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Consultation on Technology – March 2011

Posted by mcool on Mar 12, 2011
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Speakers: Albert Borgmann, Eugene Peterson
Musicians: Andy Gullahorn, Jill Phillips, Pierce Pettis

In March 2011, approximately 65 technologists, theologians, pastors, business people, and philosophers met in the Frio Canyon to think through the intersection of faith, culture, and technology.

Presentations

Eugene Peterson and Albert Borgmann – Introduction (Thurs. 3/10/11)

12-Minute Presentations- Arthur Boers, Heidi Campbell, Eric Brende, and Katherine Leary (Fri. 3/11/2011)

Technology Panel- Andy Crouch, Al Erisman, Lance Mansfield, Rosie Perera, Alyssa Wilkinson (Fri. 3/11/2011)

Eugene Peterson – Saving Technology (Sat. 3/12/2011)

Albert Borgmann – Redemption (Sat. 3/12/2011)

Theology Panel- David Wood, Jason Byassee, Peter Harris, Eric Jacobsen, Timothy Dalrymple (Sat. 3/12/2011)

Consultants

Katherine Alsdorf

Executive Director of Center for Faith & Work; Redeemer Presbyterian Church

  • President  & CEO of three technology companies from 1992 – 2001, working in satellite network services, hardware/software distance learning, and internet mgmt education.  Prior to that worked as an economic consultant to the aerospace industry working on space shuttle operations, GPS planning, and a/c material fire safety programs. Now works with young professionals in all vocations to help them think through their professions and industries from a theological perspective.

Kenny Benge

Rector, St. John’s Anglican Church

  • Interested in the relationship of technology to spiritual practices, everyday life and spirituality, liturgy, and the use of technology in contemporary worship forms.
  • Team Leader for InterVarsity’s Graduate and Faculty Ministry at Vanderbilt University.  Kenny is also an avid “birder” and will teach a bird watching session.  Kenny lives with his family in Franklin, TN.

Arthur Boers

Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary; Elkhart, IN

  • Arthur Paul Boers (D.Min., Northern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of pastoral theology at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto. He is an ordained minister in the Mennonite Church USA and a Benedictine oblate at St. Gregory’s Abbey in Three Rivers, Michigan.
  • His books include The Rhythm of God’s Grace: Uncovering Morning and Evening Hours of Prayer and Never Call Them Jerks: Healthy Responses to Difficult Behavior. He is an editor of Take Our Moments and Our Days: An Anabaptist Prayer Book.

Albert Borgmann

Regents Professor of Philosophy, University of Montana

  • Albert Borgmann has an MA in literature from the University of Illinois (Urbana) and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Munich (Germany). Since 1970 he has taught at the University of Montana. His special area is the philosophy of society and culture with particular emphasis on technology. Among his publications are Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life (University of Chicago Press, 1984), Crossing the Postmodern Divide (University of Chicago Press, 1992), and Holding on to Reality: the Nature of Information at the Turn of the Millennium (University of Chicago Press, 1999).

 

Eric Brende

Mr. (urban householder), St. Louis (Soulard Farmer’s market, streets)

  • Interests include: Old Order Anabaptists, especially in their technological decision-making and way of life.
  • Author of Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology.

Jason Byasse

Research Fellow in Theology and Leadership, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity; Call & Response Blog Editor

Jason also serves as a contributing editor to Christian Century, where he was an assistant editor from 2004-2008. He is an ordained elder in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. He is author of The Gifts of the Small Church(Abingdon, 2010), Reading Augustine: A Guide to Confessions (Cascade, 2006), An Introduction to the Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Cascade, 2007) and Praise Seeking Understanding: Reading the Psalms with Augustine (Eerdmans, 2007). He has a master of divinity and doctorate from Duke University.

Heidi Campbell

Dr / Assistant Professor of Communication, Texas A&M University

  • Interested in the social shaping of technology, rhetoric of new media, and themes related to the intersection of new media, religion and digital culture. She teaches media studies, popular culture and religion. Her research focuses on religion, the internet and the influence of digital and mobile technologies on religious communities.
  • Author of Exploring Religious Community Online (Peter Lang, 2005), co-editor of A Science and Religion Primer (Baker Academic, 2009) and When Religion Meets New Media (Routledge 2010). Her work has appeared in other publications including the Journal of Contemporary Religion, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, New Media and Society and Religion Online (Dawson & Cowan, Routledge, 2004).

