The Big Idea
There is no such thing as a completely “neutral” tool. Even a hammer is made with a particular kind of work in mind. Ask a handyman and a sculpture for their favorite hammer and you will
Technology as a Narrative Tool
Therefore it is not outside the realm of theology or applying Scriptural truth.
Technology is not value neutral. Every piece of technology works to realize a particular picture of human thriving and existence. In other words, no matter how primitive the tool (think of even a hammer) a piece of technology seeks to accomplish a particular kind of work. The goal being (theoretically) to make the life of the human using it better. A good example of this is the automobile. This piece of technology has vastly changed the ability of humans to personally inhabit a much larger area than would be possible on foot, or with other more ridged forms of transportation. All tech sells based off of a narrative
Even programming languages each have a unique narrative of what makes them special and what problems they seek to solve
The form factor not just the “function” of technology matters to what categories we use to understand the world around us
Jesus love breaking people’s comfortable categories
the problems the tech seeks to solve we can get clues to the larger driving narrative
Each narrative pictures ideal human existence by solving particular problems
Structural narrative how it actually goes about solving the problem (and other more background motivators)
Presenting narrative the way the tech is packaged and presented to users
Question is not what feature does it have but what picture of human thriving does it claim to promote and what picture does it promote
Real life comparison of tools
A crm focused on sales
Rock church management super open source ethos
Leantime focus on general productivity and Neruo divergence
Breeze focused on a more big church money focus same with planning center
The way our physical environment begins to restructure around particular technologies can be a telling clue to the power a particular piece of technology has within our lives.
See: An Introductory Framework for Technology
No technology is good apart from the goodness and will of God.
It is not neutral but bound up in original sin just like all humanity and the world.
Hope for techno-utopia is a sure sign that an internal or external technology has been removed from its proper context and is being pursued as an idol, savior, or worse.
So how do we navigate this? What kinds of way of being allows us to keep these foundational principles in view?
⁃ Example of the loss of wells as gathering places but indoor plumbing being very convenient and allowing us to live in ways that are impossible without it
⁃ Example of the form of communication effecting what can be communicated. Early twitter clear example. Also emotions in text etc.