What Would Jesus Tech

Why John Piper Changed His Mind on AI

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:00:12 +0000

Jon Piper has seemingly changed his views on AI recently, and, in this episode, we not only talk about his views, we discuss the continued evolution of AI as well!

Chapters

0:00 Intro

03:26 John Piper's Perspective on AI

05:25 AI and Worship

13:30 Prayers & AI

25:51 AI & Creativity

35:53 Agentic AI

39:34 AI in Everyday Life

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

We Need to Talk About Cars

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:00:07 +0000

In this episode, we talk about the profound impact of vehicles and technology on culture, spirituality, and daily life. Transportation deeply impacts culture and daily life today and we hope you enjoy this episode about how that works!

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:51 Cars & Their Cultural Impact

06:10 Autonomous Vehicles

14:40 The Device Paradigm

23:31 Cars & Community

31:17 Technology and the Human Experience

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

An Honest Conversation About AI Chatbots (with Bonnie Kristian)

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:00:56 +0000

As AI chatbots become increasingly popular and the youth continues to adopt them as a daily tool, it is so important to talk about how they work in relation to the Word of God! In this episode, we tackle this tricky topic with Bonnie Kristian, who has contributed greatly in the faith & tech conversation. Thanks for listening!

Chapters

0:00 Intro

2:59 Exploring Christian AI

5:57 AI's Role in Youth Ministry

10:48 The Ethics of AI in Faith

13:30 AI's Impact on Research and Writing

21:47 Society & AI

30:09 AI & Human Relationships

36:00 Agentic AI

39:20 AI & Education

46:46 Bonnie Kristian's Upcoming Book!

Resources

Bonnie Kristian's Substack: https://bonniekristian.substack.com/

More about the White House Humanoid Robot: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/humanoid-melania-trump-robot-summit-9.7141974

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

What’s Really Happening in the Faith & Technology World? (with John Knox)

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:00:10 +0000

Today we are joined by John Knox to talk about what’s happening in the faith-driven, redemptive technology, Kingdom-focused, missional tech world! (Yes, we know that's a lot). This episode is packed with value and wisdom and we hope you enjoy!

John Knox, who is an aspiring faithtech ecologsist, is the co-founder and former Executive Director of CW3 Global and is currently the CEO of the AI native firm Medrano Partners, serving the faith & technology ecosystem in a variety of ways.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

6:12 What is Faith Tech?

12:08 John Knox's Journey

15:22 Christians in Web3 and Its Impact

24:18 The Future of Faith and Technology

37:26 AI Governance

41:57 Technology Ethics

47:44 Technology in Church Innovation

*note - the Lausanne Congress in South Korea was in 2024 not 2014*

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

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Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

AI Warfare, Kids Tech, and Wild Times

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:00:28 +0000

We live in a complex age in which it's easy to be fearful of the future. Today, we thought it would be a good idea to sit down and talk through some of the practicals of how we are approaching these wild times! We hope this brings you hope & you enjoy! :)

Resources from this Episode

Anthropic's Contract Negotiations outlined in this ABC article.

Hegseth's full X post, Amodei's CBS interview response, and the supply chain designation details in this CBS article.

On the BC school shooting and OpenAI's role .

Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:56 AI Policy & the Government

9:49 AI in Warfare

14:02 The Role of AI in Modern Conflicts

21:56 The Future of AI and Regulation

29:54 Moral Complexities of AI and Government Oversight

31:31 Empowering the Next Generation with Technology

44:13 Technology and Governance

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Are Sports Betting & Gambling REALLY That Bad?

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 15:00:36 +0000

Gambling and sports betting have become extremely popular in the world. In this episode, we talk about how we can stand apart from the world and WHY this matters. Thanks for listening! :)

Chapters

0:00 Intro

2:32 The Evolution of Sports Betting

8:21 The Psychology Behind Sports Betting

21:46 The Dark Side of Gambling

24:27 Gambling and Nihilism

28:23 A Christian Perspective

40:07 The Complexities of Gambling and Faith

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Should We Be Concerned with AI Agents?

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:00:28 +0000

AI Agents have made their way into mainstream news recently, particularly with OpenClaw's recent headlines. In this episode, we discuss our approach to dealing with all things AI agents. It's a good one! Enjoy!

Chapters

0:00 Intro

04:36 What is Moltbot? (aka OpenClaw)

11:36 How AI & Social Media Work

16:17 AI & Human Interaction

24:46 Is This Good or Bad?

38:16 Takeaways for Parents and Developers

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

AI is Interpreting the Bible Now? With Jonas Kurlberg & Zoltan Schwab

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 15:00:44 +0000

AI has started to make its' mark in Biblical interpretation. From apps to websites, AI is quickly becoming incorporated, even in Bible softwares and apps! In this episode, we sit down with Jonas Kurlberg and Zoltan Schwab to discuss how Christians today can navigate this complexity.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

11:25 The Challenges of AI Responses

16:55 AI in Modern Biblical Study

22:52 The Responsibility of Developers in AI Tools

25:53 AI & Human Interaction with Scripture

35:05 Bias in AI

37:23 AI in Spiritual Guidance

52:48 The Future of AI in Christianity

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

We've Arrived In Digital Babylon... Now What?

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:00:13 +0000

The City of Babylon is known as one of the most famous stories in the Old Testament. It is a story that was not only extremely relevant when written and inspired by God, but it is a story that remains central to how Christians approach technology today. In this episode, we explore the story of Babylon and how it relates to the story of God's people in our modern era.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

04:16 The Old Testament Narrative and Exile

12:11 Digital Babylon (Austin's Framework)

17:15 The Impact of Technology on Society

22:07 Modern Technology Criticism

29:20 Lessons from Scripture

41:28 Babylon in the New Testament

47:07 Technology today

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

How the Bible Helps Us View Technology

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:00:46 +0000

Technology often gets a bad rep in Christian circles. However, when looking into scripture, it becomes clear just how prominent technology is within the Biblical narrative. Today, as the first episode of our new series, "Tech Texts," we delve into approaching technology from a standpoint that is consistent with scripture. Enjoy!

Chapters

0:00 Intro

01:48 Creation, The Fall, and Redemption (Overview)

18:39 Noah and Babel's Implications

24:44 The Role of Technology in Christianity

40:18 The Tower of Babel and Modern Technology

46:04 The Incarnation and Technology's Purpose

50:48 Creating Technology with Kingdom Purpose

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

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Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Do It For God, with Gregg Hinzelman

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:00:07 +0000

As we learn how to skillfully use technology, it becomes essential to make sure we are using our skills and talents for the glory of God. This episode, we are joined by Gregg Hinzelman, who guides us on how to use technology for the Kingdom of God.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

2:00 Greg's Journey in Ministry

4:54 Ambition in the Youth

19:38 The Balance of Wealth and Generosity

34:47 The Power of Prayer

39:32 Celebrating Work & it's Kingdom Impact

Learn more about Multiplied Impact: https://multipliedimpact.com/

Support WWJT on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

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Our Discord: https://discord.gg/NVtkqDN9

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

What Will Happen in 2026? (Our Predictions)

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 15:00:14 +0000

AI is moving at a rapid rate. Today, we sit down and discuss what we expect to happen with AI this new year. Stay tuned to see what we think will happen!

Check out the full list of our predictions here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QaMY1rFIkIiHFycPrF2GsjsKFHpjHQ91/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105680550184986156963&rtpof=true&sd=true

Chapters

0:00 Intro

2:11 The Decline of AAA Gaming

10:52 The Rise of AI and Deepfakes

15:54 The Death of the Internet as We Know It

19:43 The Future of Wearable Tech

32:39 The Rise of Delivery Drones

38:31 Violent Responses to Data Centers

47:18 The AI Race and Workforce Changes

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/NVtkqDN9

Learn more about Meta's corrupt practices via Reuters ongoing reporting, 1, 2, 3, (podcast link here).

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

AI Recap 2025: The Current State of AI

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 15:00:13 +0000

2025 has been a crazy year for AI. Today, we delve into some of the biggest changes, takeaways, and how our predictions held up over the year. AI has deep implications in our lives, and looking back on the past year shows just how much of an impact AI has had.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

2:25 The Current State of AI

24:27 AI Agents & Other Current Technologies

36:28 The Phone and Social Media Shift

43:36 The Rise of AR Glasses

46:42 Evaluating Predictions and Future Trends

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/JXTfcSRw

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Reading and Teaching in an Age of AI

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:00:11 +0000

Education and reading are changing rapidly in a world full of AI growth. Today, we offer perspective on how to navigate the challenging conversation around reading and education in a society where new technology is ever growing and ever changing.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

7:17 AI in Education

15:58 Reading in the Age of AI

25:33 Historical Perspectives on Christian Engagement with Technology

29:24 The Role of Seminary Education in Technology Literacy

34:39 The Importance of Moral Theology in Pastoral Training

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/NVtkqDN9

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

There Is No One Christian View of Technology

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:00:55 +0000

Lots of Christians have strong opinions on technology. But perhaps one of the strongest is the opinion that there is no perfect Christian view on technology. This episode Joel and Austin question Andrew’s thoughts on this perspective, its validity, and its practicality.

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro

2:15 - There is No One Christian View of Technology

7:47 - Categories of Theological Triage

12:45 - The Role of Technology in Christianity

15:35 - Mere Christianity and Core Beliefs

20:36 - Current Issues in Christianity and Technology

32:06 - The Body of Christ and Diverse Views on Technology

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/NVtkqDN9

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Advent and the Technological Impulse

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:00:23 +0000

In this episode, we explore how the Advent calendar and technology work together. We dive into the implications of Christ's incarnation for technologists, the importance of waiting in the context of both faith and technology, and how active waiting can shape our actions during the Advent season. Ultimately, this episode highlights the deeper meanings of Advent and how it can inform our technological pursuits.

Andrew's Course: https://www.andrewnoble.net/p/im-teaching-a-course-on-technology

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:39 Advent's Significance and Background

05:31 The Relationship Between Advent and Technology

16:49 The Importance of Waiting in Technology and Faith

28:15 The Active Posture of Waiting

37:16 Resources for Active Waiting during Advent

40:12 An Atheist Perspective on Motivated Reasoning in AGI

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/NVtkqDN9

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

A Christian Perspective on the Neo Robot

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:00:34 +0000

The first big consumer humanoid robot is here! It's called Neo and it is equally impressive as it is frightening. This provokes the big question - how should we as Christians respond? Today, we sit down and approach this topic in a way that is rooted in the Bible.

