Whether it’s a new app sweeping the nation, a new must-have iPhone upgrade or a new way to use virtual reality, technology is advancing at lightning speed. .
As the use of digital tools increases, some Southern Baptist leaders are urging Christians to examine the ways technology may be shaping them.
Jason Thackerdirector of research and technology ethics research chair for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), told Baptist Press that he believes technology is no longer a tool we use, but something that changes the our view of the world.
“Technology’s complexity, usefulness, growth and development have always occurred on an exponential scale,” Thacker said. “This is the nature of technology and what we are experiencing today will only continue to increase in a sense. Technology is not going anywhere.
“As technology continues to improve, things become faster, become more complex and more connected. Digital devices are not just a tool we use, but they are a tool that changes us.
“It shapes how we understand the nature of truth and reality, as well as how we connect relationships. In a way, technology disciplines us. I think people are starting to wake up and see that there is no right about it.”
In his work at ERLC, Thacker led a research project for the entity called Digital Public Square. The project focuses on providing resources for Southern Baptist churches related to navigating the ever-changing technological landscape.
Specific attention is given to issues related to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
He explained that this research is important for the ministry, because technology influences every area of life.
“Technology is not a separate set of issues that Christians must deal with or think about. It’s an element of all the other issues related to the Christian life and Christian behavior,” Thacker said.
“Issues such as marriage, sexuality, human dignity or justice, they are all affected by technology because we live in a digital society.”
In his book “Following Jesus in a Digital Age,” released this year, Thacker encourages Christians to use technology in a more holy way.
One of the main pieces of advice he shared was for Christians to take their time to decide how to use technology in their lives, and take steps to be a light in the digital space.
“At the heart of technology is to make things faster, but what we see throughout the wisdom literature is that we are called to slow down,” said Thacker. “Wisdom is not acquired overnight. There is no app for that. There is no on and off switch.
“It’s important for Christians to think wisely and think hard, and that comes from slowing down and asking some of these big questions about how this has shaped me and how I walk with wisdom and seek to follow Jesus better.
“Christians must embrace the culture as it is, not as we want it to be. A digital society comes with many unique challenges, but also many unique opportunities, and I believe that God calls us to tread on these things and be a voice of hope, peace and change. or the Gospel in our communities.
A Southern Baptist who seeks to apply this kind of wisdom to his own life is Jeff Mingeeregional strategist for the Southeast Region of the SBC in Virginia.
What began as a doctoral research paper as a student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary became a self-examination of the way he used technology in his own life.
The main principle that Mingee discovered is the application of Scripture to one’s use of technology, no matter how fast it advances.
“There is a danger for Christians to embrace technological advances in a worldly way with little or no thought of whether it will glorify God,” Mingee said.
“We cannot predict the impact of technological advances on us – what will the iPhone’s shaping influence be in my life? I have no idea and no way to know that. That’s a challenge with technological advances so we can’t wait until we know the outcome whether we accept it or not. We use it or not and navigate as we go.
“The need for Christians to apply 1 Corinthians 10:31 to our digital habits, whether we embrace technology or avoid it.”
Mingee compiled some of his thoughts and research related to the use of technology in a book titled, “Digital Dominion: Five Questions Christians Should Ask to Take Control of Their Digital Devices.”
The book contains questions for Christians to examine the role of technology in their lives and determine whether they control technology or it controls them.
“I have too much joy that life has to offer me to waste my life looking at a rectangle that fits in my hand,” Mingee said. “There’s too much happiness to be missed because you’re abusing your device.
“I believe that our digital devices can encourage honoring God’s joy in our lives, so I want to find ways to manage and use technology well.”
(EDITOR’S NOTE – Timothy Cockes is a Baptist Press staff writer.)
