Thinking Theologically about Hurry, Heaven, & Time w Dr. Trevor A. Sutton

Well, I wanted to have you on because we live in a moment where we are very tech-rich and time poor.

So we've got robots to do stuff.

We have generated generative AI.

Our calendars are automated, productivity apps, and it seems like we're constantly out of time.

You have a forthcoming book, you were so kind to give me an advance copy right in front of me, called Between Hurry and Heaven: Recovering Purpose and Presence in a Distracted Age.

I wanted to talk to you about a theology of time, but let's start with technology because you're a tech guy.

You write a lot about technology.

What's your inclination towards tech? Are you pro? Are you anti? And then how does tech and time seem to go together? Your thoughts on tech, Pastor Trevor.

All right, so you've given me about five hours worth of, uh, questions to answer there.

I'll try to be concise.

[chuckles]

Yeah, my, my general approach to technology, you know, as I've studied philosophy of technology, you can almost chart different scholars of technology on this continuum of techno-pessimism and techno-optimism, and some are very pessimistic, some are very optimistic, and not just to be mediating just to be in the middle, not too hot, not too cold.

But I think a, a really helpful way to approach technology is twofold.

Uh, first of all, I think approaching it according to the, the biblical narrative gives it a framework that is absolutely missing from the, the market framework or the, uh, marketing framework-

[chuckles]

... or the consumeristic framework.

Situating technology in the narrative of scripture unlocks a, an approach that's sorely missing from our, our usual approach.

So I think philosophy of technology needs a theology of technology, is one of my general insights.

Uh, but then I think the other thing is to, to fall into overly optimistic or overly pessimistic is probably shortsighted, and you're missing something.

I like to say technologies make some things easier and other things harder.

And so in any given technology, you are gaining ground in one area, but also there's this kind of furtive losing ground in another area.

And so we are naive to think this one device is gonna make all things easier and no drawbacks.

It's gonna save me time, uh, and, and fix my time poverty problem.

So that's my general approach, is looking at technologies biblically and looking at technologies, asking, "Where does this help me? How does this hurt me?"

So you're saying it's complicated.