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro

1:53 - Discussion on Neo and Skepticism

4:54 - Criticisms of Robotics

12:26 - The Difference Between Humans and Robots

17:29 - Economic Implications

35:12 - We Test a Live AI Experiment

Resources:

Neo's Official Website - https://www.1x.tech/

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/NVtkqDN9

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

How Should Christians Talk About AI?

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 15:00:40 +0000

How Should Christians Talk About AI? In this episode, we discuss how to gracefully (in loving kindness) and truthfully (without compromise) approach conversations about AI as Christians. We must seek to be thoughtful, be human, and be like Jesus.

Resources from this Episode

AI Goes to Church: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/ai-goes-church/

AI Shepherds and Electronic Sheep: https://www.amazon.com/Shepherds-Electric-Sheep-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1540968014/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=186932244416&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yiAo3cs5Rm3hfJwjP409gg.sm5-TNqA08TbX0uzh3Flq_7W_JA5dWlBf4m8Rj69U4g&dib_tag=se&hvadid=779581857802&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9026810&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=10188755072419422323--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=10188755072419422323&hvtargid=kwd-2407784283755&hydadcr=22592_13821282_8484&keywords=ai+shepherds+and+electric+sheep&mcid=38aa2f2b67a937c4a8a880eabbe5c96f&qid=1762754941&sr=8-1

Robot Theology: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=robot+theology&crid=2A029BHNSV0RD&sprefix=robot+theology%2Caps%2C275&ref=nb_sb_noss

Chapters

0:00 - Intro

0:45 - Welcome and Overview

5:06 - Christian Perspective on AI

21:00 - A Critique and Reflection

39:01 - What is the Current Era of AI?

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/NVtkqDN9

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Becoming Gods: Theosis, Telos, and Transhumanism, with Wyatt Graham

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:00:17 +0000

Should humans be like God? Of course, yes! In what way? Should we adopt new technologies for the sake of transforming our bodies into a new techno-humanity? Some call this transhumanism, and according to our guest, Wyatt Graham, to understand transhumanism we must understand Fredrich Niche. In this episode we navigate the difference between becoming God and becoming like God, receiving our humanity rather than altering it.

Wyatt Graham is the editor-in-chief for The Gospel Coalition Canada and an Adjunct Professor at various schools, including Redeemer University. Follow him on his Substack: http://wyattgraham.com/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Transhumanism and Theosis

02:33 Understanding Theosis

03:27 Defining Transhumanism

06:05 The Intersection of Technology and Humanity

10:20 Restoration vs. Augmentation

14:09 The Role of Death in Human Existence

19:13 Theosis vs. Transhumanism

23:27 The Nature of Love and Humanity

28:30 Cultural Implications of Transhumanism

33:11 The Future of Technology and Humanity

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/NVtkqDN9

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

The AI Bubble: Reality or Hype?

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:00:20 +0000

This AI moment isn't exactly the dot com boom, but is it close? Many think so, including people working at leading at AI companies. In this episode, not only do Joel Jacob and Andrew examine the reality of our AI Bubble, and how valuation is outpacing reality, but also the deeper values driving this bubble. We are also joined by a special guest at the end of the episode, who tells us we did an excellent job.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

03:27 Understanding Market Bubbles, Dot Com and Railroads

12:34 Circular Investments

15:47 Spiritual and Existential Inflation

18:40 Evaluating AI's Real Value and Potential Value

32:10 Moving Fast and Breaking Things

36:46 Yes, It's Kind of a Bubble

Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/

Our Discord: https://discord.gg/NVtkqDN9

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

TGC's AI Christian Benchmark, with Michael Graham

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 15:59:17 +0000

The Keller Center (a part of TGC) has conducted an important benchmark of seven leading AI models. These are the seven most used models in the world, and they do not give the same answers to theological questions. In fact, a Chinese model (Deepseek) had the top score.

The Director of the Keller Centre, Michael Graham, joins us in this episode to share how AI models respond to theological questions and the implications for Christians. The conversation touches on the future of AI in pastoral care and the ethical considerations that arise as technology continues to evolve.

Chapters

00:00 - Intro

01:25 - Cultural Apologetics

05:51 - Evaluating AI Responses to Theological Questions

20:27 - Missiological Implications of AI in Christianity for Pastors

31:11 Understanding AI's Limitations and Human Involvement

38:12 Engaging with Silicon Valley: A Christian Perspective

Read the report for yourself: https://christianbenchmark.ai/

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Altman, Musk, and Belief in God

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:00:54 +0000

Do tech leaders believe in God?

What are the reasons why they tend to believe in what is material, but not what is immaterial? Is there anything beyond matter to an engineer in a secular age? When you've been trained on analyzing the nature of things, you struggle to consider a thing of supernature. Perhaps this is what has happened.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (ChatGPT), says he views the world as a tech-nerd, and therefore, in his own logic, he does not believe in spiritual things. Elon Musk is similar, as a clip in this episode shows. And just wait till you hear what Steve Jobs said! We all need God. And he's more real than we realize.

00:00 - Intro

3:00 - Why enchantment? What secular age?

14:00 - Sam Altman's lack of belief

20:45 - Elon Musk and the sensus divitatis

31:29 - Steve Jobs, "there must be more"

35:12 - We are NOT less enchanted

We're hiring! If you're interested in becoming the WWJT Podcast Manager, please see job description and application process here: https://x.com/AndrewDNoble/status/1971207236455420089

Books cited:

Charles Taylor – A Secular Age (2007)

The foundational 800-page philosophical work on how belief in God shifted in modernity.

James K. A. Smith – How (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor (2014)

A short, accessible summary and engagement with Taylor’s A Secular Age.

Alan Noble – Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age (2018) Applies Charles Taylor’s framework to technology, culture, and Christian witness.

Tony Reinke – God, Technology, and the Christian Life (2022)

A biblical theology of technology; argues all technology should point us back to awe and gratitude toward the Creator.

Joseph Minich – Enduring Divine Absence: The Challenge of Modern Atheism (2017)

Explores the modern sense of God’s absence and how to live faithfully amid it.

Walter Isaacson – Steve Jobs (2011)

The definitive biography of Steve Jobs, including his reflections on death, the afterlife, and transcendence.

Gray Sutanto – A Sense of the Divine: An Affective Model of General Revelation from the Reformed Tradition (2025)

A scholarly work building on Calvin, Herman Bavinck, and J.H. Bavinck on the “sense of the divine” (sensus divinitatis).

Original Music by Abigail Neale. The Thumbnail was created in Sam Altman's and OpenAI's GPT-5. AI audio text-to-speech by ElevenLabs.

What Would Jesus Tech? is cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show, visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Psychedelics: a Christian Evaluation, with Phil Cotnoir

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:21:08 +0000

Is this trend something to be happy about? Many are seeing psychedelics as an "on-ramp" to pagan spiritualism *and* to Christianity.

Psychedelics include LSD, psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms), DMT (found in ayahuasca), and mescaline (found in Peyote and San Pedro cacti). While various ethical concerns may be noted, there are also some apparent medicinal benefits. Is there room for nuance here? Or should we, as Christians, reject psychedelics completely?

Phil Cotnoir is a husband, a father of four, an avid reader, and a freelance writer and editor. He recently wrote:

- The Coming Psychedelic Moment at Mere Orthodoxy

- The Psychedelic Renaissance: A Story of Hype and Hubris at The Gospel Coalition

Keywords: psychedelics, technology, spirituality, Christianity, mental health, conversion stories, tech culture, ethical research, medicinal use, recreational use. Thumbnail generated with the help of ChatGPT.

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Demons Can Use AI, Within Limits

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:44:43 +0000

Yes, there is talk of demons controlling AI. Why wouldn't they? Why wouldn't they use Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to influence humanity?

And yet, we shouldn't go too far when thinking about their control. They are subordinated and limited by God. In this episode, we explore the intersection of spiritual warfare, demons, and artificial intelligence. We get into some personal experiences with demonic influences, and the theological framework needed when thinking about AI demons.

00:00 Intro

01:02 Yes, Demons in 2025

03:06 Limits and Influence of Demons

10:02 Physical Objects

13:51 The Nature of Idols, Demons, and AI

17:39 Cultural Phenomena and Spirituality

23:29 Power and Providence

35:33 Rebuking Demons

Support the show at patreon.com/WWJT

Please send your ideas and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble, Austin Gravley, and Joel Jacob, at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. Thumbnail: original image created by Colton Sturgeon on Unsplash with edits made by ChatGPT. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Learning and Building AI, with Daniel Manary

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:10:34 +0000

Doing AI Right?

Daniel Manary has held various roles in AI, including CTO of PlaySpace, CTO at Kenesense.AI, Machine Learning Engineer at ProNavigator, and CTO at SimulFit Technologies, among others. He is also the host of Artificial Insights, a podcast where he interviews AI Product Leaders to seperate hype from impact.

In this episode, Andrew Noble sits down with Daniel Manary, host of Artificial Insights, for a conversation that blends faith, technology, and the future. Together, they explore the hidden motivations driving AI, the ethical questions we can’t afford to ignore, and the surprising ways AI might reshape human connection. From Daniel’s inside perspective in the AI industry to a distinctly Christian vision for technology, this episode asks: can AI be built with both brilliance and a moral compass?

00:00 - Intro

03:05 - Dan had a dream

05:00 - How you build matters

11:12 - What AI future should we care about most?

17:33 - Optimistic about AI? Why?

20:53 - Current AI Projects and Future Directions

30:00 - Wrap Things Up

Check out Dan's podcast: Artificial Insights: How To Do AI Right.

Connect with Dan Manary on LinkedIn.

Please send your ideas, questions, and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley, at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. Original Music by Abigail Neale.

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

You Have a Calling, with Karen Swallow Prior

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 10:28:45 +0000

Our guest today explores what it means to be ourselves truthfully. That is, true to our calling - our true, good, and beautiful callings.

In this episode of What Would Jesus Tech? we delve into the concept of vocation beyond traditional job roles with our esteemed guest, Dr. Karen Swallow Prior. An award-winning author and cultural commentator, Karen shares insights from her latest book, "You Have a Calling," exploring how vocation intertwines with truth, goodness, and beauty.

We discuss the evolving nature of work, the impact of technology, and how to find purpose in a rapidly changing world.

Karen Swallow Prior is an award-winning author and cultural commentator who writes at the intersection of faith, literature, and public life.

Buy her book! Link to Baker Publishing Group. Link to amazon.com.