Kyle Childress

Reverend, Austin Heights Baptist Church

  • Pastor of a small but lively congregation since 1989 located in a college town in East Texas.  Interested in literature and theology, writing and the pastoral life, gardening, slow food, and slow church.

 

Rodney Clapp

Author/Editor, Baker Publishing Group

Rodney Clapp is the author of Border Crossings: Christian Trespasses on Popular Culture and Public Affairs and has published more than one hundred magazine articles on church and culture. He is editorial director of Brazos Press and lives in Wheaton, Illinois.

Greg   Cootsona

Associate Pastor, Bidwell Presbyterian Church

  • After receiving his doctorate in 1994, Greg took a full time position at the prestigious Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. It was there that the rhythms of life became a bit too intense, and a brush with heart trouble and high blood pressure led him to examine his (and as it turns out, our) priorities. The result of that examination is a new book, Say Yes To No.
  • Greg currently lives in Chico California and is the Associate Pastor of Adult Discipleship and College Ministries at Bidwell Presbyterian Church. He is married to Laura, and they have two daughters Melanie and Elizabeth.

Andy  Crouch

Senior Editor, Christianity Today International

  • Andy is the author of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, winner of Christianity Today’s 2009 Book Award for Christianity and Culture and named one of the best books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly, Relevant, Outreach and Leadership. A senior editor at Christianity Today International, he is a member of the editorial board of Books and Culture, and a senior fellow of the International Justice Mission’s IJM Institute. For ten years he was a campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Harvard University. He studied classics at Cornell University and received a M.Div. from Boston University School of Theology.  Andy lives with his family in Swarthmore, PA.

Catherine Crouch

Associate Professor of Physics, Swarthmore College

  • Professional expertise includes: Physics education (particularly teaching introductory physics for life science and premedical students, and success of underrepresented student groups in physics), experimental studies of nanoscale materials and biological physics. Also interested in relationship between science and Christian faith, an avid supporter of urban ministries, and a music lover.

 

Timothy Dalrymple

Associate Director of Content, Patheos.com

  • Timothy Dalrymple pursued a degree with majors in Philosophy and Religious Studies at Stanford University, a M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Religion at Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Once a world-class gymnast, his career came to an end with a broken neck. Forced to live with chronic pain, he turned his attention to theologies of suffering.
  • He worked part-time in chaplaincy for three years in a maximum security prison, and has ministered in congregations in America as well as overseas. He still teaches at Harvard, writes fiction, and hopes that Patheos will lead to more charitable and informed conversation on religion and society.

David Dragseth

Pastor, Lake Park Lutheran Church Milwaukee, WI

  • David is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He was called to Lake Park Lutheran Church in 1999 when the church was in redevelopment mode.

John  Dyer

Director of Web Development, Dallas Theological Seminary

  • John Dyer is a web developer working on sites like Best Commentaries and Bible Web App. A graduate of Dallas Seminary and teacher at Irving Bible Church

Al Erisman

Executive Director, Ethix.org

  • Was Director of R&D for Information/Technology and Mathematics for The Boeing Company for 32 years. Albert M. Erisman is the co-founder and editor of Ethix magazine (www.ethix.org), which began in October 1998.  In this role he has interviewed business leaders from around the world on issues of ethics, technology, values, and purpose. He is also Executive-in-Residence at the School of Business and Economics, Seattle Pacific University.  He teaches courses in business ethics and business and technology, and is a Fellow and past Director of their Center for Integrity in Business.

Scott  Francisco

Director of Discovery, HLW International LLP

  • Scott Francisco is the founder of Pilot Projects. He is a designer, consultant and practicing cultural theorist in New York City. His work ranges from strategic planning, to product and furniture design; from strategic consulting for large corporations and institutions to small-scale community development.  
  • His design, research, writing and teaching are connected by a common theme: connecting built infrastructure to cultural development.  He has written extensively on design, innovation and culture, and worked with several large architecture firms in New York City. He holds a Masters of Science in Architectural Studies from MIT and is currently Director of Discovery at HLW International.             

