Cybertheology

How does technology affect the way we believe? That’s what cybertheology explores. Many theologians, philosophers, and technologists ponder how the digital age affects our religious and spiritual life. For instance, looking at screens instead of paper books can lead us to scan more instead of engaging in deep reading. Managing multiple social media accounts may lead us to maintain multiple identities, as we post different content on different platforms. Authority is “de-centralized,” meaning people don’t just look to “official” sources such as government, newspapers, or churches for information; they also look at bloggers, tweeters, and people’s websites.

Another way culture has shifted is that we have moved towards a high degree of participation. In other words, when we spend all week commenting, uploading, and responding, church experiences that don’t allow us to express our voices may feel restricting. Besides, the idea of “floating text” (text on screens) leads to a lack of context—where did this text come from? Where is it? This leads to questions like, how has prayer changed because of web-searching? Do I need God’s guidance, or can I just search the answer for myself?

Every time a new technology arrives, it changes us. It has been said that “Our tools not only make the world, our tools make us.” The apostle Paul wrote, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor. 3:18, ESV).

Many Christian authors have interpreted this as a principle for life, suggesting that what we interact with and what we pay attention to affects the way we live. Technology is a great tool, from the stone tablets on which God wrote the ten commandments to machines that extend our lives. It can also be a liability, as illustrated by the Tower of Babel debacle. In a time when technological tools are developing with dizzying speed, the important thing is to ask how it is changing your relationship with God.