00:00 - Intro

02:15 - Calling as Vocation

10:30 - Calling vs Passion

18:45 - AI and Job Shifts Due to Tech

27:00 - Integrating Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in Our Work

35:20 - Addressing Modern Challenges and Anxieties in Vocation

Karen's Substack: https://karenswallowprior.substack.com/

Thanks for listening. On behalf of me, Andrew Noble, and the rest of the team, we appreciate you taking the time to think more deeply about what it means to imitate Jesus in our technological age. You can support our podcast by sharing it with friends, writing a review, or going to our Patreon page and becoming a member. I do use Generative AI to help write the episode description and create the chapters. This last paragraph however, was written completely by me. Hence the unnecessary length, incomplete sentences, and abrupt ending.

What Churches Need to Know About Smart Glasses

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:56:04 +0000

Smart glasses are in your churches. What should you do?

In this episode, we explore the evolution of smart glasses, the need for churches to have policies in place regarding their use, and the importance of balancing accessibility for individuals with visual impairments against the need for privacy and safety, especially for children. The conversation also touches on the cultural acceptance of smart glasses, the future of this technology, and the necessity for churches to prepare for potential risks associated with it.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Smart Glasses in Churches

04:57 The Importance of Having a Plan

08:47 Privacy Concerns and Policies

16:04 Balancing Accessibility and Safety

22:26 Preparing for the Unexpected

26:00 Conclusion and Call to Action

Images used in the thumbnail include:

- https://www.ray-ban.com/

Join us on Discord - https://discord.gg/P3pMnAkj

Support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Christian Dads Talk Summer Tech (part one)

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:37:29 +0000

We discuss the challenges and joys of being a dad during the summer.

Part two on Patreon.

We explore the balance between technology use and outdoor play, the importance of being present with children, and creating memorable experiences. The conversation emphasizes the significance of presence over perfection in parenting, especially during the summer months when schedules can be more relaxed. (And yes, the thumbnail for this is based on Bluey and created by ChatGPT)

Chapters

00:00 Summer!

03:12 Screen Time

06:07 Balancing Freedom and Structure (Patreon)

09:08 Presence (Patreon)

16:03 Adventures (Patreon)

Support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Have a great summer!

A Gentle Singularity?

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 10:24:43 +0000

Sam Altman, the founder of ChatGPT, believes we're past the event horizon. We're past the point of no return. The future is an AI future. And, well, Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob mostly agree. But with some important caveats related to AI safety, deterministic versus probabilistic coding, determinism philosophically, and agency amidst rapid technological advancements.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:28 AI Defense and Security

07:47 The Gentle Singularity

13:43 The Deterministic vs. Instrumentalist View of Tech

22:46 Probabilistic vs. Deterministic Coding in AI

25:31 Evaluating AI's Performance, Ethics, and Impact

31:34 Finding Hope in the AI Age

Links

- Sam Altman on A Gentle Singularity

- Using GenAI helps consultants:

- ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, According to a New MIT Study

Keywords: AI, Artificial Intelligence, OpenAI, Sam Altman, technology, singularity, ethics, job displacement, security, human values, deterministic, probabilistic

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep, with Paul Hoffman

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 10:25:00 +0000

"AI is a tool, not a partner."

As more people use AI tools like ChatGPT, how should Christian leaders respond? On one hand, there are opportunities to leverage Artificial Intelligence as a tool for human flourishing. But we should also be cautious about its potential to diminish human connection and creativity. They discuss the need for engagement, the importance of community, and the role of the Christian faith despite the allure of transhumanism.

Cohosts Andrew Noble (PhD Student Theology & Technology), Joel Jacob (Principle Product Manager at Splunk), and Austin Gravley (TGC Social Media Manager) discuss a new book by Sean O'Callaghan and Paul Hoffman: AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep: Leading and Teaching in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.

Buy the book: AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep: Leading and Teaching in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:35 The Journey to Writing the Book

05:41 Engaging with AI as a Tool vs Partner

17:10 Navigating AI in Ministry

32:54 Understanding AI Limitations and Risks

38:14 Reclaiming Our Humanity

Join our discord.

Support us on Patreon.

Keywords: AI, technology, human flourishing, theology, ministry, relationships, creativity, community, digital age, Paul Hoffman

You Were Never Meant to Do It All, with Kelly Kapic

Thu, 29 May 2025 12:12:00 +0000

"God purposefully designed humans to have limits and depend on one another." Why is it so hard to believe this?

Theologian Kelly Kapic discusses this with us in his new book, You Were Never Meant to Do It All: A 40-Day Devotional On The Goodness of Being Human.

Cohosts Andrew Noble and Austin Gravley ask Kapic about human limitations, depending on one another, and the balance between work ethic and rest. They discuss the importance of community and the significance of physical touch in a technological age.

Buy the book! Link: https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/you-were-never-meant-to-do-it-all/406045

Earlier episodes with Kelly Kapic:

- discussing Kapic's You're Only Human ("Limits")

- and the Tyranny of Time

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:40 Understanding Human Limits

09:57 "Balance"

15:00 Technology and Human Limitations

21:55 Touch

26:57 Self-Optimization

28:43 Love

31:43 Stress

35:54 Community

42:51 Place

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Navigating the Christian Tech World, with Cory Hixson

Thu, 22 May 2025 09:44:00 +0000

How should Christians navigate various faith and technology organizations? Some are Universities. Others are non-profits you can volunteer with. The three cohosts chat with Corey Hickson on the intersection of engineering education, technology, and growing your faith.

They explore the role of Christian universities in shaping future engineers, the impact of AI on education and work, and the importance of integrating faith into the tech space, even if you don't work at a Christian company! The conversation also touches on the challenges faced by Christians in technology, the need for community, and the significance of viewing work as a form of worship.

00:00 - Intros and Background to Dr. Cory Hixson of Colorado Christian University

04:25 - Be a generalist! And Christian Universities for Technology?

12:10 - Exploring Christian Tech Orgs & The Ecosystem of Faith and Technology

20:44 Worship Through Work in Engineering

25:30 - You Don't Have To Join a "Christian" Org!

30:15 - Parachurch Tech Orgs?

36:17 - Faith and Work Integration in Tech

39:04 - Supporting Engineers in Their Faith Journey

44:09 - The Future of Technology and Human Interaction

Join our discord: https://discord.gg/u3vMQ45w

Support us: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Keywords

engineering education, Christian universities, AI impact, faith and work, technology integration, Christian organizations, future of work, community in tech, worship through work, engineering careers

Cohosted by Joel Jacob, Andrew Noble, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. The image was created with the assistance of ChatGPT. The show notes were written with aid from Riverside's AI. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

This episode is so cliché

Wed, 14 May 2025 10:26:00 +0000

In this episode of 'What Would Jesus Tech?', Austin Gravley and Joel Jacob explore clichés in both the tech and ministry worlds. They delve into the implications of phrases like 'let go and let God' and 'everything is a season', as well as tech cliches about the future and scale.

There are pitfalls in overusing such terms. We need to get past the cliches if those in tech and those in ministry are going to do a good job speaking to each other.

00:00 Intro

01:10 Brief update on Robotics

03:13 Digital Transformation

06:20 Tech Bros, Vibe-Coding, Growth Hacking, and More

10:35 "Let Go and Let God"

15:07 Seasons

18:41 Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin

20:30 The Future

26:11 Scaling

29:45 The Importance of Language in Tech and Faith

Join our discord: https://discord.gg/u3vMQ45w

Support us: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Keywords: AI, robotics, digital transformation, tech clichés, ministry, Christian clichés, seasons of life, technology future, scaling, pivoting

Cohosted by Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. The image was created with the assistance of ChatGPT. The show notes were written with aid from Riverside's AI. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

How AI Can Function As Idolatry

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:06:00 +0000

Austin and Andrew explore the intersection of idolatry and technology, particularly how AI can act just like idols used to. Why is Andrew studying idolatry and AI? How do they connect? How should we take Tertullian's views on idolatry and apply them to today? They explore these questions and more, including the human need for connection and how technology can fulfill or distort that need, drawing on insights from Sherry Turkle's work. Ultimately, Andrew challenges listeners to consider whether their use of technology leads to life or idolatry.

Join the WWJT Discord: https://discord.gg/AdkWsxRZ

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

00:00 - Introduction to Idolatry and Technology

08:32 - Some History on Idolatry

11:16 - Ethics of AI Development

17:33 - The Search for Meaning in AI

20:25 - The Nature of Life and AI

23:15 - Human Relationships vs. AI Companionship

27:46 - Choose Life

Thumbnail image made by ChatGPT using the following prompt: create youtube thumbnail for What Would Jesus Tech podcast on how AI can be like idolatry. just keep it simple with minimal words and make a beautiful technological image of an idol. Shownotes have some AI input as well, leveraging Riverside.

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Keywords: idolatry, technology, AI, Christianity, ethics, biblical theology, human relationships, modern idolatry, Sherry Turkle, meaning

The Tech-Savvy Christian Faith | Re: Wes Huff's History of Technology & Christianity

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 10:08:00 +0000

Have Christians historically been innovators in the tech space? At least when it comes to the codex and the printing press, the answer seems to be yes. That's what Wes Huff argued in his video over at Apologetics Canada. We watched that video and discussed its implications, including: the historical context of the writings of the Bible, the emotional impact of technology on faith, and the implications of generative AI for ministry.

We also delve into the balance between innovation and tradition in worship, the role of immersive experiences in understanding scripture, and the trade-offs associated with new technologies.

0:00 - Innovating Faith? An intro.

2:38 - Historical Perspectives: Technology and the Bible

8:13 - Navigating the New Tech Landscape: AI and Coding

10:40 - The Balance, in Worship & Evangelism

16:14 - Immersive Experiences: The Future of Scripture Engagement?

19:00 - Cultural Influences: Fandom and Interpretation of Scripture

21:53 - A Christian Technological Imagination

Please send your ideas, questions, and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley, at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. These shownotes were created with the assistance of Generative AI. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Multiplying the Word: Steward Your Story, with Ian Harbor

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 10:29:00 +0000

"Just ship it, even if you're 19."

"You can only control your outputs."

In this episode, Andrew Noble, Austin Gravley, and Ian Harber discuss the intersection of marketing, faith, and personal branding. This is our fourth and final public episode of Multiplying the Word. They explore how marketing can be a tool for spreading ideas. We should steward our stories and reputations. Ian shares insights from his journey in writing and marketing, emphasizing the need for authenticity and the value of connecting with an audience. Vulnerability and authenticity don't always mix well. Ian discusses how to appropriately share.

Chapters

00:00 - Intro

02:05 - Is Marketing Dirty?

