Creation, Fall, and Redemption of Technology
[T]echnological development (even progress, if you use that word discerningly) is part of being human—both in the original sense of humankind's call to assist the rest of creation in being what God calls it to be, and in the sense of healing and redirecting that which, due to the fall, is broken in creation. Charles C. Adams, "Formation or Deformation: Modern Technology and the Cultural Mandate," Pro Rege 25 (June 1997): 2. |
The Reformed tradition stresses the threefold nature of history: creation, fall, redemption. These historical themes apply to technology as well as to the rest of the created universe.
God created all things good. Humans, elephants, trees, rocks, sand, stars—they were all created in a wonderful harmony. This includes technology. The cultural mandate implies that God built the potential for culture (art, music, language, and technology, among other aspects) into the creation. God created humans in His own image, and so the creativity and ingenuity necessary to invent new technologies comes as a gift from God. He also endowed creation with the natural resources necessary for technology—wood, metal, silicon, electricity, and more.
By man's choice, represented in the Adam and Eve, sin entered the world. The fall affected every part of creation. Even our technology is stained by sin. The goodness built in from creation is still present, but warped and darkened by sin.
In the third era of history, Christ's death on the cross and resurrection broke the power of sin and provided redemption to those that have faith. Believers in Christ Jesus have forgiveness of sins through Christ. Christians in the Reformed tradition stress that Christ's redemptive light shines not only on our own souls, but on all creation. Christ's rule and His kingdom stretch from shore to shore of the entire universe. Thus our technology can be redeemed as well. It is a difficult business, to be sure, to recognize within technology invented by man the original intent of God's creative activity, to identify the ever-present effects of sin in that same technology, and then to find ways to redeem that technology. Redemption means to root out sin wherever it is found, to fight against its ill effects, and to enhance the good built in from creation.
Quentin Schultze analyzes media technologies in just this way, recognizing the effects of fall, but also the intrinsic value from creation: Both the media and consumers often demonstrate a naive hope in the power of technology to improve society....When we convince ourselves that salvatino from our problems is a few fonts, images, or nanoseconds away, we idolize media....Rather than large generalizations about the value of the media, we need nuanced, discerning insights into the good as well as the evil....The most helpful critics distinguish between naive condemnation and fair-minded criticism. Quentin J. Schultze, Communicating for Life: Christian Stewardship in Community and Media (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2000), 118–121. |