Technology is everywhere. We constantly hear about new technology in the news. It’s a topic of conversation among parents on the sidelines of their children’s sporting events. Pastors and ministry leaders regularly face decisions about how and when new technologies are appropriate for their church. It seems like not a day goes by without us hearing something about tech, devices, or AI.
Even though technology is everywhere and we hear so much about it, do we really know all that much about it? For example, if someone asked you to give a definition of technology, how would you respond? While we talk a lot about technology, do we even know what we are talking about when we talk about technology?
What Do We Mean by Technology?
Some people define technology as neat and new gadgets or devices—smartphones, robotic vacuums, AI, and so forth. Many people assume that technology is anything invented after they were born. If you were born in the 1980s, then landline telephones are not technology, but smartphones are. If you were born in the 2000s, then the internet is not technology, but AI is technology. This is a pretty narrow and subjective definition of technology.
We can do better than this. In my book Redeeming Technology: A Christian Approach to Healthy Digital Habits, my co-author, Brian Smith, and I write this about defining technology:
Technology can be very difficult to reduce to a single definition. Various thinkers have defined and discussed technology in radically different ways. Some scholars define technology in fairly narrow ways, limiting it to physical objects such as machines, computers, and gadgets. Others have argued that technology also includes the nonphysical, such as knowledge. Some thinkers have said that technology can only be held in your hand, while others have said that technology can also be held in your head. …
Ultimately, technology is all of the above. It is physical and nonphysical, new creations and ancient artifacts. Technology is a prototype autonomous vehicle or a smartphone. And technology is also the ancient techniques used to combine ingredients in order to make a loaf of bread.
Seeing Technology Through God’s Word
While it is helpful to understand scholarly definitions of technology, we, God’s people, comprehend the world around us on the basis of God’s Word. Rather than leaning on worldly understandings of technology, we allow God’s Word to be the norm and rule for all things. If we want to know what technology is, we turn to the Word of God to shape our understanding and definitions.
Read the Scripture passages below and look for references to technology. Then reflect on how these passages might relate to the use of technology in this world or your own use of technology.
God’s Word is the measure and basis of reality. The definition, value, and purpose of created things—what the world calls technology—is not determined by Apple, Google, or Wikipedia. Rather, God sets the parameters for creation and creatures in the Word. Through the Word of God, the Holy Spirit opens our eyes so that we can truly see and opens our ears so that we can truly hear.
With Eyes to See and Ears to Hear
In Matthew 13:10–16, Jesus says His followers have eyes and ears that are capable of seeing and hearing. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can perceive what is really being communicated through the teachings of Jesus. While some people hear the teachings of Jesus as foolishness or pointless parables, His followers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to see and hear and perceive all that Jesus is conveying.
Similarly, technology can be like the parables of Jesus: Technology involves much more than people may immediately notice. Like a parable, technology can be both simple and complex, clear and hidden. It is important for us to have eyes that can see and ears that can hear when it comes to our interactions with technology. Exploring what God’s Word says about technology is a powerful way to have our eyes and ears opened to the possibilities and pitfalls of technology.
The next time you hear about some new technology on the news, consider opening up the Word of God to help guide your understanding. When you are sitting on the sidelines of a youth soccer game, and parents are talking about a new social media trend, bring the Word of God into the conversation to shine some light on the confusion. As your congregation and ministry wrestle with decisions about how and where to engage technology, use the Word of God as a guide, knowing that God’s Word “is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Scripture: ESV®.
Quotation taken from Redeeming Technology: A Christian Approach to Healthy Digital Habits © 2021 A. Trevor Sutton and Brian Smith. Published by Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
The questions raised here are just the beginning of the conversation on technology. In Redeeming Technology, you’ll find practical, Christ-centered guidance for evaluating your technology use and forming healthier digital habits.
