Jennifer George and Rachel Siow Robertson on Joy and Digital Technology

Cambridge Papers are published once a quarter and address a wide range of topics, offering ‘Christian reflection on contemporary issues’.

The latest paper is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded here):

Jennifer George and Rachel Siow Robertson, ‘Designed for joy? Reflections on the Creation and Use of Digital Technology’, Cambridge Papers 32, 1 (March 2023).

Here is the summary:

‘As digital technologies become embedded into our places of work, education, and leisure, many people have voiced concerns about their adverse effects. Daily technology seems often to either drain our pleasure or promote pleasures which are detrimental. This reveals a need to distinguish between pleasures which support or diminish wellbeing when it comes to the design and use of technology. We argue that a theological and psychology-informed notion of joy can help do this, informing goals for the design and use of digital technology.’

Greg Forster on Christian Joy and Cultural Influence

Greg Forster, Joy for the World: How Christianity Lost Its Cultural Influence and Can Begin Rebuilding It (Wheaton: Crossway, 2014).

Greg Forster covers similar ground to others on cultural engagement, but is distinctive in naming ‘joy’ as Christianity’s central contribution to society – where joy is ‘the state of flourishing in mind, heart, and life that Christians experience by the Holy Spirit’. Looking first at how we are formed through an integration of doctrine, devotion, and stewardship, he then explores three areas – sex and family, work and the economy, and citizenship and community – reflecting on how Christians can bring the gospel to bear on every dimension of life. As Forster says: ‘Seeking to have an influence in our civlization does not imply captivity to the culture. It just means we’re answering the call to be good disciples within our spheres of influence.’