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Laity Lodge Consultation on Technology (March 10-13, 2011)
By Rosie Perera | April 16, 2011 at 5:02 am
I got a chance to hang out with a bunch of really interesting people engaged with the intersection between faith and technology, at an event last month, the Laity Lodge Consultation on Technology, in the Texas Hill Country. The keynote speakers were Eugene Peterson, whom I studied under at Regent College, and Albert Borgmann, who was one of the authors I wrote my master’s comprehensive paper on.
Many other old friends were there, too. David Gill and Al Erisman, from whom I had taken a summer class at Regent, “Business, Technology and Christian Values,” back in 1996. Wan-Phek How, the Information Systems Director at Regent, with whom I have collaborated. Dave Stearns, an old friend from Microsoft who is now a historian and sociologist of technology and blogs at tech.soul.culture. Steven Purcell, a fellow Regent alum, now director of Laity Lodge, who pulled this whole event together (with the able assistance of Andy Crouch, Arthur Boers, and David Wood). Gisela Kreglinger, assistant professor of theology and spiritual formation at Beeson Divinity School, another Regent alum friend from years ago. Kevin Schut, professor of media studies at TWU, who spoke at the Identity & Technology conference in Edmonton with me a couple of years ago. Loren & Mary Ruth Wilkinson, good friends from Regent and Galiano Island who co-teach a class on Wilderness, Technology & Creation. Eric Jacobsen, pastor and author of Sidewalks in the Kingdom, a friend through his parents-in-law, my former pastor and his wife.
And then there were people I’d heard of and/or known online whom I was looking forward to meeting in person. John Dyer, web developer for Dallas Theological Seminary, and a very thoughtful blogger on faith and technology: Don’t Eat the Fruit. Alissa Wilkinson, a woman of many talents (both techie and literary) who edited some of my columns at Comment Magazine. Peter Harris, co-founder of A Rocha, whom I’d met once before but didn’t really get to know (but he has an amazing memory and recalled our conversation!). Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making and special assistant to the president at Christianity Today, whom I had heard speak at the Transforming Culture symposium in Austin in 2008. Rodney Clapp, author and editorial director at Brazos Press. Lance Mansfield, brainchild behind and webmaster for By/For. Eric Brende, rickshaw driver and author of Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology, who with his family lives as much off the grid as possible.
And there were a number of other folks whose presence enriched the weekend, some of whom also had written books (two of which I couldn’t resist buying): Jack Swearengen (Beyond Paradise: Technology and the Kingdom of God), Arthur Boers (The Way Is Made by Walking), Timothy Dalrymple (associate director of content for Patheos), Marcus Goodyear (senior editor of The High Calling), Jason Byassee (research fellow in theology and leadership at Duke Divinity School), husband-and-wife duo Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat (I’d known of Brian before from his books The Transforming Vision and Truth Is Stranger than It Used to Be, both co-authored with J. Richard Middleton), David Wood (senior minister of Glencoe Union Church), Kenny Benge (rector of St. John’s Anglican Church in Franklin, TN), Mark Purcell (Director of Client Services for online marketing firm Mercent and creator of the website Bird Folio), and many more.
I participated in the Technology Panel on the Friday night. I went bird watching Friday morning with Peter Harris, Kenny Benge, Mark Purcell, and others.
The setting of Laity Lodge is amazing, and it was lovely to be back there again. We ended the weekend with a communion service, followed by brunch (the food there is awesome).
There are some ongoing collaborative endeavors that arose out of this consultation. But the best part was meeting all these men and women who have been thinking about these things for some time. The breadth and depth that we were able to cover in just three days or so was remarkable.
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