SHOULD WE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR PRAYER IS? How do you pray? In the morning? With friends from church? How about with your smartphone? Millions of people already are, and paying a subscription to do so. And Big Tech thinks you will too. Are Prayer Apps good for the soul? Adam and Chris dive into the spiritual, and financial, realities of Prayer Apps and this new pay-to-pray world. We do everything else on our phones. Why not praying too? But how might these apps change the ways people connect w...
Feb 15, 2022•58 min•Season 6Ep. 7
LIVING WITH AN IMMANENT SENSE OF THE DIGITAL Felicia Wu Song is a Christian sociologist who says digital natives aren't as native as we think. Is there any hope for the rest of us? She says, yes. Chris interviews Dr Felicia Wu Song about her new book Restless Devices. She explains her belief that our digital routines and habits are themselves forms of discipleship. She says they not only form our habits, but also shape our identity, community, and relationships. And as a sociologist, Dr Song als...
Feb 01, 2022•55 min•Season 6Ep. 6
WHOSE EXPERTS? WHICH INFORMATION? Doctors and scientists have fallen on hard times. Experts are facing a crisis of trust, and we think technology is a major factor. We explore why on this episode of Device & Virtue. Chris proposes how elders, priests, and magicians gave way to the modern expert, how digital media has led to the expert’s decline, and who is rising up in their wake. Meanwhile, Adam says that information overload is something the Bible addresses in surprising ways. Navigating t...
Jan 17, 2022•48 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Sometimes a new technology comes along that you’ve barely heard of but could change everything. Like how we OWN things. Adam & Chris are putting the fun in Non-Fungible Tokens—the relatively new digital tech also known as “NFTs” OWN THE NFT FOR THIS DEVICE & VIRTUE EPISODE Are we kidding? No! You can buy the NFT for this very episode! CHECK IT OUT HERE CHRIS & ADAM ARGUE ABOUT NFTS They use the same underlying technology as Bitcoin, but NFTs aren’t money—they are being used more like...
Dec 20, 2021•53 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Well. Facebook has announced that their new name is Meta. As in “metaverse.” As in a science fiction nerd-term becoming reality. As in—is this our future?? Chris & Adam laugh and raise eyebrows as they watch Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement of what he thinks future life will be like for relationships, work, and play. What does a virtual reality life offer that life today doesn't? Is this bad? Good? And what does a Christian think about an alternate reality? A virtual reality that is becoming l...
Dec 07, 2021•58 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Meet a new smartphone that can’t install apps, doesn’t have Facebook, and that’s why people want it. Does it make life better? Adam interviews Chris Kaspar, founder of Techless and maker of the Wisephone, aiming to change how people relate to their most personal device. They talk about digital addiction, parenting, smartphone self-control, and more. Then, in the post-interview discussion, Chris and Adam discuss whether they would get a Wisephone. They even get around to suggesting some ways the ...
Nov 22, 2021•55 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Is my smartphone listening to me? Too many creepy stories are out there about suspiciously perfect ads appearing after just a conversation with a friend! So Adam starts getting a little paranoid and tries an experiment with some friends. Then he brings It to Chris to prove that our phone’s microphones have to be spying on us. Welcome to the world of digital marketing which is still right in front of us but many people don’t entirely understand. MARKETING TECH FROM EASY TO CREEPY MAGIC LINKS &...
Nov 08, 2021•56 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Ever seen a Bible professor wear virtual reality goggles? Dr. Darrell Bock is well known in the Biblical scholarship world—he is a past President of the Evangelical Theological Society, New Testament Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, and pastors know his commentaries on Luke & Acts. But today we interview him about a pretty different topic: the future of the church in a post-pandemic world where Zoom and livestreamed church has become the norm. Plus he talks about virtual reality gog...
Jul 19, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Do you wear a FitBit? Fitness trackers are producing more data than ever. But how useful are all these charts and graphs? We dig into the spreadsheets of the Quantified Self to see what kind of person we can find in the numbers. Meanwhile, as Big Tech companies hoover up data about our resting heart rates, body-fat percentages, and sleep habits, is our own privacy being threatened? Finally, we ask, “What is a body for?” We turn to Pope John Paul II, a big hitter when it comes to a theology of th...
