technology
How technology opened new opportunities for Uighurs – then became a trap
By Darren Byler — September 18, 2019
(The Conversation) — The Uighur internet, which once fostered a cultural flourishing for Uighurs, has become a space that controls many aspects of their lives.
Pollution of a sacred river becomes a symbol for India’s environmental challenges
By Priyadarshini Sen — August 15, 2019
BANGALORE, India (RNS) — This city's early 1990s tech boom outstripped its waste management plans, leaving its Vrishabhavathi River choked with industrial waste.
The jubilee of the moon landing is a chance to assess technology’s promise
By Julie Schonfeld — July 15, 2019
(RNS) — Technology has an almost boundless potential to solve problems, but the Bible's dictum about jubilee celebrations reminds us that technology should also create more prosperity for all.
App for the blind is the latest in Jerusalem’s effort to make holy sites accessible
By Michele Chabin — June 11, 2019
JERUSALEM (RNS) — In recent months, pedestrian walkways through the oldest parts of the city have been reworked to make them wheelchair-accessible, and new technology is bringing holy sites to life for everyone.
The struggle to find silence in the ancient monastic world — and now
By Kim Haines-Eitzen — June 10, 2019
(The Conversation) — Christian monasticism developed in part because people were seeking the solace of quiet places. But for them, like us, it was a struggle.
Facebook bans ‘dangerous individuals’ cited for hate speech
By Barbara Ortutay — May 3, 2019
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — After years of pressure to crack down on hate and bigotry, Facebook has banned Louis Farrakhan, Alex Jones and other extremists.
Evangelicals issue principles on benefits, challenges of artificial intelligence
By Adelle M. Banks — April 12, 2019
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The statement aims to help evangelicals proactively navigate their use of technology like smartphones and virtual assistants such as Siri or Alexa from a scriptural perspective that focuses on ethics about human dignity.
Using holograms and AI to preserve firsthand stories of the Holocaust
By Nancy Churnin — March 22, 2019
DALLAS (RNS) — Holocaust survivors themselves have been the most effective way to bring the Holocaust's horrors home. New technology now makes it possible to capture their stories in perpetuity.
Alexa responds to minister’s sermon, orders toilet paper
By Erik Tryggestad — February 19, 2019
(The Christian Chronicle) — A sermon about the depersonalizing effect of technology became a case in point.
Should we live to be 500? Christians and secularists come together over transhumanism
By Emily McFarlan Miller — September 5, 2018
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — Transhumanism is 'a conversation that calls us, that challenges us to develop a deeper theology of technology,' according to Micah Redding, director of the Christian Transhumanist Association.
Tap and pray: Churches using card readers for donations
By James Brooks — August 7, 2018
LONDON (AP) — 'God is creative and produces new technologies and so should we,' said Graham Hunter, vicar for St. John's church in London.
With 330 million downloads, top Bible app celebrates 10 years
By Bobby Ross Jr. — July 26, 2018
EDMOND, Okla. (RNS) — At the beginning, YouVersion offered the Bible in 15 versions and two languages. Through partnerships with publishers and Bible societies, those numbers have expanded to 1,700 versions and 1,200 languages.
Religion is uniquely human, but computer simulations may help us understand religious behavior
By The Conversation — June 11, 2018
(The Conversation) — Human simulation in action is messier than modeling bridges, but it can be a useful way for researchers to understand just why people behave the way they do.
Why some Christians don’t trust their devices
By Emily McFarlan Miller — April 17, 2018
(RNS) — Who is Jesus? If viral videos are to be believed, some Christians aren’t happy with the answers they’ve gotten from their smart speakers, including Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant on Google Home devices.
Egypt’s mufti issues fatwa against buying Facebook ‘likes’
By Associated Press — April 17, 2018
(AP) — The religious decree says that buying Facebook 'likes' is prohibited under Islam because it’s a form of fraud and deception.
