access to information and also to consumer opportunities. They also can be a huge source of distraction. The average person checks a smartphone at least 100 times a day. It cuts into productivity, distracts driving, and even interferes with our sleep.
Tricia McCary Rhodes asks the uncomfortable question of how all this affects our spiritual lives and our ability to pay attention to God. Drawing on some of the latest findings in neuroscience, Rhodes writes that this technology, and our use of it literally rewires the neural pathways in our brains. We read differently, we are more easily distracted, we no longer remember things like phone numbers or directions that we once remembered. This has implications both for how we read and reflect upon the scriptures, our ability to slow down, and focus upon and attend to God.
Rhodes draws upon the Benedictine practice of lectio divina and the four most common elements of this practice, to counter the influences of this technology. In each section, she includes not only some basic discussion of the practice, but also exercises that can be done in 15 minutes to an hour, that take us into spiritual practices, indeed alternative liturgies, to use James. K. A. Smith's terminology, on which she draws, to help us engage with God. These four elements are and the specific practices are:
1. Lectio. Here she focuses on both slow and reflective reading. In the slow reading, she has us focus on a single paragraph that we read and re-read, and then reflect upon. In retentive reading she introduces a method of Bible memorization.
2. Meditatio. The section on meditation focuses on giving our whole-body attention to God through an exercise that combines breathing, simple motion, and words. The exercise on biblical meditation begins with establishing a clear intention, moves to preparation of the heart, and then uses a set of simple questions to reflect upon a biblical text.
3. Oratio. In this section the focus is on prayer. First, she introduces the examen as a way to "pray the texts of our digital lives" and to consider their influence upon us. Then she turns to considering our relationships and the proportion of virtual to real face to face interactions make up our lives. She concludes with encouraging the practice of table conversation over meals.
4. Contemplatio. Reflects a movement from stillness in the presence of God into action shaped by that awareness of God. She offers exercises that help to enter into that place of resting in God, and then to return to that contemplative place throughout an active day.
Rhodes is not a Luddite, urging us to throw away our tablets and smartphones. Some of the exercises include their use and she speaks both of the helpful uses of this technology, and her own struggles with it. Most of all, Rhodes gives us some helpful practices to keep technology in its place, to keep it from becoming, in Neil Postman's words, technopoly that controls and shapes our way of life. Christ followers want a Christ-shaped, rather than iPhone-shaped life. In a simple, readable format, Rhodes introduces us to some practices and helps us to ask some challenging questions that help us to embrace the life to which Christ calls us in a wired world.
_______________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
There is no question that laptop computers, wireless technology, tablets and smartphones, and other electronic devices in our lives have changed the way we live and think. They provide an unprecedented connectedness (during the recent attack at Ohio State, I learned that 150 friends were "safe" in under an hour thanks to a Facebook app). They give us instant access to information and also to consumer opportunities. They also can be a huge source of distraction. The average person checks a smartphone at least 100 times a day. It cuts into productivity, distracts driving, and even interferes with our sleep.
Tricia McCary Rhodes asks the uncomfortable question of how all this affects our spiritual lives and our ability to pay attention to God. Drawing on some of the latest findings in neuroscience, Rhodes writes that this technology, and our use of it literally rewires the neural pathways in our brains. We read differently, we are more easily distracted, we no longer remember things like phone numbers or directions that we once remembered. This has implications both for how we read and reflect upon the scriptures, our ability to slow down, and focus upon and attend to God.
Rhodes draws upon the Benedictine practice of lectio divina and the four most common elements of this practice, to counter the influences of this technology. In each section, she includes not only some basic discussion of the practice, but also exercises that can be done in 15 minutes to an hour, that take us into spiritual practices, indeed alternative liturgies, to use James. K. A. Smith's terminology, on which she draws, to help us engage with God. These four elements are and the specific practices are:
1. Lectio. Here she focuses on both slow and reflective reading. In the slow reading, she has us focus on a single paragraph that we read and re-read, and then reflect upon. In retentive reading she introduces a method of Bible memorization.
2. Meditatio. The section on meditation focuses on giving our whole-body attention to God through an exercise that combines breathing, simple motion, and words. The exercise on biblical meditation begins with establishing a clear intention, moves to preparation of the heart, and then uses a set of simple questions to reflect upon a biblical text.
3. Oratio. In this section the focus is on prayer. First, she introduces the examen as a way to "pray the texts of our digital lives" and to consider their influence upon us. Then she turns to considering our relationships and the proportion of virtual to real face to face interactions make up our lives. She concludes with encouraging the practice of table conversation over meals.