Feb 16, 2021•49 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Why you have to trust in order to know. Learn more about "Lateral reading" sourcing and more with this video series that Chris recommends: https://thecrashcourse.com/courses/navigatingdigitalinfo Skip the argument with our new Short Circuit format! Adam or Chris grabs the mic for a more personal reflection on technology & faith. These shorter entries are a bonus to our full-length episodes. Enjoy! TALK BACK Follow Device & Virtue on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Chris and Adam on Twitter...
Feb 10, 2021•9 min
From disinformation to polarization, we hardly know what to believe anymore. And knowing who to believe isn't any easier. Chris and Adam talk thru the marks of conspiracy theories, and how moderation of social platforms may need to get more personal, not less. And how does our Christian faith impact this all? Doubting Thomas and how Paul talks about mystery cults—all packed in to this one TALK BACK Follow Device & Virtue on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Chris and Adam on Twitter. Support Dev...
Feb 02, 2021•56 min•Season 5Ep. 8
This week Adam sits down to talk about finding Upgrades in an expected place: The Book of Genesis. Skip the argument with our new Short Circuit format! Adam or Chris grabs the mic for a more personal reflection on technology & faith. These shorter entries are a bonus to our full-length episodes. Enjoy! TALK BACK Follow Device & Virtue on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Chris and Adam on Twitter. Support Device & Virtue on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices....
Jan 25, 2021•9 min
Can we live more genuine, compassionate, and focused lives online? Well-known Christian author Andy Crouch joins his daughter Amy Crouch for a fascinating conversation on living My TechWise Life: Growing Up and Making Choices in a World of Devices Amy’s book is a follow up to the The TechWise Family by Andy Crouch: and the family Amy grew up in! Now a junior at Cornell University, she writes her own volume on what it was like as a teenager to grow up in a household with a certain approach to the...
Jan 18, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 7
The COVID-19 vaccine might be the technology of the year. But what is it about some new technologies that fuels fear? And where is faith? And are Chris & Adam going to get the vaccine? “If I get the COVID vaccine, am I failing to trust God?” Some Christians will be asking themselves this question. The vaccine has arrived faster than anyone could believe, and more effective than most doctors dared to hope. How did it happen so fast? And what makes this vaccine different than any vaccine in hi...
Jan 05, 2021•51 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Chris takes 5 minutes to talk LED lights for Christmas and what makes them special. Introducing our new Short Circuit format! Skip the argument. Adam or Chris grab the mic for themselves to make any point they want about technology & faith. These short sidebars are in addition to our full length episodes. Enjoy! TALK BACK Follow Device & Virtue on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Chris and Adam on Twitter. Support Device & Virtue on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...
Dec 30, 2020•7 min
Is social media manipulating the world? People are talking about this new scary documentary on Netflix, so Adam and Chris did movie night and are ready to talk it out. (We recommend you watch it first, but you don't have to!) Watch the trailer on YouTube right here. Adam & Chris talk through the The “Psychology Dilemma” — Does social media cause psychological harm? The “Disinformation Dilemma” — Does social media manipulate politics and what we believe? The “Never Before in History” Dilemma ...
Oct 19, 2020•56 min•Season 5Ep. 5
So the founder of GrubHub—the original guy who started the app from his Chicago apartment—just gave us a call. Here’s what he thinks about the ethics of what he made—in this interview with Device & Virtue. Order some takeout, and listen while you wait. When Mike Evans started GrubHub in 2002, he was doing more than helping you find your next meal. He was seeking to change the game for small businesses across the country. Mike sits down with Chris to talk about how his faith inspired the grou...
Sep 29, 2020•44 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Food delivery didn’t start with pizza. It’s as least as old as the Bible. But ordering food is now easier than ever. Food delivery apps are transforming how we find food and consume it like never before. Transforming not just the making and eating, but also space and time. Food has a story and a history. And even a theology. How will food delivery apps shape them all? For Christians, whose faith finds its focus around a table, food delivery apps are worth thinking about deeply. Get started here....
Sep 14, 2020•44 min•Season 5Ep. 3
If you’ve been in a big city recently, you’ve probably seen people scootering around. Or is it “scooting”? Chris & Adam are asking the hard questions about micro-mobility—is it trendy? Transformational? Or Terrible? And if “cars created the megachurch”—what do e-scooters create? TALK BACK Follow Device & Virtue on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Chris and Adam on Twitter. Support Device & Virtue on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 31, 2020•42 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Have you installed the world’s newest social media app? Your church youth group has! China, dancing cats, and Adam’s new obsession all right here on the first episode of season 5. TALK BACK Follow Device & Virtue on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Chris and Adam on Twitter. Support Device & Virtue on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 04, 2020•48 min•Season 5Ep. 1
What if cops carried freeze rays instead of guns? Could it change society? Could technology really solve police brutality? Christians for millennia have debated whether force—and the technology employed in it—is necessary to stop evil, and whether Christians should resist lethal weapons in general. Some people envision a future without guns, where law enforcement uses non-lethal weapons. Star Trek has long pictured a reality where force involves stun guns but not bullets. Can non-lethal technolo...