 

David  Gill

Mockler-Phillips Professor of Workplace Theology & Business Ethics, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

  • Dr. Gill is Principal of EthixBiz.com, an organizational ethics consulting business. He also co-founded and co-directed the Institute for Business, Technology and Ethics in Seattle, WA. He is the author of seven books and more than 200 articles, reviews and interviews.
  • Dr. Gill may be most widely known as a scholar for his work on the thought of the French sociologist and ethicist, Jacques Ellul. He is Founding President of the International Jacques Ellul Society and has spent significant time doing research in Bordeaux, France.

 

Marcus Goodyear

Senior Editor, TheHighCalling.org

Marcus Goodyear is Senior Editor for TheHighCalling.org and Christianity Today’s FaithInTheWorkplace.com. He joined Foundations for Laity Renewal in June 2005. After earning his bachelors in English from Texas A&M and his masters in English from the University of Texas at San Antonio, Marcus taught English and Creative Writing in Texas public schools for ten years. He now lives in Kerrville with his wife and two children.

His poetry collection Barbies at Communion is available at the LL Bookstore.

Andy  Gullahorn

Singer, songwriter, producer

  • Member of the Square Peg Alliance, Nashville, TN

Peter Harris

President, A Rocha International

  • UK Environmental conservation/ornithology
  • Peter and Miranda moved to Portugal in 1983 to establish and run A Rocha’s first field study centre. Together with their four children they lived at the centre for twelve years until 1995 when the work was given over to national leadership. They then moved to establish A Rocha France’s first centre near Arles, France and lived there until 2010, providing coordination and giving leadership to the rapidly growing global movement.  They are now back in the UK from where they work to support the A Rocha family around the world while being closer to their own, and not least their grandchildren. Their story is told in Under the Bright Wings (1993) and Kingfisher’s Fire (2008) .

Wan-Phek How

Information Systems Director, Regent College

  • Works as the Information Systems Director at Regent College, where he completed the MCS in Spiritual Theology. He is also a graduate of Cambridge University, with a degree in Engineering. Wan is interested in the integration of theology and technology, spirituality and work. To de-stress, he swims, cycles, and chops vegetables. When it stops raining in Vancouver, he enjoys bird-watching and fishing.

Eric Jacobsen

Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church; Tacoma, WA

  • Eric Jacobsen previously served as the Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Missoula, MT from 1995-2004. He also has taught as an Adjunct Professor at both Regent College in British Columbia and Fuller Theological Seminary in California, where he received his Ph.D.
  • Eric is author of the nationally-recognized book Sidewalks in the Kingdom: New Urbanism and the Christian Faith (Brazos, 2003), which explores how Christians can have a positive impact in America’s cities. He is also the co-editor of Traditions in Leadership:  How Faith Traditions Shape the Way We Lead (DePree, 2006), as well as numerous articles exploring connections between the Christian community, the church, and traditional neighborhoods.

Dan Jarrell

Pastor, Change Point, Anchorage, AK

  • I began at Change Point in 2000. After studying Geology at Southern Oregon University, I realized God had given me a passion to teach the Bible. Before coming to Alaska, I served on the faculty at Multnomah University.

Timothy Jones

Senior Association Rector, St. George’s Episcopal Church; Nashville, TN

  • The Rev. Timothy Jones is Senior Associate Rector of St. George’s. He is the author of several acclaimed books on the spiritual life, including The Art of Prayer: A Simple Guide to Conversation with God; Awake My Soul, Practical Spirituality for Busy People; Workday Prayers; and Nurturing a Child’s Soul.He served as general editor of the Spiritual Formation Bible and compiled and edited a book of unpublished writings of the late Henri Nouwen, entitled Turn My Mourning into Dancing. Timothy is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and the School of Theology.

Sylvia Keesmaat

Dr. Trinity College, University of Toronto

  • Biblical scholar and gardener. As a biblical scholar, she is Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies at Trinity College at the Toronto School of Theology. She gardens on an organic farm that is powered by solar and wind and is heated by a wood-burning cookstove (a fascination fueled by a youthful reading of Borgmann). Sylvia has heard of cell-phones, high-speed internet, facebook and twitter, and occasionally wonders what impact these items would have on mucking out the barn, feeding the chickens or tying up tomatoes.  Along with her husband, Brian Walsh, she is the author of Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire. Her writing and speaking focuses on a biblical vision of creation care, social justice and radical discipleship.

