The Next Story

April 11, 2011
Are cellphones and wikis good for faith? Author and Christian blogger Challies applies the discernment taught in his first book (The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment) to the subject of digital technology. He writes that technology is from God, but its merits and downfalls depend on how people use new devicesâand how they allow those devices to use them. Though Challies is not the first author to warn about overuse, he takes a unique, comprehensive view of technology through the contexts of Christian theology, theory, and everyday experience. After offering a brief history of technology from the steam engine to the mobile phone, he examines six ways in which the latest digital media are affecting our behaviors (e.g., reducing accountability, changing our perception of truth). As we "approach a frontier," Challies cautions readers to consider potential behavioral changes before they are written into our history. While he does not draw definitive conclusions, the questions he poses will give readers necessary pause and help them to take a careful look at technology's place in their lives.

May 1, 2011

A leading Christian presence on the web at Challies.com, Challies (The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment) here steps into the center of an accelerating controversy about the worth, place, and lasting impact of the Internet and related technologies on our lives--but from, and for, a Christian perspective. It would be a shock to find this web designer and dedicated blogger as dubious about the Internet's merits as Nicholas Carr (The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains) and other doubters are. Indeed, Challies suggests that technology is a gift from God that we must learn how to use and control. VERDICT While the author's plea for something like moderation in the use of technology for the greater good of our spiritual lives is touching, Challies does not leave the impression that he has come to terms with the colossal impact the web has had on our hearts and minds. His book should attract readers both inside and outside church life, but we hope it is the first of many efforts to tackle this important question.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.