What has Silicon Valley to do with Jerusalem? by David Lochhead, Executive Director IRTC For Tertullian, writing in the early 3rd century, the question was "What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?" The implied answer, for Tertullian, was that Athens and Jerusalem had nothing in common, that the dominant philosophies of Greek culture had no interest for Christian faith. Tertullian was wrong. Whether Christians liked it or not, the dominant philosophies of ancient Greece shaped Christian belief over the ages. And not only Greek philosophy. In turn, Christian faith and practice was shaped by Greek Philosophy, Roman Law, the Feudal system of the Middle Ages, the print culture that emerged at the beginning of the modern era. Christ, culture, and the technologies of every age are never completely separable. Today our world is being shaped by electronic technologies, particularly by the digital technology of the computer. The cultural and religious impact of the electronic technologies cannot be safely ignored. The Institute for Religion, Technology and Culture has been established to promote discussion and reflection on technology today from a theological and philosophical perspective. Through conferences and publications, the Institute aims to bring together those who are concerned with the significance -- cultural, philosophical, religious, spiritual -- of emerging technologies. How we understand ourselves, how we understand our world, how we understand God in a time dominated by digital technologies pose the questions which the Institute hopes to address.

Resource Documents for David Morgan Lochhead