10:52 - Mind Your Reputation

21:29 - Tactics

29:44 - The Stewardship Journey

32:35 - Navigating Personal Stories and Vulnerability

39:39 - Crafting a Personal Narrative

43:36 - Advice for Aspiring Writers/Creators

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/fAqx3WGu

Choosing and Using GenAI as Christians

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 10:22:00 +0000

Joel: "AI models are like four years olds."

Andrew: "AI is not a fad."

In this episode of WWJT, Andrew Noble (Theology & AI PhD Student at U of Nottingham) and Joel Jacob (AI & Robotics Product Manager at Splunk) explore the evolving landscape of AI, discussing the differences between various AI models, ethical considerations in their usage, and the implications of AI on daily life. They delve into the importance of user experience, the role of open-source models, and the future of AI in software development. The discussion emphasizes the need for caution in using AI for personal and emotional tasks while also highlighting its practical applications in everyday scenarios.

Chapters

00:00 - Understanding AI Models

11:56 - Some Ethical Considerations

15:05 - Claude vs ChatGPT

21:07 - Open Source vs. Proprietary AI Models

24:17 - The Future of AI in Software Development

27:12 - AI's Impact on Daily Life

33:02 - More AI Dilemmas

Keywords: AI, generative models, ChatGPT, ethics, multimodal models, open source, technology, user experience, software development, machine learning, Christianity, Moral Theology

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. The writing of these show notes was assisted by Generative AI. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com.

Multiplying the Word: Creating Local Digital Content as a Church, with Pastor Luke Simmons

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:51:00 +0000

In this episode of What Would Jesus Tech, hosts Andrew Noble and Austin Gravley chat with Luke Simmons, a lead pastor, discussing the intersection of digital marketing and pastoral ministry. One of our most practical episodes for what churches can be doing!

We explore the role of social media for pastors, the potential harms of digital media, and how to leverage digital tools for local ministry. Luke shares practical tips for creating engaging church communications, overcoming barriers to digital engagement, and navigating the challenges of content creation, including the use of AI. We also address the celebrity pastor culture, and how local-first is the way to build out your digital content as a church.

Follow Luke Simmons on Twitter/X.

FaithfulandFruitful.com (Pastoral and Leadership Resources from Luke).

Takeaways from this episode

Pastors should consider using social media as a tool for expanding their "word" and discipleship ministry.
Digital content (like podcasts or social media posts) cannot replace visitation, preaching, and pastoral care, but it can help teach people the ways of Christ.
Digital media can pose risks, including moral dangers (e.g. lust) and distractions. This isn't for every pastor or every church.
Digital content creation should be approached with a mindset of iteration and experimentation.
Utilizing email effectively can significantly increase engagement rates.
Balancing personal interests with pastoral responsibilities is crucial in communication.
The use of AI in content creation should be approached thoughtfully and authentically.

Support us on Patreon.

Join our Discord Group.

Chapters

0:00 - Introduction to Digital Marketing for Pastors

2:00 - The Role of Social Media in Pastoral Ministry

3:33 - Potential Harms of Social Media for Pastors

7:03 - Using Digital Tools for Ministry (e.g. podcast)

12:43 - Transforming Church Communication (e.g. emails)

16:42 - Creating & Repurposing Content

27:33 - The Importance of Practice in Communication

28:57 - Leadership and Communication: The Core Connection

30:02 - Choosing Topics & Outlets for Digital Ministry

39:20 - Addressing the Celebrity Pastor Culture

43:01 - Practical Tips for Digital Engagement

WWJT is cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. These show notes were co-created by Andrew and an AI tool. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Market Mania and Moral Formation, with Glenn Butner

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 15:06:00 +0000

In this episode, co-hosts Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob speak with Dr. Glenn Butner about the intersection of theology, economics, and moral formation. They discuss how markets function, the moral implications of economic systems, and the role of trust in transactions. The conversation emphasizes the need for Christians to engage thoughtfully with economic practices and the importance of understanding the complexities of market design. Butner's book, 'Work Out Your Salvation,' serves as a foundation for discussing how faith can inform economic behavior and moral formation.

Support WWJT on Patreon and receive a book! Must sign up before March 31st, 2025.

Buy Butner's book: https://www.amazon.com/Work-Out-Your-Salvation-Formation/dp/1506479413

Read Andrew's review: https://adfontesjournal.com/book-review/work-out-your-salvation-a-review/

Takeaways (AI Generated with Human Oversight):

Markets are not just economic systems; they are technologies that shape our interactions and form who we are.
Incentives can significantly alter behavior, sometimes in unexpected ways.
Christian engagement with economics should be nuanced and informed by scripture.
The church has a role in shaping economic practices and moral formation.
A doctrine like Common Grace can help us make sense of how markets can form us in good ways.
Understanding social sin is crucial in navigating market dynamics.
Christians should analyze specific markets rather than endorse or condemn entire systems.
Moral formation can occur outside the church through various societal interactions.
Every individual has a responsibility to consider the ethical implications of their economic choices.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and We'll Send You A Book!

02:21 Understanding Markets and Moral Formation

06:46 The Impact of Incentives on Behavior

14:52 Theological Perspectives on Markets

23:32 Moral Formation in Secular Markets

28:02 Practical Takeaways?

40:47 Innovative Hiring Practices and Market Design

42:30 The Role of Markets in Social Justice

46:41 Moral Formation and Market Interaction

49:28 Conclusion and Reflections on Agency

Multiplying the Word: Growth & Institutions, with Caleb Wait

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 18:41:00 +0000

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/YskwNchC

How do we navigate content creation in a digital age? We consider this today through the angle of institutions, like media organizations who are trying to spread good resources across varyingly helpful digital outlets.

Joining us is Caleb Wait. He is the Director of Content at Sola Media (the makers beyond multiple top Christian podcasts, including the White Horse Inn, Core Christianity, and Theo Global).

In Multiplying The Word we explore the whats, the whys, and the hows of digital marketing: living in the digital, but not of it.

Welcome to What Would Jesus Tech. A podcast devoted to imitating Jesus in a technological age. We believe deep thinking with biblical theology, courageous building of good technology, and rich reflection on what it means to be human. I am Andrew Noble, I am a Theology PhD Student with a background in AI, I'm joined by our two cohosts, Austin Gravely, Social Media Manager at The Gospel Coalition with a background in ministry and online marketing, and Joel Jacob, Principle Product Manager at Splunk with a background in Robotics, AI, and Engineering

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

A Tech Agenda for the Family, with Brad Littlejohn and Clare Morell

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:59:00 +0000

Technology, particularly AI, poses a threat to the necessity of humanity. We see this in students using AI to bypass learning, self-driving vehicles replacing human drivers, AI competing with medical diagnosticians, and tablets which aim to replace traditional teaching methods. The question isn't hypothetical – these developments are already challenging human roles in education, transportation, healthcare, and beyond.

We don't just need to respond. We need a vision. We need direction. We need a New Technology Agenda that values the human person, and there is no value in persons if they have no place in families.

A couple weeks ago, Brad Littlejohn, Clare Morell, and a team of others published A Future for the Family: A New Technology Agenda for the Right. It includes ten principles designed to serve the family.

Add your name: https://afutureforthefamily.org/

The Ten Principles (the original New Agenda as published in First Things).

In today's episode, Andrew and Joel discuss this "New Agenda," how Christians working in technology could adopt it, and a way forward for a kind of limited dynamic innovation in North America.

0:00 - Preamble

2:08 - Intro to Brad and Clare

4:06 - The Principles

8:00 - The Government Against Innovation? For it? How?

17:53 - Children, AI, and Limits

32:33 - "I want to see more dynamic innovation" - Brad

34:20 - Implicitly Christian; Common Sense Values

38:39 - Specific Recommendations?

Multiplying the Word: Wise Digital Marketing, with Chris Martin

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:45:00 +0000

Today we kick off our new series: Multiplying The Word. We will explore the whats, the whys, and the hows of digital marketing: living in the digital, but not of it. We hope this podcast will help pastors, Christian organizations, and individual believers embrace principles and practices of digital marketing, based on our conversations with leading experts, to multiply the word in our digital world.

We believe you can use social media for good, to share Christian content, for the love of our neighbors and to the glory of God. But how? How can we reconcile all the harms of social media (such as the ways it sucks you into loops of anxiety-ridden dopamine loops) with using it for good?

To help us, we're joined again by Chris Martin. He's written multiple books on the harms of the social internet, and yet he's here to tell you there are ways to use it for good.

0:00 - Intro and Background

3:53 - What's Chris doing? Key insights from his books

10:45 - Reconcile dangerous social media with using it for good?

15:34 - How to build? Audio? Video? Strategies

26:10 - Just post loser

38:20 - Stewardship

53:20 - Navigating different platforms

1:07:40 - Engagement vs Content Engine

Join our Discord here!

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Canadian Christian Technologists in Trump’s Economy?!?

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 10:36:00 +0000

In this episode, our two Canadian Christian hosts, Andrew Noble (with a background more in AI and SaaS) and Joel Jacob (with a background more in IoT and robotics), talk through Trump's recent announcements that are pro-AI, pro-crypto, and anti-Canada.

0:00 - Intro

1:26 - CES Trends (Glasses and Robotics & Generalized Tech)

4:30 - 500 Billion for AI

7:46 - Ethical & Environmental Concerns of Massively Scaling AI

14:40 - Canada's Place In All This

21:55 - Tech Oligarchy? Regulation?

Part Two is available for Patreon supporters, including:

27:25 - David Sacks, PayPal Mafia, and Cutting the Red Tape

33:59 - C.S. Lewis' N.I.C.E. Prediction, and How Should Christians Act?

Thanks for your support!

We'd love your feedback for future shows, episode feedback, potential guests, etc..

Reach out at whatwouldjesustech.com

Technology Literacy 101, with Keith Plummer

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 10:51:00 +0000

A Christian theology of technology sees both the good and bad in technology; the ways it creates blessings and instills burdens. The Bible has plenty to say about technology. In fact, the bible says that humanity has a technological impulse that began when we were created and will continue into eternity.

To help us unpack Christian Technology Literacy 101, we're glad to be joined by Dr. Keith Plummer. He is the Yoda of Technology & Discipleship with the voice of Darth Vader.

Podcast thumbnail co-created with ChatGPT. (Yes, it's uncanny. We know.)

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show, visit whatwouldjesustech.com . To join our discord: https://discord.gg/HK2umKDd

2025 Technology Predictions

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 19:26:00 +0000

AI Agents, Robotics, VR/AR, Crypto and more! While we don't discuss every potential technology shift that could happen in 2025 (Andrew regrets never mentioning self-driving cars and online sports betting), we do go through some of the expected changes that are coming to the world of technology, as well as how those shifts may impact Christians.

