The Next Story
Faith, Friends, Family, and the Digital World
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Even the least technical among us are being pressed from all sides by advances in digital technology. We rely upon computers, cell phones, and the Internet for communication, commerce, and entertainment. Yet even though we live in this “instant message” culture, many of us feel disconnected, and we question if all this technology is really good for our souls.
In a manner that’s accessible, thoughtful, and biblical, author Tim Challies addresses questions such as:
• How has life—and faith—changed now that everyone is available all the time through mobile phones?
• How does our constant connection to these digital devices affect our families and our church communities?
• What does it mean that almost two billion humans are connected by the Internet … with hundreds of millions more coming online each year?
Providing the reader with a framework they can apply to any technology, Tim Challies explains how and why our society has become reliant on digital technology, what it means for our lives, and how it impacts the Christian faith.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Are cellphones and wikis good for faith? Author and Christian blogger Challies applies the discernment taught in his first book (The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment) to the subject of digital technology. He writes that technology is from God, but its merits and downfalls depend on how people use new devices and how they allow those devices to use them. Though Challies is not the first author to warn about overuse, he takes a unique, comprehensive view of technology through the contexts of Christian theology, theory, and everyday experience. After offering a brief history of technology from the steam engine to the mobile phone, he examines six ways in which the latest digital media are affecting our behaviors (e.g., reducing accountability, changing our perception of truth). As we "approach a frontier," Challies cautions readers to consider potential behavioral changes before they are written into our history. While he does not draw definitive conclusions, the questions he poses will give readers necessary pause and help them to take a careful look at technology's place in their lives.
