Embracing Innovation with Discernment
Church, Technology, and the Temptation of Babel — Blog Series, Part 1
Some strange things popped up on my Facebook feed recently.
One was a post about Ray Kurzweil—a futurist and former Google engineer—claiming we’ll be able to extend human life dramatically by 2030. He predicts that AI-powered nanobots in our bloodstream will soon repair damaged cells, fight off disease, and even regulate our nutrition.
Another headline out of Japan caught my attention: scientists are developing the world’s first fully operational artificial womb. It mimics the natural uterine environment, supposedly nurturing premature babies outside the body. Oxygen levels, nutrients, waste removal—all simulated by technology.
And then, mixed into my timeline, was a fast-food-themed AI-generated image of a presidential candidate, holding a Whopper and surrounded by eagles. You couldn’t make this stuff up—except now you can, and your computer will do it for you.
So what do these things have in common?
They’re artificial. Born not of nature or divinity, but human creativity, ambition, and ingenuity. They’re the fruit of what philosopher Charles Taylor might call “the immanent frame”—a closed system of reality where the transcendent is unnecessary because we can engineer our own salvation.
Now, is technology bad? Is AI evil? Should we toss our smartphones into the sea and head for the nearest monastery?
No. And no.
Technology has been used to do incredible good in the world:
Vaccines and antibiotics have saved millions.
Clean water and agricultural tech have dramatically reduced hunger.
The printing press has made the holy scriptures widely accessible.
The internet has enabled the spread of the gospel to unreached corners of the globe.
Hearing aids. Heart transplants. Laptops. Lawnmowers. All of these are a form of common grace.
But here’s the tension we live in: just because something can be used for good does not mean it’s inherently good.
Because here’s the uncomfortable truth—technology has also been used for:
Violence and war
Government and corporate surveillance
The rapid spread of lies, deepfakes, and propaganda
Escapism, addiction, and the slow erosion of basic human presence
Our tools shape us, whether we know it or not. And if the church isn’t asking how we use technology and why, then the world will answer for us.
The False Promise of Neutrality
Many in the church like to imagine that technology is just a neutral tool. But as Andy Crouch, author of The Tech-Wise Family, notes, tools are never neutral. They always carry embedded values and assumptions.
Just think of the phone in your pocket. It doesn’t have a will of its own, but it does shape your attention. Your sleep. Your habits. Your emotions. Your theology, even. That’s not neutrality—that’s formation.
We were made to be image-bearers of God, creators and cultivators. But Genesis 3 reminds us that image-bearers are also idol-makers. The same hands that build an altar can also fashion a golden calf. And that means the church cannot afford to be passive in the digital age.
We must reclaim discernment as a spiritual discipline.
A Theology of Innovation
Let’s back up. The first chapters of Genesis show us that creation was always meant to be dynamic, unfolding, and cultivated. The cultural mandate—"Be fruitful and multiply...fill the earth and subdue it"—is a calling to steward and extend the goodness of creation through art, agriculture, and yes, even technological innovation.
That means creativity isn’t optional for God’s people. It’s essential.
Rightly understood, technology is a form of human participation in the work of God. Every good innovation is a glimpse into His character—order, beauty, restoration, life.
But that creativity was never meant to be autonomous.
When we detach innovation from divine dependence, we don’t end up with freedom—we end up with Babel. We’ll discuss that more next week.
A Better Way
So what does this mean for churches?
It means that the digital strategy for your church isn’t just about whether or not to livestream or post Instagram reels—it’s about spiritual formation. It’s about asking not just “Does it work?” but “What is it doing to us?”
It means pastors and leaders have the responsibility of shepherding people not just through sermons but through screen time. The glowing temptations of self-promotion, comparison, and distraction are profoundly ubiquitous.
We would be wise to remind ourselves—and our people—that the kingdom of God is not downloaded, streamed, or built by code. It’s born through prayer, community, sacrifice, and Spirit-led obedience.
Technology can be used as a means to help facilitate the individual and corporate disciplines of Christians, but it will never be a sufficient replacement for them.
The Church’s Next Reformation?
If the printing press gave birth to the Protestant Reformation, what might the digital age give birth to?
That depends on us. On whether we, the church, embrace technology with courage and humility, or whether we fall into the old trap of trying to build a name for ourselves instead of lifting up the great name of our Creator.
In the coming weeks, we’re going to unpack this further:
Part 2: The Dangers of Autonomous Progress (Genesis 11 and the Tower of Babel)
Part 3: The Gospel and Technological Redemption
Part 4: Building for Eternity in a Technological Age
But for now, let me leave you with a simple question:
Is the way you’re using technology forming you into someone more like Jesus…or someone more like the world?
And if you’re not sure, maybe it’s time to put your phone down, take a walk, and ask the Spirit what it means to live faithfully in a digital age.
Grace & Peace