4. Contemplatio. Reflects a movement from stillness in the presence of God into action shaped by that awareness of God. She offers exercises that help to enter into that place of resting in God, and then to return to that contemplative place throughout an active day.
Rhodes is not a Luddite, urging us to throw away our tablets and smartphones. Some of the exercises include their use and she speaks both of the helpful uses of this technology, and her own struggles with it. Most of all, Rhodes gives us some helpful practices to keep technology in its place, to keep it from becoming, in Neil Postman's words, technopoly that controls and shapes our way of life. Christ followers want a Christ-shaped, rather than iPhone-shaped life. In a simple, readable format, Rhodes introduces us to some practices and helps us to ask some challenging questions that help us to embrace the life to which Christ calls us in a wired world.
_______________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
July 4, 2016
If you follow my blog, you know that one of the things that concerns me is how much time my children stay on electronics. I’m also concerned by how much time I spend on electronics and how it seems like every time I get into the middle of something that needs my concentration, I decide it’s time to take a break for Facebook, Instagram or scrolling through my favorite blogs. My first impulse is to throw all the electronics out and to ban them from our house, but I know it my heart that this is an extreme and unreasonable reaction that I would regret for us all. So, I’m constantly looking for balance and for ways to stem the encroachment of technology into our lives. When I received the opportunity to review Tricia McCary Rhodes’s new book, The Wired Soul: Finding Spiritual Balance in a Hyperconnected Age, I realized that this might be a help for me, and for everyone else in our household.
Rhodes has noticed the influx of the digital as well, and she has noticed most of all how that has affected her spiritual life. She finds that she’s more distracted, that she has trouble focusing in on the scriptures for deep contemplation, and prayer is perhaps the greatest struggle of all when you’re being constantly distracted by each ding of your smart phone. (And there are a lot of dings in our life. One of the pieces of research that Rhodes quotes says that smartphone users check their phones 100 times per day on average.) And I will be the first to admit that I feel jittery if I hear a ding and I don’t go to check it out. I’ve even taken the measures of taking Facebook and some similar apps off my phone that it’s not dinging and distracting me all day.
So, how do we combat that urge. Rhodes recommends slowing down, reading contemplatively, deep breathing, meditating on the scriptures, scripture memorization and many other things in her book. This is a great start and a good way to begin to combat the biblical illiteracy that is running rampant in our society. According to the research that Rhodes quotes, nine out of ten Americans own a Bible, but 64 percent of Millennials do not view the scriptures as sacred literature and 39 percent say that they will probably never read it. Those are scary statistics. Even worse is the statistic that among those who claim to believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, only 19 percent read the Bible four or more times per week. I can bear out the fruit of that in my Sunday school class that I teach at church. One week recently, I found that my second and third graders, all of whom had been in church all their lives, did not know that Moses was the main character of the book of Exodus and could not tell me what Exodus was about. I knew they’d been taught more than once, but it was just one more fact for them to fit into their distracted lives.
This book really resonated with me. I’ve found myself going back to an older habit that I had abandoned a couple of years ago to writing down all the quotes in a book that resonated with me and reviewing/rereading those quotes on a regular basis. (I used to keep a notebook just for favorite quotes, and had abandoned it because of my busyness.) I also have read a little more meditatively and really felt like I’ve dug into both the scriptures and other books that I’ve read (whether in paper or on my kindle) a little more deeply. There’s a lot of other great advice here, and although I didn’t work through all the exercises and ideas at this time, I’m going to keep it on my bookshelf so that I can come back to it and add more ideas for scripture memorization, responsive reading and deep breathing in once I’ve built a couple of the things I’m working on now into habit. Rhodes also references much great research and several other books that look very helpful, and I would like to take some time to read some of those books as well.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Rhodes has noticed the influx of the digital as well, and she has noticed most of all how that has affected her spiritual life. She finds that she’s more distracted, that she has trouble focusing in on the scriptures for deep contemplation, and prayer is perhaps the greatest struggle of all when you’re being constantly distracted by each ding of your smart phone. (And there are a lot of dings in our life. One of the pieces of research that Rhodes quotes says that smartphone users check their phones 100 times per day on average.) And I will be the first to admit that I feel jittery if I hear a ding and I don’t go to check it out. I’ve even taken the measures of taking Facebook and some similar apps off my phone that it’s not dinging and distracting me all day.