0:00 - Intro

2:29 - 2024 Predictions Recap

8:25 - Rise in AI Agents

13:28 - Increasing Tech Polarization

20:37 - Honey Scam and Changing Revenue Streams for Content Creators

24:48 - Crypto will Continue to Grow

34:03 - AGI gods by 2028

35:17 - Continued Growth in AR and VR Tech

41:57 - Impact of Haidt's Research/Book. Momentum in Anti Big Social Media Movement.

50:57 - Closing Thoughts

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/AhCyjHD8

Subscribe to Grandview Church's Thinking About It podcast going through the New City Catechism on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Support WWJT at https://www.patreon.com/WWJT

Words for Conviviality, with Jeffrey Bilbro

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 15:02:38 +0000

The digital age isn't that new, argues Jeff Bilbro in his latest book, Words for Conviviality: Media Technologies and Practices of Hope. In this episode of What Would Jesus Tech, we ask him about the book, its thesis, the value of metaphors, the potential pushback from Barba-Kay, how the printed word is not necessarily the more moral medium and more.

0:00 - Intro

5:15 - Print to Digital Thesis

13:30 - Media Metaphors

22:50 - Walking

31:21 - Is Digital Different?

36:09 - Not Nostalgia. Postman Was Wrong (sometimes).

42:57 - Conviviality, Friendship, and Podcasting

You can get a copy of Words For Conviviality, and potentially even a discount code, through Jeff's website here: https://jeffbilbro.com/books/words-for-conviviality/

You can join the WWJT Discord here (invite expires in seven days): https://discord.gg/mrA3W6Jm

WWJT is a listener-supported production. We'd love your support. Sign up here: https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Gardens of Love and Digital Dopamine, with Matthew LaPine

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 11:37:00 +0000

How might we be misunderstanding anxiety and mental health? Is it really an addiction crisis rather than a mental health crisis?

This episode is a far-ranging conversation with WWJT co-host Andrew Noble (PhD Candidate, Nottingham University) and Matthew LaPine, author of The Logic of the Body (PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School). We dive into different visions for viewing human persons, how science might inform our understanding, and Matt's own growth and challenges amidst his work.

0:00 - Intro

05:35 - Undoing the "anxiety as sin" paradigm and The Logic of the Body

15:30 - Is the mental health crisis really a digital addiction crisis?

20:05 - Embodiment and Neuroplasticity

27:10 - Loneliness

30:15 - PhD Experience and Challenges

Matthew LaPine (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is the Christian Education Director at Citylight Omaha. His book, The Logic of the Body, was a finalist for Christianity Today's book of the year in 2022.

Andrew briefly references a tiered Thomistic Anthropology: https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/all-episodes/a-thomistic-case-for-ai-souls (see links in that episode)

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

God's Preferred Medium, with Alastair Roberts

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 14:35:00 +0000

The God of the Scriptures has revealed himself in various ways, but which way does He prefer? In this episode, we have a far-ranging conversation with an expert in Scripture who has also studied media ecology. We dive into why God might prefer some mediums over others, tech criticism and wise adoption, tech in worship, the technology of the book, and even Andrew's new favorite subject, technology and idolatry!

Alastair Roberts (PhD, Durham University) works for both the Theopolis Institute and the Davenant Institute. He participates in the Mere Fidelity and Theopolis podcasts, writes at The Anchored Argosy, tweets at @zugzwanged, and sails the blue sky at zugzwanged.bsky.social.

0:00 - Intro

2:30 - God's Preferred Medium

33:50 - How Should Christians Adopt Technology? New Mediums?

39:24 - Is there a "Christian" tech criticism?

52:32 - Idolatry and Technology Similarities

We reference John Dyer's People of the Screen a few times. We recorded an episode with John discussing his book here.

Read Meditations On Moloch here.

Grounding the Bluesky Hype

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:06:00 +0000

Within the last week, Bluesky has grown in popularity with many Christian authors and pastors announcing that they are moving to the new platform. Some have even considered deleting Twitter altogether.

We hope this episode helps Christian leaders consider whether or not to use Bluesky, as well as better consider how the social internet is changing overall.

In this episode we discuss: What is Bluesky? Why did it grow now? We discuss how the idea of link impression isn't new. It's the new ecosystem of the internet. Bluesky may buck the trend of that ecosystem, but that won't change the internet. Or will it? Is decentralized social media the solution to billionaire control? Or is just another media fad?

Thanks for listening. Note: ChatGPT was used to create one of the background images for the YouTube thumbnail.

Support us at whatwouldjesustech.com

Trump's Win, Christians, and Technology

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 10:46:00 +0000

We discuss the results of the election as Christians and technologists.

How impactful were podcasts in this election? Is society moving on from woke rhetoric? What will happen to Elon Musk? To Bitcoin and associated companies? To Christians? To Canadians? This is a wide-ranging conversation between three Christians: Andrew Noble (Technology and Theology PhD Student), Austin Gravely (Social Media Guru), and Joel Jacob (Tech Futurist).

0:00 - Intro

0:59 - Surprised?

3:04 - Voting, Social Media, Podcasts Making The Difference

18:12 - Bitcoin, Regulation, and Internet Culture IS THE CULTURE

26:08 - Tired Woke Rhetoric and Young Men

36:39 - Build Things

39:23 - Impact on Canada

Previous Episode: Internet Culture Is Culture

White Horse Inn's breakdown of Elon Musk's ideology.

Jake Meador's article on The Doug Election and America After the Great Dechurching.

Link to join our Discord. Note: link will expire after 7 days.

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Machines of Loving Grace?

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 11:40:00 +0000

Are we underestimating just how radical the upside of AI could be?

Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, recently wrote a five-point essay to outlines how great the benefits of AI might be based upon recent history, current AI technologies, and the potential future of work.

Joel Jacob, Andrew Noble, and Austin Gravely discuss the valuable insights that Amodei offers, as well as the shortcomings.

Link to his essay: https://darioamodei.com/machines-of-loving-grace

Internet Culture Is Culture

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:47:00 +0000

We can better understand “internet culture(s)” by examining three categories: fraternity, fandom, and fantasy. We explore Austin Gravely's article in this latest episode.

Join our new Discord server here!

As Austin wrote, "Internet culture is, for most people, the most attractive thing to do at any time of the day or night. Even if you personally participate little in internet culture, your neighbors are likely being reshaped on internet culture’s terms without even realizing it. Sooner or later, you will encounter the formative effects of internet culture in your life. Are you prepared to share the Gospel, defend the Christian faith, and make mature disciples of Christ against a backdrop of the fraternity, fandom, and fantasy that internet culture provides?"

Austin's article at Endeavor: When Internet Culture Becomes the Culture

0:00 - Culture Merges With The Internet

15:50 - Fraternity, Fandom, and Fantasy

28:35 - Digital and Physical Worlds Keep Merging

33:00 - Should Christians Be On The Internet MORE?

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

A Thomistic Case For AI Souls?

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 10:53:00 +0000

What if we understood the human person, body and soul, in the way of Thomas Aquinas (13th-century AD Christian Theologian) or Aristotle (5th-century BC Greek Philosopher)? Why not both?

Timothy Jacobs is a Thomistic scholar who teaches at The Davenant Institute, an organization that retrieves the riches of classical Protestantism to renew and build up the contemporary Church.

In this episode, we discuss how the body and soul relate. In Thomistic thought (which follows Aristotle), there are five primary "Powers" (which can sometimes each be called "Souls" - which can be confusing). Each of these powers has an important role. Some actions within each power (such as memory within the sensitive power) can be replicated by a machine. Other actions cannot be properly said to be done by a machine, no matter how advanced the AI.

0:00 - Intro & Tim Jacobs

6:15 - Thomistic Psychology Overview

21:00 - Mind and Soul Dualism, "Souls" as Thomistic Powers

35:00 - What about organic substrates? Advanced AI? Pikachu?

47:00 - Knowing God (humans) vs Knowing About God (machines)

Tim Jacob's handout on Thomistic Psychology:

Tim's website: https://www.tljacobs.com/

Tim's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCcF_QqLWOatOO5vHHlzK_Hw

Cohosted by Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Rule of Life as Technology, with Kirsten Sanders

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 16:39:00 +0000

In response to our technological age, many want to adapt a set of disciplines. Many of these disciplines are good. But what if, upon reflection, we realized that our solutions are embedded within a deeper technological problem? What if we are reducing persons to inputs and outputs and expecting machine-like productivity instead of recognizing what it means to be human? In this episode, Andrew, Austin, and Joel are joined by theologian and writer Kirsten Sanders. The article that led to this conversation was: What's the deal with "Rules of Life"?

Also referenced in this episode:

Tending the flame

Modern Mothers

For more of Kirsten's writing, please visit her Substack: In Particular.

0:00 - Intro

3:12 - Quick Questions (Writing, Feedback, Fav Tech, Teen Tech Restriction, Aspiring Theologian Advice, Aspiring Writer Advice)

8:52 - "I think sin, and its opposite, grace, is the chief misunderstanding we are having in our technological age."

20:04 - Beyond the self-correcting impulse

28:00 - Technological concerns

33:50 - Insecure Christians and doing "Enough"

45:00 - Is your life a project?

What Would Jesus Tech is cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show, visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Meta's Orion Is About More Than AR Glasses

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 10:10:00 +0000

Meta launched a new product. But this is about more than putting Augmented Reality into glasses. This is about mana, power, the blocking of reality, and the myth of progress.

0:00 - Are Glasses The Next Platform?

5:19 - Reasons to be Skeptical

12:14 - Creepy Hidden Cameras

16:28 - S-Curve of Technology Growth

20:58 - Is Progress Good?

25:28 - What Motivates Companies Like Meta?

35:16 - Distracting From Real Human Connection

38:50 - Benefits of AR Glasses

47:13 - What We're Working On

Episode on Neo-Calvinism and Herman Bavinck with Jess Joulstra.

Our first episode on Mark Zuckerberg and the Meaning of Life.

Our episode on Apple Vision Pro.

Austin's article on internet culture.

Andrew's article on how headphones block reality and love.

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

The MASSIVE Change Coming To Social Media

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 13:14:47 +0000

Have you heard of §230? Section 230 of the Communications Act? It's been giving social media companies a free pass ever since the 1990s. But it's all about to change.

The Federal Court (specifically, the federal 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals) recently released an opinion which questions 230 since algorithms in the 2020s aren't like those in 1990s. We break it all down in this episode. Here's a pdf link to the legal document of Anderson vs TikTok (Bytedance, Inc.) that we reference.

