Technology

Cultivating Wisdom in the Information Age (with Brett McCracken)

Kirk E. Miller

Do you ever feel like the constant bombardment of technology and social media is making us dumber, or maybe even more foolish? Or does truth feel ever more elusive to you in an age of increasing options, viral conspiracy theories, and personally curated newsfeeds? How are we to navigate this post-truth world? Brett McCracken joins Kirk for a conversation about his most recent book, The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World. Listen in as Brett gives us guidance on finding wisdom and feeding our souls amidst the information gluttony, perpetual novelty, and “look within” autonomy.

Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)

The Need for “Analog Church” in the Digital Age (with Jay Y. Kim)

Kirk E. Miller

Kirk sits down for an interview with Pastor Jay Y. Kim, author of Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age. They discuss how the digital age, despite its many advantages and opportunities, also negatively deforms us, and why “analog church” (i.e., real people, places, and things) is needed now as much as ever before.

Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)

Navigating Technology — Discussion Questions

Kirk E. Miller

The following is a list of discussion questions composed for a CrossWay Community Church small group, Christ & Culture, for use in March of 2019. It is based on chapters 2 and 4 of James K.A. Smith’s book You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit.

A Theology of Technology

Jim Samra, Mini Theology of Technology  (from Gen 1-11)

Definition (broad) — “Technology includes all tools, machines, utensils, weapons, instruments, housing, clothing, communicating and transporting devices and the skills by which we produce and use them.”

  1. Technology is possible because man is created in the image of God (Adam and Eve — see Gen 1:26-30 — bearing God’s image; having dominion over creation).
  2. Technology often hinders our ability to recognize our need for God and can be used to attempt to render God unnecessary (Cain — killing Abel, ch. 4).
  3. Technology can free us to sin by attempting to shield us from some of the consequences of sin (Lamech — murder — and Tubal-Cain — forger of bronze and iron instruments).
  4. Technology is used by God to rescue us, to help alleviate some of the consequences of the fall, and to help us worship God (Noah, e.g., the ark).
  5. Technology is inherently dangerous because it is the product of purposive human activity, and we need help from God in limiting its use (Tower of Babel).
  • Studying the cross as a form of technology led to my recognizing that technology is dangerous inasmuch as it is constantly tempting us to imagine a better life available to us through technology: to covet and to put our faith in technology rather than God. The cross is associated with the Jewish leaders coveting a world without Jesus (Luke 20:9-19) and their idolatry in embracing Caesar rather than God (John 19:13–16).

Questions for discussion:

  • What do you find helpful here?
  • Is there anything you are not sure you understand, or you think you might disagree with?
  • Which points do you see rooted in scripture? … How so?
  • How do you see these things playing out today in our world with today’s technology?

Continue reading →

How to Have Your iPad or iPhone Read to You

Kirk E. Miller

I want to make you aware of an awesome new feature now available with the latest iOS update on your iPhone or iPad.

Have you ever wanted you iPhone or iPad to read to you, to make any of your ebooks function like an audio book or to listen to a webpage while multitasking? Now you can.

Let me walk you through how to do just that. (The screen shots below are from my iPad.)

(1) First, open your Settings. Select General in the menu on the left hand side. And then select Accessibility (identified by the red box in the picture below).

Continue reading →