S3E6 - Counting Down The New Year? That’s Techy.

The New Year is upon us, and the only reason we know that is thanks to the Egyptians. And the Catholic Church! Clocks, calendars, and timekeeping tech on our final episode of 2019. Wait a second: What does being a “good Christian” have to do with clocks and calendars? The connections surprised us too… From sunsets to seconds, we’ve been tracking time for all of human history. To the point that we forget that calendars and clocks are technologies too. And like any technology, timekeeping has its vices and its virtues. So this year, you can take that cup of kindness yet, and think of auld lang syne. LINKS Other than New Years itself, Susan White was our muse for this episode. Her 1994 book was way ahead of its time, you might say: Christian Worship & Technological Change. For a good taste of White’s book, our friend Michael Sacasas wrote a great review in his series, “Christianity and the History of Technology.” Or check out the chapter “Christlikeness on the Calendar” in Adam’s free ebook, From Pews to Podcasts. Get a good chronology of timekeeping with this article from the Scientific American: “A Chronicle of Timekeeping.” Want to learn more about the Bible’s timestamps? Here’s another take from Justin Taylor over at The Gospel Coalition: “What Hour Was Jesus Crucified? Resolving an Apparent Bible Contradiction.” 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