0:00 - Intro

0:45 - A girl died: Background to the Federal Court appeal

4:07 - Section 230

8:52 - Control without Responsibility (and Culpability) and Grey Area

18:12 - Morality, Theology, and Technology

27:43 - Regulating Markets and Sharing Responsibility

Please send your ideas, questions, and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley at our website, where you can also support our podcast: whatwouldjesustech.com

God, Shields, And Techno-Idolatry in Psalm 115

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:01:00 +0000

In this special edition of What Would Jesus Tech, we are sharing a sermon that Andrew Noble preached at Heritage Grace Church in Kitchener, Ontario. We will be back with more episodes in mid-September.

Please send your ideas and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley, at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

ALL the Faith Tools, with Cam Pak

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 10:55:00 +0000

Cam Pak made Faith Tools: https://faith.tools/

Faith Tools is the best place for Christians to find apps.

But who is Cam Pak?

This is a story all about how Cam Pak's life got turned upside down. So I'd like to take a minute, keep listening here, and Cam Pak will tell you all about his dev & Jesus journey.

0:00 - Who is Cam Pak?

9:10 - Software to Serve the Homeless

20:02 - The Story Before Faith Tools; Sabbath, Sickness, and Solace

38:35 - What is Faith Tools?

45:17 - The Future of Faith Tools?

52:14 - Andrew's Feedback and Ideas for Faith Tools

Christianity Tomorrow, with Adam Graber

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 09:14:00 +0000

What will our future look like and how should we prepare? In this episode, we talk with Adam Graber about his new newsletter, Christianity Tomorrow, and he gives us his four top predictions and one prescription for what Christianity should know going forward.

Adam Graber helps Christian leaders align emerging technologies to their ministry strategy. He is a professional consultant for Christian ministries, a writer for various outlets, including Christianity Today, and the host of the Device & Virtue podcast.

Subscribe to Adam's newsletter.

0:00 - Intro & Banter

3:45 - Prediction 1: We Will Realize Disembodiment Is A Myth

14:23 - Prediction 2: GenAI will even the playing field, drive groupthink, and isolate employees

25:20: Prediction 3: Tech Entrepreneurs Will Keep Using People With Disabilities as a Trojan Horse for Their Disruptive Innovations

36:42 - Prediction 4: GenAI is big. A bigger shift is coming with Big Data and our interaction with computers.

45:28 Prescription: We Must Ask, What Do We Want The Future To Look Like?

Growth, Influence, and Stories: Getting to Know Austin Gravley

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:12:00 +0000

As Austin has joined our team, it was time to get to know him. From Pest Control to Apple Computers to Social Media Management, we learn a little about Austin and how God has used him.

0:00 - Intro

2:21 - Conversion

4:55 - Early Optimistic Days in Technology, Church Planting, and Gaming

18:45 - Mentorship

22:15 - RTS

26:48 - Podcasting, Substack, Socials

37:50 - Finding a Tech Balance

45:05 - Spiritual Formation Despite Occupational Hazards

51:02 - Should TGC get off of Twitter since it's so bad?

1:03:00 - Austin's Hopes and Goals

Enviro-Stewards, with Bruce Taylor

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 09:17:00 +0000

Can we steward God's creation while still making money? What are some ways we should think and act in relation to our planet's resources? Today, cohosts Austin and Andrew speak with Bruce Taylor, who is the founder and President of Enviro-Stewards Inc., which is a social venture that has been selected by B lab as one of the Best Companies for the World by the UN Global Compact Network Canada for their Sustainable Development Goal award.

Enviro-Stewards’ projects for Tim Hortons, Andrew Peller, Southbrook Winery, Dextran, Maple Leaf Foods, Maple Lodge, Campbell Company of Canada, and a food loss project at 50 Food Processors have each won Clean50 national sustainability awards.

0:00 Intro to Topic and Guest Bruce Taylor

1:47 Bruce’s Story

8:34 Why Should Christians Care About the Environment?

12:57 Our Local Bias To Environmental Activism

17:23 Effectiveness vs Impact: Credible, Affordable Journey

22:11 Concepts We Need To Reconsider

25:55 Asking “Why?” to Solve the Real Problem

31:43 Stakeholder Engagement: Understanding Culture

36:06 Enviro-Stewards’ Business Model (https://bthechange.com/business-as-unusual-forging-a-new-model-while-protecting-the-earth-1d0aa1d0489d)

41:30 Bruce’s Opinion On Missions Trips (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBB3CkuRb7E&t=3s&ab_channel=TEDxTalks)

Please send your ideas and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble, Austin Gravely, and Joel Jacob, at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. Recorded in Ontario, Canada. Original Music by Abigail Neale. Video and sound editing by Peter Behnke. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

A Bad ADple

Tue, 14 May 2024 15:36:00 +0000

The latest Apple ad will be referenced in tech criticism for the next several years. It was so bad that Apple has since apologized for it. But what was so bad? Can there be any good in iPads?

Also, we have a new co-host! Austin Gravely is the former host of the podcast Breaking the Digital Spell and is currently the Social Media Manager of The Gospel Coalition. He is also the Executive Producer of Mending Division Academy, and he works in Youth Ministry at Redeemer Christian Church in Amarillo, Texas.

0:00 - Intro and NEW co-host!

2:02 - Intent and Impact of the Apple Ad

8:35 - Destroying Nature & Misguided Marketing

12:55 - Good in Everything

17:45 - Who Wants an iPad?

22:17 - Tears of Joy in Apple Products

27:16 - Tools Vs Devices

33:15 - Responsibility

39:50 - Would Jesus Use an iPad? Forms of Godliness vs the power of Godliness.

Ethical AI, Innovation as Stewardship, and Canada, with Kevin Tuer

Wed, 01 May 2024 14:20:55 +0000

Kevin Tuer received his doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo in 1994, and went on to a number of strategic leadership roles, including VP of Engineering at Control Advancements, Co-founder of Handshake VR, the founding Managing Director of the Candian Digital Media Network, and he currently serves as the Cheif Technology Officer at Communitech.

Today we have a wide-ranging conversation related to Kevin's new initiative, the Good AI program. Good AI helps startups strengthen the development, understanding and implementation of ethical AI. They're helping to build actionable strategies to enable Canada's tech founders to create trustworthy AI products and services, and build a brand that customers know they can trust.

0:00 - Into and Background

6:09 - The Tension Btw Innovation and Responsibility

12:45 - Collectively Working On Ethical AI

20:30 - Innovation as Stewardship

25:10 - Who Do We Hold Responsible for AI Failures?

33:55 - Ethics by Design

41:29 - All Ethics Under God

Please send your ideas and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob, at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. Recorded in Ontario, Canada. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Listen, Listen, Speak with Jay Y. Kim

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 03:33:00 +0000

What does it look like to listen, to truly listen, in a noisy world?

Today we're joined by Jay Y. Kim, author of Listen, Listen Speak: Hearing God and Being Heard in a Noisy World.

Some Christians emphasize listening as the ultimate form of love, which can lead to passivity. Others emphasize the courageous proclamation of truth, which can lead to arrogance. Jay encourages us to listen and speak and tells us how.

0:00 - Intro

2:01 - Jay's Background

4:47 - Digital Informs, Analog Transforms

8:34 - Are Churches Behind in Using Tech?

16:14 - Fixating on the future vs Prayer

20:45 - Headphones in Grocery Stores

29:05 - Cacophanies, Distress, and Reason

36:53 - Speaking Up On Controversies

48:43 - Awkward Silence on Elevators and WWJD?

Please send your ideas and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob, at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. Recorded in Ontario, Canada. Original Music by Abigail Neale. Video and sound editing by Peter Behnke. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show, visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Everything AI Is Changing All At Once

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:13:00 +0000

A core theme in the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once is how we experience a disconnected, anxious, and nihilistic technological world. The movie was about social media, the Internet, and how the digital age has disembodied us, making us feel like we have access to a multiverse via the World Wide Web.

But now, we have AI. The stability that remains is shifting. In this episode, we recap some of the changes we're seeing in the AI space. We also discuss some key aspects of AI "wrappers" and RAGs (Retrieval-augmented generation), which are being used to increase the accuracy of generative AI models with facts fetched from external sources.

Basically, AI is rapidly changing. This episode tells you what those changes are.

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech or to support the show, visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Sources/references in this video:

Devin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjHtjT7GO1c

Groq - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UzW_AGX68g

Sora AI - https://openai.com/sora

OpenAI's CTO with a non-answer on where the training data comes from - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAUpxN-EIgU

- Tik Tok Ban https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68556540

- Elon Musk suing Open AI https://www.reuters.com/legal/elon-musk-sues-openai-ceo-sam-altman-breach-contract-2024-03-01/

- Klarna AI Assistant replacing customer reps https://www.klarna.com/international/press/klarna-ai-assistant-handles-two-thirds-of-customer-service-chats-in-its-first-month/

How Technoculture Makes God Feel Absent, with Joseph Minich

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 18:49:00 +0000

What is philosophy? How does it help us in our pursuit to understand how to live in our world? And how does living in our technological world, or "technoculture," affect our beliefs in God? Today we're joined by Dr. Joseph Minich, the author of Bulwarks of Unbelief: Atheism and Divine Absence in a Secular Age.

There are two main parts to this episode. In the first half, we discuss ancient philosophy and it's significance to techies. In the second half, we dive into the thesis of Minich's book, and how our sense of God's existence has changed in our modern secular age.

Minich's Books:

Enduring Divine Absence
Bulwarks of Unbelief: Atheism and Divine Absence in a Secular Age
He is also the co-author of various other works including Protestant Social Teaching: An Introduction, Philosophy and the Christian: The Quest for Wisdom in the Light of Christ, and People of the Promise: A Mere Protestant Ecclesiology.

Other resources referenced:

Jesus the Great Philosopher: Rediscovering the Wisdom Needed for the Good Life by Jonathan Pennington

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro

2:30 - What is Philosophy and Why is it Important for Christians?

7:25 - Joseph Minich's Journey into Philosophy

13:45 - Retrieving Older Philosophical Traditions

19:18 - Retrieving Older Philosophical Traditions

26:54 - The Impact of the Technological Age on Belief in God

35:16 - The Loss of Agency in Modern & Future Labor

45:42 - Reframing Work, Reclaiming Agency, and Finding Purpose

Please send your ideas and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob, at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. Recorded in Ontario, Canada. Original Music by Abigail Neale. Video and sound editing by Peter Behnke. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Embodied AI Beyond ChatGPT & Cleaning Robots

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 11:27:00 +0000

As CES24 proved, robots are on the rise. But is this like an IoT (Internet of Things) fad, or is AI on legs here to stay? Andrew learns from Joel, as he unpacks some of the new technologies making it easier to *feel* like you're in the same room as someone else. And Joel asks Andrew to assess this theologically as well as practically, for "virtual church" and for each imitator of Jesus.

