Our culture is so much influenced by technology that we sometimes hardly pay much attention to it. But what is technology? Most would think of computers, cell phones, play stations, iPods, etc., all the electronic gadgets. The emphasis is what we can get out of these devices. But technology is more than that. Technology comes from the word techne which basically means "knowledge at work". The Greeks developed a multitude of technologies but their view was that technology, knowledge, and art all filtered through each other. In other words, technology, knowledge, and art all come together to reveal the relationship to an eternal Being. This comes from Plato's idea of the "perfect form", and proper use of technology is to "reveal" this perfect form. That's why a number of technologies were introduced in temples where the Greeks wanted to reveal that there was always something beyond their comprehension. See Wikipedia for more details.
When we just focus on the technology in itself, it is called 'technicity' - it is technological determinism or technology as the primary driving force within culture (Murphie and Potts, 2003, p164). For Heidegger (1977), technology should be a way of revealing other aspects of life, not of controlling life and the world, or just to effect some "cause". Refer to this guide for more details. Technology is not just a way for us to consume and exploit the resources. It should help in revealing and restoring the relation with Being. However, modern technology does exactly the opposite, instead it conceals this relationship, it only focuses on what we want, what comfort it can bring us, and the Being is forced into hiding.
What does it mean for Christians? We need to think carefully why we use computers / phones / iPods, etc. Are we using them just to consume, and get what we want, with even more technologies? How do we reveal our relationship to God, or the essentials of life that continue (like love, friendship, courage, etc.) through these technologies? What aspects of knowledge and art (poetry .. poeisis) do we tie in with our use of technology that allows us to restore our relationship with God?
Unfortunately, we run our church using technology much like the secular world. The way we conduct service, collect offerings, we run programs, conference, seminars, etc., even how we arrange our seatings, are all different forms of technology, in the name of drawing people to God. They are not all bad, but the negative side is that we tend to use these technologies to control God, to get what we want from God, rather than restoring a proper relationship with God. We are a consumer society, and technologies afford and encourage us to do so because technology is not neutral in our society. It is fallen. The church is not immune to this.
When we exercise our faith to ask God to restore what the enemies have stolen, restore our health, so we can be prosperous (of course it is always for the blessings of others), doesn't this sound like a technological approach to God? We are so good in covering ourselves but we need to look deep and honestly at ourselves why we come to God. What do we want from Him? If our answer is anything less than a relationship with Him, it is technological determinism and we are trying to control God, or treating God as yet another "device" (Borgmann, 1984) that we can consume, much like in the days of Babel.
References:
Murphie, Andrew and Potts, John. (2003). Culture & Technology. New York: Palgrave MacMillan
Heidegger, Martin. (1977). The Question Concerning Technology. Retrieved online here.
Borgmann, Albert. (1984). Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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