Gisela Kreglinger

Dr. Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

  • Interests include Christian Spirituality, the spiritual role of food and wine in our embodied and communal Christian lives, the role of technology in wine making, The Protestant Imagination: the poet as priest.

Lance Mansfield

VP, Product Management Passport Health Communications

  • Intersection of faith and technology

Rosie Perera

Photographer

  • After graduating from college, I worked as a software engineer for eleven years, and then studied theology for another eight, during which time I developed my skills and love of photography in my spare time. I studied at Focal Point photography school, in Vancouver, BC, and have also taken workshops through Rocky Mountain School of Photography and Cascades Academy of Photography in Issaquah, WA. My travels all over the world, and the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, which has been my home since 1985, have provided much of my inspiration.

Eugene Peterson

Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College; Vancouver, BC

  • A prolific author, he is well-known for The Message, his translation of the Bible in the language of today.
  • Peterson, now retired, was for many years James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also served as founding pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. In addition to his widely acclaimed paraphrase of the Bible, The Message(NavPress), he has written many other books.

Peirce Pettis

Songwriter, vocalist, guitarist

  • Pettis was a staff songwriter for PolyGram from 1993-2000 and when his High Street contract ended, Pettis signed to Compass Records where he has released Making Light of It (1996), Everything Matters (1998), State of Grace (2001), and Great Big World (2004).  Pierce Pettis’ songs have been recorded by artists including Susan Ashton, Dar Williams, Garth Brooks and Art Garfunkel.

Jill Phillips

Singer/songwriter, Nashville, TN

  • Toured extensively with Caedmon’s Call and Bebo Norman.  Her newest release is The Good Things which centers around family, relationships, and faith. Jill Phillips is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter who got her start in the business after graduating from Belmont University in 1998.

Grady Powell

Executive Director, Trinity Forum Academy

  • Serves as Executive Director of the Trinity Forum Academy and is responsible for the overall management, communications and strategic development of the organization. Grady and his wife Sarah joined the Academy staff in 2007. Before moving to Osprey Point, Grady lived in Greenville, South Carolina, where he worked as a senior account executive for Erwin-Penland, an office of Hill-Holliday Advertising. Grady graduated from Furman University with a degree in Economics.

Mark   Purcell

Director, Client Services     Mercent, Inc.

  • Mark is Director of Client Services at the Mercent Corporation, an online marketing platform for specialty retailers. He also serves as the board chair for A Rocha USA.

Steven Purcell

Director, Laity Lodge

  • Author of Even Among These Rocks: A Spiritual Journey. He came to Texas in October 2006, by way of Seattle and Austria. While in Europe, he was a managing Director at a Christian conference center for five years.

Mark   Roberts

Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge

  • In addition to overseeing the retreat ministry of Laity Lodge, Mark works with leaders and churches to foster individual, institutional, and social renewal. He is also a senior advisor to the Laity Leadership Institute. As Scholar-in-Residence, he writes for Foundation publications, including TheHighCalling.org website, where he writes the Daily Reflections. He also represents Laity Lodge as a writer and speaker in a wide variety of contexts. Much of his writing appears on his website, MarkDRoberts.com, and on his Beliefnet blog.
  • Mark is the author of six books. With a Ph.D. in New Testament from Harvard, Mark has taught for Fuller Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary.
  • Before coming to Laity Lodge, Mark was Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, CA, for sixteen years.

Dan Roloff

Editor, HighCalling.org

Dan Roloff is the editor of TheHighCalling.org, and his blog, Ramblin’ Dan, has a little bit of everything. At times, a theologian, philosopher, comedian, publisher, sports enthusiast, and businessman, Dan offers a transparent look at the high calling of one man’s work.

Kevin Schut

Chair and Associate Professor, Dept. of Communications, Trinity Western University

  • Kevin Schut is a professor of media studies in the Communications department at TWU. He’s a former global wanderer, a father of three little ones, and a big fan of computer and video games, especially Sid Meier’s Civilization series. His blog explores stuff to do with media — art, faith, culture and why your computer might change the way you think.