0:00 - Intro & Background

1:45 - IoT vs Embodied AI - just another trend?

5:40 - CES24, Apple Vision Pro, MetaVision, AR & VR

9:30 - Holotiles, Simulating Smell, and New Tech

11:20 - Don't Underestimate Physicality

17:35 - If The Tech Gets Better Though...

25:33 - What Makes Virtue Church Unacceptable?

31:15 - Would Jesus Use Embodied AI?

Things & Books Referenced

Figure 01, a humanoid robot being built by a startup called Figure
Video on disembodied AGI- Sanctuary AI company (shows robot control)
Video of Disney’s HoloTiles Full Original -
Lex/Zuck Interview
Simulating Smell
Analog Church - Jay Y. Kim
The Life We're Looking For - Andy Crouch
What God Has To Say About Our Bodies - Sam Alberry
Cultural Mandate, Grey Sutanto - Themelios
Grace Restores Nature - Grace In Common Podcast
One Assembly - Jonathan Leeman
What Is A Church? The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show, visit whatwouldjesustech.com

7 Tech Predictions For 2024

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:37:00 +0000

Will Robotics have its ChatGPT moment? Will Elon Musk become a Christian? Will the 2024 elections be overcome by artificial images? From multi-model AI to deepening embodied desires, Joel Jacob (Product at Splunck) and Andrew Noble (Pastoral Ministry at Grandview Church) predict what they think might happen in 2024.

0:00 - Intro

1:45 - Cisco bought Joel's company. Is he out of a job?

4:02 - 2023 trend: increasing mental health concerns for teens

5:45 - 2023 trend: rise of AI

6:45 - Prediction 1: Multi-modal AI & Robotics

9:30 - Prediction 2: The Increasing Artificiality of the Internet (and a pull to embodied relationships)

12:25 - Prediction 3: Small Uptick in "Metaverse" Adoption (AR & VR traction via Apple & Meta)

18:09 - Prediction 4: A Big Tech Leader Will Become A Christian (and conversely, the rise of techno-religion)

27:36 - Prediction 5: The Inflection Point For Robotics

31:19 - Prediction 6: A New Analogue Dating App Is Coming (wildly specific prediction from Andrew)

35:06 - Prediction 7: The Crypto Winter Ends (it will become harder to mine Bitcoin again in April 2024)

Links:

- Rex Woodbury's 2024 predictions

- What Would Jesus Tech website

- Support us on Patreon

A Christian Perspective on OpenAI, ChatGPT, and Societal Impacts, with Dave Betts and Austin Gravely

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 11:03:00 +0000

Complete our listener feedback survey! Link: https://forms.gle/pmi9jWf65cjGFn2TA

What happened at OpenAI? And why does it matter? How should Christians prepare for a world increasingly mediated through Artificial Intelligence?

In this episode, we brought on the author of the Church and AI Substack, Dave Betts, as well as The Gospel Coalition's Austin Gravely.

Links:

- Listener feedback survey: https://forms.gle/pmi9jWf65cjGFn2TA

- https://www.churchandai.com/

- https://digitalbabylon.substack.com/

Please send us your ideas and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob, at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. Recorded in Ontario, Canada. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Youth, Social Media, and How Instagram Values Teens at $270, with John Perritt and Erica Bechtel

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:21:00 +0000

We need to get serious about what social media is doing to teenagers without throwing out technology altogether. That's what this episode is about.

Right before American Thanksgiving, a redacted lawsuit between a coalition of 41 US states and Meta (Instagram) was made public. This lawsuit outlines exactly how Instagram has knowingly harmed teens and lied about it to the public. As msn.com put it, "Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta could protect teen girls but puts $270 profit from each of them first: suit."

In this episode, we talk with a veteran youth pastor John Perritt, who is the dad of a few teenagers himself as well as the Director of Resources at Reformed Youth Ministries. We are also joined by Erica Bechtel: mom of three, Instragram influencer (@doityourself_mom), and a volunteer at a local youth ministry.

Together, we aim to support teens and the supporters of teens in this special episode of What Would Jesus Tech.

John's book: Social Media Pressure: Finding Peace Alongside Jesus

Tech Revolution, Choice, and Life Together with Jake Meador

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 11:46:00 +0000

What were the similarities in the last two technological revolutions? How might this affect us in our current age? And how do we make disciples? In this episode, we chat with Jake Meador, the editor-in-chief of Mere Orthodoxy, an online magazine covering the Christian faith in the public sphere. Jake wrote What Are Christians For?, which led to some of our questions, while others (especially related to futurism and C.S. Lewis) were more curiosity-based. We hope you enjoy this episode!

0:00 - Intro

3:30 - Speed Round Questions

7:30 - The Discipleship Gap

11:30 - Similarities In The Industrial And Sexual Revolutions

17:10 - How The Digital Revolution's Placates Analysis Paralysis

22:57 - Could We Have Gone Through The Revolutions More Faithfully?

28:55 - But Won't Future Technology Correct Our Current Problems?

33:02 - Take Advantage of Tech With Mere Orthodoxy?

37:55 - Growing Embodied Communities

44:31 - A Tech Futurist Hypothetical

47:29 - Read C.S. Lewis' Space Triology! Here's why.

Books/Links:

What Are Christians For?: Life Together at the End of the World by Jake Meador
In Search of the Common Good: Christian Fidelity in a Fractured World by Jake Meador
Pandora, AI Girlfriends, and “Reborn” Babies by Nadya Williams
The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality by Glen Scrivener
A Quiet Mind to Suffer With: Mental Illness, Trauma, and the Death of Christ by John Andrew Bryant
Tools for Conviviality by Ivan Illich
Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology by Neil Postman
The Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis

Please send us your ideas and feedback to Joel Jacob and Andrew Noble whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. Recorded in Ontario, Canada. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

From Big Tech To Bible Tech with Matthew Chan

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 10:34:00 +0000

Matthew Chan was born in San Francisco, raised in Hong Kong, and is now on a journey that only God knows in full. He's written code for Francis Chan, built apps for The Bible Project, and now he and his friends at Basil Tech are about to launch a brand new product. Matthew is an inspiration for technologists looking to build technology for Christians.

* BasilTech: https://www.basiltech.org/

* BibleDojo: https://www.enterthebibledojo.com/

* ReadScripture: https://www.readscripture.org/

* WeAreChurch: https://wearechurch.com/

* ScriptureLabs: https://www.scripturelabs.com/

* Streetlights Bible: https://www.streetlightsbible.com/

* Larry Hurtado: Destroyer of the Gods

* WWJT Episode on Dating Apps: https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/all-episodes/11-yes-christians-should-use-dating-apps-with-ruth-cuthbert

Your comments, questions, and ideas are welcome! Send them our way at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com

Co-hosted by Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob in Ontario, Canada. Original Music by Abigail Neale. Website Design by Zeke Gancena. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Meta, AI Chatbots, and The Future Of The Internet with Ian Harber

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:48:00 +0000

After being laughed off in 2022, the idea of the metaverse is coming back thanks to improvements in AR, VR, and AI. Not only that, but some new chatbots on Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram are concerning.

In this episode, we are joined by digital technology writer Ian Harber to make sense of all these changes. We focus especially on Mark Zuckerberg's latest announcements and products only available in the past week. How should the church respond? What is real? And just how good or bad are these new AI Chatbots?

Ian Harber: https://substack.com/@ianharber, https://twitter.com/ianharber

0:00 - Intro

10:15 - Fast-Paced Change

17:25 - When Will The Metaverse & Metachurch Arrive?

31:52 - Recreate A Dead Relative? What is real?

38:12 - Meta Chatbot Deepdive

Links:

Ian's Deconstruction Story

How To Prepare For The Metaverse

Destroyer of The Gods by Larry Hurtado

Should We Write a Book or Build New Tech?

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 14:25:19 +0000

Andrew and Joel continue their journey reconciling their love of technology with their love of Jesus. In this episode, they reflect on what they've learned, discuss their future careers in technology and theology, and announce that they'll write a new ebook to help equip local churches to discover a Christ-centered approach to the technologies of our day.

0:00 - Intro

0:45 - Meta Metaverse Updates

3:13 - What is the goal of What Would Jesus Tech?

6:17 - What has Joel learned through WWJT?

12:41 - Joel's future building technology?

18:40 - Will Andrew write a book?

26:05 - New Idea For WWJT

34:48 - Share Your Feedback

Digital Liturgies (with Samuel D. James)

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 10:15:00 +0000

The social internet is shaping us, but how? Samuel D. James says, "Habits create habitats for our hearts; they shape our identity and train our desires." Today we speak with Samuel and learn how our digital habits are even more than habitats, they're liturgies.

***Enter to win a free copy of Digital Liturgies book by following and sharing our posts on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/WWJTech
Winner will be selected on September 20th, 2023.

0:00 - Intro

2:44 - Speed Questions - Kids, Church, Writing, Blocking/Distraction App Called Freedom

5:16 - What is Digital Liturgies about?

5:48 - How The Shallows Shaped Samuel

7:35 - Why "Liturgies"?

10:27 - Our Doing Shapes Our Thinking?

15:27 - The Internet Shapes Gender?

21:42 - Wait... what's the "internet" we're talking about?

25:45 - Reading Hyperlinks & Ebooks Shape You

28:45 - The Future With AI

31:03 - Anxiety, The Failure of Therapy, and The Social Internet

43:48 - Magic Wand To Change Things?

48:59 - The Gospel Changes How We Use The Internet

53:05 - Equipping People To Think Theologically About Technology

Books/links referenced:

Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age
Digital Liturgies - Samuel's Newsletter
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit by James K.A. Smith
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr
Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media
The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling Audio Documentary
WWJT interview with John Dyer
People of the Screen: How Evangelicals Created the Digital Bible and How It Shapes Their Reading of Scripture by John Dyer
Jonathan Haidt's research on After Babel
iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us
Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America's Future

Roam Research is for Christians (with Luke Miller)

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 13:50:00 +0000

This is a two-part episode. This audio here on the podcast is part one, so listen in to hear more about Luke Miller and why he left his job as a Teaching Pastor to go join a startup.

Part two is over on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/RW_Ou6jKeWI

This was an amazing conversation, and you'll surely learn something from this episode from Luke Miller, our guest.