Jun 29, 2020•45 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Can you translate the Bible into emoji? 😂. Some Christian leaders say No Way. But we ❤ this idea. Here’s why. Some people 👀 emoji as just 😜 cartoons that make texting more fun, but they offer a crucial way to recover our humanity and share our ❤ with others. Could they help us know God better too? Adam and Chris look at the multi-faceted world of emoji: the surprising value of their playful style emoji keyboards as cultural battlegrounds 💻 the history of emoji 📜 representing gender, sexuali...
May 26, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 7
If you’re out for an evening stroll, you can bet that someone’s watching, even if nobody’s home. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood surveillance state. Instead of Mr. Rogers, Jeff Bezos is putting on his cardigan and answering the door. Grab your shoes. Ring Doorbells are popping up on porches across the country and around the world. What happens in your neighborhood no longer stays in your neighborhood. The video is getting uploaded to the cloud, everything from kidnappings to random acts...
May 11, 2020•34 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Apple, Google, and governments around the world are cooking up a new way to trace where you’ve been and who you’ve talked to. Sound like Big Brother? It may actually help you to love your neighbor. TALK BACK Follow Device & Virtue on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Chris and Adam on Twitter. Support Device & Virtue on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 23, 2020•40 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Life's changed for all of us, right? Adam & Chris each highlight four things they noticed this week about technology & faith—all from home. For one thing, when church goes online, what’s the difference between watching and worshiping? It may depend on which app you use. Pastors are scrambling to keep their congregations connected during the coronavirus quarantine. And they are realizing that some key elements of “church” go far beyond just live-streaming the service itself. Plus, every l...
Apr 01, 2020•48 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Did your church cancel services last weekend? With coronavirus, worship went online in unprecedented numbers, and social distancing has us all asking, “Can real church happen on the Internet?” The coronavirus may do more than infect our bodies. It may have a lasting effect on church theology around the world. Even while we long to gather together in person, we’re finding ways to still connect in real, meaningful ways. Plus, why is COVID-19 different than earlier pandemics? And what role has soci...
Mar 19, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Will artificial intelligence start delivering all your Amazon orders? If 9 million drivers lose their jobs, what should we do about it? Artificial Intelligence has already found its way into our homes, says Jason Thacker. We interview him about his new book, The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity (Zondervan 2020). We talk about: Why Christians need to be thinking about AI How AI is different from the way movies portray them What we think do about autonomous weapons Whe...
Mar 09, 2020•50 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Thinking of giving up technology for Lent? We have 10 ideas for how to do it. Plus, you know, maybe why you shouldn’t. Fasting from social media has been a popular choice the past couple years. Internet habits are out of control. People feel out of sorts. Maybe you feel the same way. Chris and Adam offer up 10 ways to develop a better tech-life balance. Ten alternatives to going cold turkey while still finding a healthier diet with our devices. Giving up social media isn’t just about our relatio...
Feb 24, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 1
How did we get from the Arab Spring to Cambridge Analytica in less than 5 years? Waves of pro-democracy protesters in the Middle East have given way to waves of nationalism around the globe. In less than a decade, the Internet went from harbinger of democracy to herald of demagogues. What happened? And ARE WE … DOOMED?? Technology and social media are undoubtedly changing how elections and government run today. Will democracy survive them? And how do Christians survive—each other? Adam and Chris...
Jan 28, 2020•46 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Ignore the hyped-up headlines and impossible advice blogs, and hear how two moms are trying their best to walk with their kids in a world surrounded by screens. Adam and Chris invite two special guests to share about their own experiences raising Gen Z kids. Two moms who show us that, even in the age of Instagram families, parenting isn’t about perfection. Hear how two different moms handle screen time in two different, but doable, ways. And find some ideas that might fit your family. Two differ...
Jan 14, 2020•50 min•Season 3Ep. 7
