Digitized: Spiritual Implications of Technology

by Bernard Bull

There is no one untouched by technology in our modern culture. Pastors, teachers, and families are looking for ways to understand how technology influences our relationships, our families, our churches, and our faith lives. Digitized articulates how everyone is affected and what Christians can do in response.   

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2018

Reviews

[Dave Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book intrigued me because I’m always fascinated by interdisciplinary explorations, especially when the thoughts surround theological implications of how we live our daily lives. As I’ve always been a bit of geek, and now make my living in technology, thinking theologically about that technology and how it impacts not only what I do, but how I live, is an exercise that I do regularly in any case. Hearing someone else’s thoughts on this is always welcome to me.

So, Bernard Bull’s Digitized: Spiritual Implications of Technology popped out to me as a must-read. I’ve never heard of Bull prior to this book, or read any of his other work, though he is published elsewhere. What I expected was a theological treatment of technology and daily life. What I got, to my disappointment, was a more religious recommendation of how to utilize technology in practice.

Bull’s examinations are of a very surface level. Spread widely through his book are definitions of basic concepts, such as social media and blogs. While establishing definitions early is important in any scholarly work, Bull dwells on these definitions at length, targeting readers who are not technically savvy at the expense of those who are. As a result, he manages to alienate readers such as myself (who are drawn to what the book appears to be about) in his earliest chapters. His recommendations at orthopraxy are low-level, extremely basic, and backed by views that smack of the very legalism that Bull insists he is trying to avoid.

That said, the book is not entirely without value. Bull spends time discussing the spiritual perils of a cultural obsession with efficiency, emphasizing that a Christian theological worldview insists that people are created in God’s image, and thus are more than the numbers to which the business world attempts to reduce us. He also includes thought-provoking discussion on the concept of identity and how this is effected by our digital presentations of ourselves, the implications of which are a relative concept of our true selves and how that relatively is, by definition, untrue.

Continuing on this concept of relativity, Bull speaks a timely truth in regards to how digital expression impacts our perceptual filters of the world in which we live:

“We are inclined to believe that which is presented in the most persuasive manner rather than that which is true. We celebrate social and political commentary that appears in 140 characters…We grow disinterested in lengthier explanations. We turn to ad hominem attacks on those with whom we disagree instead of respectfully debating the issues. We value news as much for its entertainment value as for its accuracy and information. If we are not careful, such practices breed skepticism about truth.”

Bernard Bull, “Digitized: Spiritual Implications of Technology”, p. 152

While Bull attempts to give us practical applications at the conclusion of his book (most of which I forced myself through as they appeared to be targeting those of an unrealistic level of technological illiteracy), his best practical take-away, perhaps ironically, comes from someone else. He borrows from Neil Postman and his contribution to the field of media ecology. Bull encourages the reader to answer the following questions when adopting any new technology (taken from pp. 130ff):

What is the problem to which this technology is a solution?

Whose problem is it, actually?

If there is a legitimate problem that is solved by this technology, what other problems will be caused by using this technology?

Am I using this technology, or is it using me?

Personally, the answers with which I found myself after asking the final of these four questions were…troubling….in regard to some pieces of technology that have a place in my life. Despite the large percentage of the book that was disappointing to me, there was much value in this application, though I question whether it is more Postman’s application than Bull’s.

Altogether, this book is worth reading for the 10% that is thought-provoking, assuming the reader is willing to either skip the rest or force themselves through it. Digitized is far from what I expected, but not completely without value.

This review originally appeared at https://www.unobtrusivelucidity.com/2...

[Josh Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought provoking look at the intersection of faith and technology. Bull provides many insights from his work with technology and explores some of the many implications of technology for our faith. It did start to drag a little bit towards the end, but its arrangement into short, readable chapters with discussion questions at the close was very helpful.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christian impact and use of technology

The Christian author shares his years of reflection on the challenges and opportunities of modern developments in technology. He reviews the impact of technology on our lives and gives suggestions about how Christians can use technology to learn the faith and use it to extend their witness and love their neighbor.

[Peter Hoft · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of wisdom and practical advice for the use of various forms of technology. Grounded in sound theology, it illustrates both the limitations and the opportunities technology affords us to love our neighbor.

[Taylor Barkley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was hoping for more, given the ambitious title. Perhaps a decent introduction but not the best of its genre. Good discussion group prompt questions.