Living Well for Jesus in a Digital Age
Course Description
The mechanical apparatuses of Adorno’s time, from machine tools in factories to vacuum cleaners in homes, emphasized the industrial ethos of routinization, standardization, and repetition. They oriented people toward the efficient production of outputs. They turned everyone into a machinist.
But the apparatuses were not constant presences in people’s lives. Workers walked away from their machines at the end of their shifts. Vacuum cleaners went back into the closet once the rugs were clean.
The Internet is different. Thanks to the omnipresence of the smartphone, it’s always there. The network is less a tool than a habitation, less an apparatus than an environment. We don’t just use it to get things done. We are, as Adorno foresaw, incorporated into it as components. Nicholas Carr
What does living well for Jesus look like when, as Nicholas Carr suggests, many of the people in our churches are ‘incorporated into’ the internet? How do we lead people in a world of anxious teens, addictive screens, AI and apps? How can we build true community when the pressure is on to make connections and create content online?
In this course we’ll reflect on what the Bible has to say about technology, the world, and our place in it, as well as engaging with the best reflection on our digital culture from outside the church, and applying it all to ourselves and to those in our churches.
Who is it for?
The course is aimed at those who are established in ministry (whether in a supported full-time role or in an unpaid capacity) who want to keep learning and growing as they lead and equip others in the Christian life.
There is no requirement for prior formal theological education but you will need a good general theological understanding, and be able to engage confidently with stretching texts to be able to make the most of the course.
What is involved?
This course begins with a teaching session from a Crosslands faculty member, but the primary component is an amount of reading and writing on your part. It wraps up with a seminar day to connect, consolidate and apply your learning with the help of a tutor and a peer group of fellow leaders.
To make the most of the learning opportunity, we recommend that you aim to set aside perhaps 2-4 hours per week from mid April to early June to complete the reading and writing, and commit to attending a seminar day.
What is the cost?
The cost of the course is £160. This does not include the cost of the set text, or travel to the seminar day if you attend in person. (Discounts are available for Crosslands Partner Churches and Seminary alumni.)
Course Schedule
When | What |
31st March (noon) Or 3rd April (7:30pm) |
Initial start-up Zoom-call to meet the faculty and other learners, to hear a teaching session on the Bible and Technology, and to be briefed on how to approach the reading and assignment. |
April to end May |
Set text reading: Superbloom by Nicholas Carr (Norton, 2025). Work on written paper (including optional further reading) chosen from a range of topics on the theme. Participants can select topics to suit personal or local ministry needs or more specific issues they’re dealing with pastorally. Papers are submitted and circulated to other participants. |
Monday 16th June | Seminar day
(Venue may depend on where participants are based, but is likely to be in Newcastle upon Tyne.) |