Reboot: Refreshing Your Faith in a High-tech World

by Peggy Kendall

Overview

In an accessible and conversational voice, Bethel University communications professor Peggy Kendall has designed this practical resource to help Christians think more intentionally about how technology is slowly changing the way we live. By contrasting our high-tech world with a no-tech God, the book challenges readers to decide how to use existing and future technology in ways that are consistent with the values and lifestyle God calls us to adopt.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780817016470
Publisher:	Judson Press
Publication date:	12/15/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	378 KB

Table of Contents

Contents
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Part I: Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
The Alias Factor: Remote-Controlled Adventure . . . . . . . . . .10
NASCAR Speed: Multitasked to the Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Earbud Captives: Amped-Over Solitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Part II: Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Cotton Candy Communities: Uncommitted Obligations . . . . . 70
Helicopter Friendships: Fragmented Connections . . . . . . . . . .88

Part III: Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Optical Myopathy: Reviewing the Almighty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Editorial Reviews

When one “reboots” a computer, it is usually because of a bug in the system. This is an interesting concept that Kendall, associate professor of communication at Bethel University, brings to the spiritual life. Human beings, like machines, can get stuck in a rut and require some refreshment. The author brings a commonsense approach to ways to grow spiritually in the contemporary world, neither canonizing nor vilifying technological progress. She points out that, for all of its conveniences, technology does not come without costs. It can isolate us if we are not self-aware. Kendall advocates for reflection about technology and its impact on our daily lives. Most impressively, she invites readers to find places of silence and solitude, far away from the blips and bleeps of machines, where a person can find his or her center. Each chapter concludes with some important suggestions and exercises for personal reflection. Most people’s lives are touched by communication and information technologies, so examining how these modern conveniences affect our relationships and commitments is of utmost importance to all who care about their spiritual life. (Jan. 15)

Publishers Weekly