So, how do we combat that urge. Rhodes recommends slowing down, reading contemplatively, deep breathing, meditating on the scriptures, scripture memorization and many other things in her book. This is a great start and a good way to begin to combat the biblical illiteracy that is running rampant in our society. According to the research that Rhodes quotes, nine out of ten Americans own a Bible, but 64 percent of Millennials do not view the scriptures as sacred literature and 39 percent say that they will probably never read it. Those are scary statistics. Even worse is the statistic that among those who claim to believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, only 19 percent read the Bible four or more times per week. I can bear out the fruit of that in my Sunday school class that I teach at church. One week recently, I found that my second and third graders, all of whom had been in church all their lives, did not know that Moses was the main character of the book of Exodus and could not tell me what Exodus was about. I knew they’d been taught more than once, but it was just one more fact for them to fit into their distracted lives.
This book really resonated with me. I’ve found myself going back to an older habit that I had abandoned a couple of years ago to writing down all the quotes in a book that resonated with me and reviewing/rereading those quotes on a regular basis. (I used to keep a notebook just for favorite quotes, and had abandoned it because of my busyness.) I also have read a little more meditatively and really felt like I’ve dug into both the scriptures and other books that I’ve read (whether in paper or on my kindle) a little more deeply. There’s a lot of other great advice here, and although I didn’t work through all the exercises and ideas at this time, I’m going to keep it on my bookshelf so that I can come back to it and add more ideas for scripture memorization, responsive reading and deep breathing in once I’ve built a couple of the things I’m working on now into habit. Rhodes also references much great research and several other books that look very helpful, and I would like to take some time to read some of those books as well.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
November 2, 2016
Ironically, I had a very hard time not getting distracted while trying to read this book. While it was definitely well written, the narration was not very captivating and I had to really push through to get the book finished.
The author convincingly argued that, while technological advances have given us easy, endless, and sometimes constant access to news, communication, and entertainment, the repercussions have been a rewiring of our brains that makes us more easily distracted, less empathetic, and ultimately damages our souls and relationships (with in our communities as well as with God). During the introduction, I worried that the text would seem like the rant of an alarmist baby boomer, convinced technology is isolating and impairing the future generations. However, the author did do a good job of noting the benefits of technology, too, and speaking honestly about her own experiences to both criticize and compliment technological advancements.
I also appreciated that the author presented some practical solutions and resolutions to the problems she presented throughout the book. While I likely will not be employing most of them, there are definitely SOME strategies that I will take with me. Also it's just really refreshing to have strategies, advice, and solutions offered up rather than just hearing about problems.
The author convincingly argued that, while technological advances have given us easy, endless, and sometimes constant access to news, communication, and entertainment, the repercussions have been a rewiring of our brains that makes us more easily distracted, less empathetic, and ultimately damages our souls and relationships (with in our communities as well as with God). During the introduction, I worried that the text would seem like the rant of an alarmist baby boomer, convinced technology is isolating and impairing the future generations. However, the author did do a good job of noting the benefits of technology, too, and speaking honestly about her own experiences to both criticize and compliment technological advancements.
I also appreciated that the author presented some practical solutions and resolutions to the problems she presented throughout the book. While I likely will not be employing most of them, there are definitely SOME strategies that I will take with me. Also it's just really refreshing to have strategies, advice, and solutions offered up rather than just hearing about problems.
August 24, 2016
The Wired Soul: Finding Spiritual Balance in a Hyperconnected Age by Tricia McCary Rhodes is a Christian, Spiritual growth book that is written for our high-tech life. It is for those who struggle to pray, to read the Scriptures and to be still to know that God is God. She is the author of several books and she and her husband founded New Hope Church in San Diego.
This book is very interesting and well written AND, if you're like me, will step on your toes. I finished reading the book a few weeks ago and I think my toes are still bruised. Ok, if you find it hard to concentrate reading the Scriptures or your mind wanders when you try to pray, but if you hear the ding of a device two-rooms away, better put on your steel-toe shoes. When I read a book for review I don't normally write in it, not this book. I have gathered so many useful tools that I have started to put some in place. Here are a few tips that may help you (oh yeah, and me) grow closer to our Savior: slow reading and deep thinking, meditation, prayer and contemplation. Seems pretty simple right? Then you try it! Get this book!
I received this book for a fair and honest review. I would have gladly paid as I have received a generous amount back in knowledge.
This book is very interesting and well written AND, if you're like me, will step on your toes. I finished reading the book a few weeks ago and I think my toes are still bruised. Ok, if you find it hard to concentrate reading the Scriptures or your mind wanders when you try to pray, but if you hear the ding of a device two-rooms away, better put on your steel-toe shoes. When I read a book for review I don't normally write in it, not this book. I have gathered so many useful tools that I have started to put some in place. Here are a few tips that may help you (oh yeah, and me) grow closer to our Savior: slow reading and deep thinking, meditation, prayer and contemplation. Seems pretty simple right? Then you try it! Get this book!
