Within Us and Without Us: Understanding Technology in Light of our Faith
(This pastoral letter was written during a short sabbatical, for which I am grateful to the Diocese of Dallas for the time apart, as well as to the good offices of Ridley Hall, Cambridge, where I was resident. I am grateful to those who have read and commented on this letter- Ms. Arlie Coles, the Rev. Dr. Victor Austin, the Rev. Andrew Van Kirk, and the diocesan curates’ group- errors herein remain mine alone).
In order better to follow the argument, here is a precis to which the reader can refer back:
- A plethora of social ills are better understood as we see the common influence of technology, including social media. These contribute to pervasive distortions in our culture and self-understanding. 2) The theologian Jacques Ellul and his deployment of the concept of ‘powers and principalities’ help us understand our predicament. The key interlocutor is not philosophy but dystopian movies. 3) Artificial Intelligence, better described as ‘alien,’ supercharges the crisis, whatever one makes of the prospect of its autonomy or sentience, and poses a threat to every domain of life. 4) The crucial doctrine is that of human dignity, rooted in the image of God and inseparable from embodiment. We imagine the particular calling of the Church to witness here and now on behalf of dignity.
