From the Garden to the City

John Dyer has written an entertaining, thoughtful, and tremendously helpful book in From the Garden to the City (The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology). His expert understanding of technology (he is a web developer who has built tools for Apple, Microsoft, Harley Davidson, and the U.S. Department of Defense) and his insightful Bible exposition (he is also a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary) shine through in this book. Perhaps most impressively, he manages to discuss technology, philosophy, history, and theology in a thoroughly and constantly engaging way.

I loved the relatable way he defined technology, and then pointed out its use in Biblical descriptions of the Garden of Eden and the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus (and restoration of Peter) by the Sea of Galilee. I highlighted whole sections of the book, which I rarely do, and transcribed many of his lines, such as, "Sinfulness is amplified all the more when we attach something as powerful as the internet to our hearts" and "Our task as believers is to work against the tendencies built into our devices, and to in effect become a predator of the media in the ecosystem of our lives." Man, those two statements (which appear back-to-back in the book) are worth the price of the book. As well as the statement in the next-to-last chapter that, "We must continually attempt to view technology through the lens of the story of God and his people, with the resurrected Christ at the beginning, middle, and end of that story. It is his life, work, and promises that should inform our value system, shape the way we see the world, and transform the way we live in it."

Dyer's book has already helped me to begin doing that, better and more consciously. I hope it does so for many, many others--particularly pastors and church leaders.

For more information (and to read sample chapters from the book), visit http://fromthegardentothecity.com.