I received this book for a fair and honest review. I would have gladly paid as I have received a generous amount back in knowledge.
June 21, 2016
I must admit this book for me started off strong and very enjoyable. It was given me some illumination into areas that I was unaware of. I was spending time telling everyone about this book.
Then I finished the first 2 chapters and the book changed quickly for me. I'm not sure where I wanted the book to go after the great start, but, maybe I had set it up to high and the only way was down.
The rest of the book was definitely a slow read. It is a good book, I would just caution to not get too excited about the potential excitement over the great start and new information that may illuminate some of your ways for you if you are a digital learner like myself.
This book did create in me as a final result, a desire to spend some time back in paper books and my paper Bible along with my electronic books and Bible.
Then I finished the first 2 chapters and the book changed quickly for me. I'm not sure where I wanted the book to go after the great start, but, maybe I had set it up to high and the only way was down.
The rest of the book was definitely a slow read. It is a good book, I would just caution to not get too excited about the potential excitement over the great start and new information that may illuminate some of your ways for you if you are a digital learner like myself.
This book did create in me as a final result, a desire to spend some time back in paper books and my paper Bible along with my electronic books and Bible.
July 3, 2017
This book was extraordinary and inspiring.
While I love technology, (and I do -- I am on the Internet on my iPad as I type this), I sometimes can't shake the thought that I am sacrificing something sacred by letting machines think and work for me.
This book is a great primer on how we can reclaim parts of our minds and souls that have atrophied from lack of use, and how we can create healthy habits. It encourages healthy boundaries for the digital world, without ever sounding any Luddite alarms.
While there is certainly some inclusive application points in the book, it is specifically written to a Christian audience.
I borrowed this from the library, but I am totally buying a copy of this.
While I love technology, (and I do -- I am on the Internet on my iPad as I type this), I sometimes can't shake the thought that I am sacrificing something sacred by letting machines think and work for me.
This book is a great primer on how we can reclaim parts of our minds and souls that have atrophied from lack of use, and how we can create healthy habits. It encourages healthy boundaries for the digital world, without ever sounding any Luddite alarms.
While there is certainly some inclusive application points in the book, it is specifically written to a Christian audience.
I borrowed this from the library, but I am totally buying a copy of this.
October 20, 2016
A look at spiritual disciplines and how they can correct some of the fallout from too much connectivity. I was expecting more on the effects of the internet on the mind and relationships - along the lines of Nicholas Carr's "The Shallows" or Sherry Turkle's "Alone Together"- only from a Christian perspective. This was more on how to incorporate lectio divinia or scripture memory into your life.
August 28, 2016
So good! Definitely one to re-read each year to be purposeful and aware of whether one has slipped into auto mode in our spirituality.
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September 6, 2016Fantastic read. Really enjoyed the content.
December 9, 2016
All sorts of great stuff in here - some really concrete, practical exercises to try as well. Really enjoyed practicing slow reading, deep breathing, and simple motion.
April 27, 2017
It took me a while to read this because I rarely have time to read but all I have to say for this book is that it raises awareness to the issues with the constant use of social media. I decided to read it because I spend too much time on social media sites and I check them way too often. But this book is more for people who are really religious (Christianity) or people who are looking for a relationship with Jesus. The author's point in the book is to convert the time we're on social media sites to spending time and thinking about God. I'm not the most religious person and I'm trying to reconnect with God since it's been a long while since I have and this book can help with that. However, I gave it three stars because I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Some parts of it had great points other parts just dragged on. She kept talking about different philosophers and their theories which I felt sort of distracted the point she's making in the book. I borrowed this from the library but I think it's one of those books you do have to purchase because of how it is set up. Some of the chapters have exercises where you do deep readings, thinking, and inhaling/exhaling. I didn't have the time to do all of them but I think it's important because it gives our eyes and brains a break from the screen and reminds us that there is more than just what is going on online. Some of the stuff we see on the social media sites aren't quite reflective of what is actually going in peoples' lives. And this book is great for that but if you're someone who just wants to get to the point an article would be your best bet. I do think this book is great for bible study groups. It would create an interesting conversation.
July 16, 2018
The Wired Soul came at the perfect time. We live in such a "busy" state. We are rewarded for busy... but for what purpose. Tricia challenges the busy -technology influenced state and reminds us to live with purpose. A well-intentioned read.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews