Rethinking Genesis

The thing about technology is that there is no escaping the link between how we think about technology and what we think the Book of Genesis is telling us.

Really until recently there were no too many options for a theology behind Genesis. Mostly, buried within much of how we have been brought up to understand Genesis incorporates substantial amounts of Greek philosophy, particularly Plato. Any good history of Christian theology will explain the story.

Interestingly, a neo-Platonic view of Genesis leads directly to a view a hyper critical understanding of technology. In contrast John Walton, has suggested that Genesis uses the cultural ideas of functional creation to communication the ideas of Yahweh.

John Dyer 2016 #4

The final talk by John. is a discussion of chapel and campus architecture as it refers to Dallas Theological Seminary.

The discussion never really reaches the heights of great articulation of the issues of design. It is very practical rather than necessarily relating design to the theological story you are in.

If you have ears you can still hear Vitruvius’ voice, de Architectura known popularly today as The Ten Books of Architecture. Commodity, firmness and delight are words that come to us from a 17th Century translation of the Roman architect , it is the only treatise on Classical architecture surviving in its entirety from antiquity. But commodity, firmness and delight or function, well builtness and beauty are curiously incredibly closely connected to your attitude to the world.

It has long fascinated me that post-modernism first found it's 'voice' in physical form in architecture.

But this would not have surprised Vitruvius. 

Architecture among all the arts is unique.  As the art of building, it straddles the line between the theoretical and the practical.  Vitruvius himself states in the first chapter of Book I: “The arts are each composed of two things, the manual work and the reasoning behind it.” Unlike the fine arts of painting, sculpture, dance, theater and music, architecture is a commercial art.  It has a responsibility to its audience to do more than just provoke it.  It must satisfy basic needs of shelter.  It must work in concert with its surroundings. It must adapt to the changing needs of its users. When an audience does not like a performance, they are free to leave the play or concert.  If they do not like a painting or sculpture, they are free to move on to the next gallery.

So listen carefully to the discussion and amongst the practical and mundane there are the hints that what you value shapes what you build. Ponder this where your heart is shapes cities from the very beginning. Cities were initially temple complexes not centres of commerce.

John Dyer 2016 #3

This is the third talk by John.

What I really appreciated about this talk is that John takes the future seriously. He does not talk about scary potentialities he just simply takes it seriously.

We so need more of this this kind of discussion. Kevin Kelly, is also engaged in discussions of this kind but not too many others take the future to be developed and shaped theologically.

John Dyer 2016 #2

This is the second talk by John.

Much of this presentation is familiar to me because of my studies but it maybe new to you. However, even if you have thought about culture and Christianity, John has crafts his talks so well this is worth the time.

John Dyer 2016 #1

Many readers of this blog will be familiar with John Dyer's "From the Garden to the City". Fortunately, John continues to think and talk about technology.

In 2016 John gave 4 chapel talks at DTS where he works.

The first is a good basic introduction into technology and faith and philosophy.

Enjoy.