I first met John Dyer online somewhere in the summer of 2008. I was engaged online quite a bit at the intersection of faith and technology. I am definitely not an expert in technology, but there was a period of about 4-5 years where I spent a lot of time at social media and technology conferences, workshops, meetups, etc. And during that time I spoke quite a bit on how technology shapes our relationships. But it was when I met John in person in the Fall of 2008 and we started hanging out, that I really began to understand truly how technology shapes us.
Some of John’s work that really shaped me early on you can find in his presentation Technology is not Neutral: How Bible Technology Shapes our Faith. This presentation is a good introduction into John’s thoughts on technology. And these thoughts powerfully shaped how I understood the role of technology in my life, especially understanding that it is not neutral, but is always shaping us in some way. The question is, how is the technology we are using shape us? If this is a question that you are curious about, I recommend you read John’s book, From the Garden to the City: The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology.
I have had the privilege over the last 6 years to have a friendship with John, and I’ve also really enjoyed our time together team teaching/presenting at some church workshops and conferences on the role of technology in our relationships. John is a very thoughtful, intelligent, and humble guy, and as you listen to the podcast you will begin to understand what I mean.
In this podcast we talk about:
- John’s journey in understanding the role of technology in our lives and how it shapes us.
- what technology is and how it is defined (it’s not just social media and our computers)
- how technology shapes us
- how we can use technology without it using us
- the implications of technology in our faith journey
- what are some of the exciting things on the horizon when it comes to innovation in technology
- what are some of the things in the innovation of technology that we might have caution about
- ideas about how we can more effectively use technology in a way that isn’t harmful to our relationships
Please listen and subscribe to my podcast in the following places, and then leave a comment letting me know what you liked about the show, or what guest you would like to hear from. Thank you so much for your support.
Resources and Links Mentioned in the Episode
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life by Albert Borgmann
The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects by Marshall McLuhan
From the Garden to the City: The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology
Other Links
Website:. John Dyer
Twitter:. John Dyer
Using Technology Without Technology Using You: Technology in the Kingdom, Society, and Your Life