David Stearns

Historian of technology, Seattle Pacific University

Jack   Swearengen

Emeritus Professor of Engineering, Washington State University

  • Dr. Jack Swearengen’s career includes materials science research, nuclear weapons development and arms control, solar and environmental technology, and the engineering of sustainability.
  • Presently he spends his time promoting sustainable transportation and land use, giving talks and writing articles based upon his recent book Beyond Paradise: Technology and the Kingdom of God. Jack seeks to persuade Christians and tekkies that technology is not morally neutral, that sustainability is a biblical objective, and that technology must be used for the benefit of God’s creation.
  • He is currently Professor Emeritus at Washington State University.

Terry  Tigner

Executive Director   Laity Leadership Institute

  • As Executive Director of the Laity Leadership Institute, Terry Tigner is leading the research, strategic planning, and start-up sequence for the establishment of this new organization.  Terry will be responsible for the leadership of the Institute including new program development, public outreach to constituents, and the ongoing development of strategic partners in the Institute’s mission.
  • Terry received his bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies at Westmont College followed by an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and an MBA in Finance and Technology from the University of California at Irvine.

Sabastian Traeger

Strategic Advisor, Razoo

  • Since 1998, Sebastian has founded and developed several social enterprises, including Christianity.com, a portal featuring news and information, and Silas Partners, a web consulting company that helps nonprofit organizations with online strategy, marketing and fundraising. Sebastian also helped launch Village Phone in El Salvador, a program designed to increase access to reliable and affordable telecommunications for those living in rural areas. His previous experience also includes management consulting at Dean & Company.

Brian  Walsh

Dr., Christian Reformed Campus Ministry to the University of Toronto

  • Brian Walsh lives with his wife, Sylvia Keesmaat and their daughters at Russet House Farm. He supports his organic farming habit by serving as a Christian Reformed Campus minister at the University of Toronto. He is also Adjunct Professor of Theology of Culture at Wycliffe and Trinity Colleges at the Toronto School of Theology.
  • His books include Truth is Stranger than It Used to Be: Biblical Faith in a Postmodern Age (which is deeply indebted to Borgmann’s Crossing the Postmodern Divide), Beyond Homelessness: Christian Faith in a Culture of Displacement, and soon-to-be-released Kicking at the Darkness: Bruce Cockburn and the Christian Imagination.

 

Paul Wason

Director of Life Sciences, John Templeton Foundation

  • Works with scientists, theologians, philosophers and ministers on programs that feature the constructive engagement of the life sciences and studies of human nature with philosophy and religion. Paul is an anthropologist with a specialty in prehistoric archaeology. His research on inequality, social evolution and archaeological theory has been published as The Archaeology of Rank (Cambridge, 1994) and in other works, and he is currently studying the changing relations between religion, status and leadership throughout history, but especially in the European Neolithic. He is also interested in cultural evolution, especially questions of meaning and purpose in the living world and the world of human affairs.

Alissa Wilkinson

Editor/Instructor of English, Comment Magazine/The King’s College

  • Intrests include religion and contemporary literary fiction, virtue ethics, art in postmodern public life, film (especially through a phenomenological lens), technology & human flourishing.
  • Alissa Wilkinson founded The Curator in 2008 and was its editor for two years until accepting a full-time faculty position at The King’s College. She is also associate editor of Comment. Her work on pop culture, philosophy, politics, and fine art has appears in a number of publications, including Paste, Christianity Today, Prism, Patrol, WORLD, and Relevant.

Loren Wilkinson

Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies & Philosophy, Regent College

  • Loren Wilkinson joined the Regent College faculty in 1981. He has written many scholarly and popular articles developing a Christian environmental ethic and exploring the human relationship to the natural world in its environmental, aesthetic, scientific and religious dimensions. Loren’s teaching interests include Christianity and the Arts, Philosophy, Earthkeeping and his popular “Creation, Wilderness and Technology” course that takes place on a summer boat trip.

Mary Ruth Wilkinson

Sessional Lecturer, Regent College

Mary Ruth has a BA from Wheaton College and an MA from University of Illinois. She teaches in the field of children’s literature and co-leads the popular Regent College course, “Creation, Wilderness and Technology.”

David Wood

Senior Pastor, Glencoe Union Church; Glencoe, IL

  • The Rev. David J. Wood serves on the staff of the Fund for Theological Education as the coordinator of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Transition into Ministry program. An ordained American Baptist pastor, he has served various congregations for the past 25 years. In July 2009, he is scheduled to be installed as pastor of Glencoe Union Church in Glencoe, Ill.