What is PulpitAI? Questioning CEO Michael Whittle

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 10:43:00 +0000

Is there a way to use AI to be more present with your local church, rather than less, and improve our digital spaces at the same time? The founder of PulpitAI, Michael Whittle, thinks so. In this episode, Joel and Andrew question Mike on the usefulness and positioning of PulpitAI, going from media ecology critiques to asking about Christian Venture Capitalists.

The announcement Mike first made on Twitter has more than 150,000 views and more than a handful of hate-tweets. But there's more to this story.

PulpitAI is a tool that takes sermon audio, analyzes it, and then creates oodles of content from devotionals, small group discussion questions, social media posts, blog posts, and more.

To learn more about PulpitAI, visit: https://pulpitai.com/
You can dunk on Michael's tweets here: https://twitter.com/michaelwhittle

0:00 - Intro

2:29 - Mike's Story

5:54 - The Story Behind PulpitAI?

11:01 - Is this just ChatGPT? (it's not...)

13:30 - Why not help prepare sermons?

16:28 - How does PulpitAI reconcile the value of an embodied sermon with the detriments of social media?

22:08 - Engaging the social media space | People may not like their pastor using AI

28:28 - Mike's hesitation with PulpitAI

31:33 - Don't Trust The Headlines

33:36 - Giving AI an Orthodox Worldview

45:00 - The Christian VC Space

53:05 - The Wrestling With Theology & AI

54:25 - Would Jesus Use PulpitAI?

The Tyranny of Time (ft. Kelly Kapic)

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:31:00 +0000

We feel buried, overwhelmed, crushed, or stretched... why? It is because we feel that something is being done TO us. We live in a new age, an anxious age, and it is (at least partially) the result of a preoccupation with *time* in our modern moment. Dr. Kelly Kapic has researched this topic and shared his insights earlier this year at Grandview Church.

To watch Kapic's full talk visit: https://www.grandviewchurch.ca/christinculture

Direct YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K24LJtAIzl8&ab_channel=GrandviewChurch

0:00 - Intro

3:14 - Time & What We Feel

5:25 - Contextual Time

9:03 - Clocks and Their Original Transcendent Purpose

16:25 - Cultural Time

22:35 - Efficiency and Godliness

32:15 - Time and Anxiety

33:00 - Joel and Andrew Reflect

Co-hosted by Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob. Original Music by Abigail Neale. Website Design by Zeke Gancena. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Will Threads Bind Twitter? (with Chris Martin and Wyatt Graham)

Sat, 08 Jul 2023 05:25:00 +0000

Threads is the fast-growing app ever. Will the hype last? What will this latest algorithm do for us? What will it do to us? And how should Christians and Social Media Managers respond?

In this special episode, we brought in Chris Martin, author of Terms of Service and The Wolf In Their Pockets, along with Wyatt Graham, Executive Director of The Gospel Coalition Canada, to discuss the release of Threads.

0:00 - Intro

1:22 - What's the big deal about Threads?

6:15 - Zelda Master Sword

6:52 - What is Threads in its current form?

11:55 - What's the product roadmap? Impacts? Virtues?

30:40 - Should Christians Use Threads? Should Social Media Managers use Threads? Is it good to be an influencer?

54:01 - Social Media is more real than real life

Co-hosted by Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob. Original Music by Abigail Neale. Website Design by Zeke Gancena. This is episode 32 of What Would Jesus Tech. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Food Tech (with Hungry Theologian)

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 11:28:00 +0000

We can't just critique the effects of technology; we need to cast a vision for embodied life in our technological age. Can we do this in a way that appreciates the goodness of technology? How important is our food? Would Jesus promote food that has been processed through technology? This is episode 31 of What Would Jesus Tech.

Special thanks to Hungry Theologian for joining us on this episode! Be sure to check out and subscribe to his YouTube channel!

0:00 - Intro

7:32 - A theology of food

10:45 - Food at tech company - fake or fortune?

15:14 - Does technology help or hurt our food?

25:48 - Future of food tech & what should we do?

29:30 - Gardening is virtuous but...

32:35 - Joel's history of diets

39:12 - Narrowing Of Modern Diets

43:55 - 3D Printed Food? Impacts?

Resources references:

A Technological Society - Jacques Ellul

Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life: A Philosophical Inquiry - Albert Borgmann

Power Failure: Christianity in the Culture of Technology - Albert Borgmann

God of All Things - Andrew Wilson

AIRE 2- https://foodmarble.com/product/foodmarble-aire-2/

How Then Shall We Engineer? (with Derek Schuurman)

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 12:23:00 +0000

Our guest today has written A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers.

How do we build technology as Christians? What are the principles? Where are the goals the same and where are they different? Derek Schuurman speaks with us today about how we can imitate Jesus in how we build and design tech.

Derek C. Schuurman is a professor of computer science at Calvin University. Prior to arriving at Calvin, he worked as an engineer and taught for many years at Redeemer University. He is a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation and an Associate Fellow of the Kirby Laing Center for Public Theology. He is the author of Shaping a Digital World: Faith, Culture and Computer Technology (IVP, 2013) and a co-author of A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers (IVP, 2022).

0:00 - Intro

2:54 - PSpice and Electric Cars

4:48 - Canada vs USA (and Christian education)

7:33 - Egbert Schuurman relation?

8:33 - Design Biblically: Parapets

10:10 - A book FOR engineers and designers? Why?

17:15 - Design Norms - SO KEY!

28:36 - Holistic Worldview With Bavinck and Concern on Agile Development

34:58 - "Redemptive" technology?

36:00 - Applying Design Norms

49:25 - Dreams and Science Fiction

Links
A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers by Derek C. Schuurman
Shaping a Digital World: Faith, Culture and Computer Technology by Derek C. Schuurman
Christian Worldview by Herman Bavinck
Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil
You Are What You Love - James K. A. Smith
IEEE - Ethics - https://www.ieee.org/about/ethics/index.html
AIforGood - https://aiforgood.itu.int/
DataForGood - https://dataforgood.ca/
AIandFaith - https://aiandfaith.org/

Co-hosted by Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob

Original Music by Abigail Neale

Website Design by Zeke Gancena

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com.

This is episode 30 of What Would Jesus Tech.

Apple Vision Pro - Sin or Savior?

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 15:04:00 +0000

Apple has just launched a brand new product that they say is as revolutionary as the iPod or iPhone, the Apple Vision Pro. It will certainly change the meta of the metaverse (pardon the pun) and is sure to impact humanity in a variety of ways. As is typical of our tech-heavy episodes, Joel Jacob shares his excitement while Andrew Noble shares his concerns.

What Would Jesus Tech is a podcast where two Christian friends think together about how Jesus would use technology if he lived today.

0:00 - Intro

1:14 - How big of a deal is this?

4:30 - Will Apple succeed where others failed?

8:30 - Eye-tracking and more cool tech

14:12 - Use case and questions of isolation

20:40 - Christian Twitter Takes?

25:30 - Contemplating the use and nature of this tech

Show notes:

- See episode 2 of the What Would Jesus Podcast - Episode 2, Morality of the Metaverse

- The Life We're Looking For by Andy Crouch

- Microsoft HoloLens 2

Co-hosted by Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob

Original Music by Abigail Neale

Website Design by Zeke Gancena

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

This is episode 29 of What Would Jesus Tech.

The Quiet Rise of Robotics

Tue, 30 May 2023 15:14:00 +0000

We will soon live in a world where cars drive themselves, brainwaves can be connected to prosthetic legs, and where robots shake your hand. Are you ready for it? Do you see the introduction of more and more technology as a good thing for our society or does it deprive us of opportunities to love God with all our strength? These are the questions we consider in this episode of What Would Jesus Tech. Episode 28. Thanks for listening.

Outline:

0:00 - Intro

1:45 - Quick Questions (Robots, Self-Driving, Idols)

1:41 - Why talk about robotics?

9:35 - What are humanoids? Why?

13:02 - Boston Dynamics - Spot

14:34 - Tesla Bot - Optimus

16:30 - Ameca Robot

17:40 - Love God with all your strength or let the robot do it?

20:01 - The economic argument for building robots

26:50 - Anticipating the future

WWJT Show Notes and Things We Discussed:

Boston Dynamics
CNET Highlights coverage of Tesla Optimus Robot
K-nex Roller Coaster by Chris Bennett on YouTube
Tesla Self Driving Car vs Everyday Roads by Marques Brownlee on YouTube
Connect ChatGPT to Boston Dynamics Spot Dog by StucBot on YouTube
Ameca Robot by Engineered Arts.
WWJT Episode Quoting Andy Crouch was back in episode 2 on the metaverse NOT the Smart Home episode.
For Herman Bavinck on the Image of God, see book by Cory C. Brock and Nathaniel Gray Sutanto, Neo-Calvinism, or listen to their podcast, Grace in Common.
For Augustine on the Image of God, see his book called Confessions.
For a helpful look at industrialism and its impact, see Jake Meador's book What Are Christians For?
Evangelical Statement of Principles on Artificial Intelligence
WWJT episode with Jess Joustra on all things are religious and glorify God -
FaithTech
Figure AI
Sanctuary AI

Co-hosted by Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob

Original Music by Abigail Neale
Website Design by Zeke Gancena

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

How To NOT Get Hacked

Tue, 16 May 2023 11:22:00 +0000

How do we protect our digital possessions? What are some of the underlying technologies used by companies to protect user data? In what way should Christians protect their digital possessions and in what sense might they want to share them with others? In this episode, we tap into Joel Jacob's cybersecurity background, share password tips, and discuss how Christians might want to "keep things safe" today.

0:00 - Intro and thanks

00:55 - Current state of digital security

8:18 - Make Good Passwords

11:12 - Choose Reputable Companies

12:22 - Assess Risk

14:25 - Password Manager Guidance

17:55 - Audit your password use & ask companies to delete your data

19:15 - The Bible says no passwords amongst Christians?

22:05 - Personal private property in Scripture?

26:55 - Security of others?

28:56 - Getting practical, physical and digital security

34:50 - ... guns?

37:00 - Pulling it all together & updates

What Would Jesus Tech is a podcast helping Christians use technology as Jesus would if he were to live today. WWJT is co-hosted by Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob. Original Music by Abigail Neale. Website Design by Zeke Gancena. Episode 27.

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Digital Addiction and Rest

Tue, 02 May 2023 11:16:00 +0000

For too many of us, a sense of rest is merely aspirational whereas digital addiction is a reality. The "platforms" are built by intelligent minds to serve specific purposes. In the same way scientists once explained the negative impact of cigarettes, in this episode we unpack how digital devices entrap us in their trance, and how to get out. Or at least, how Joel Jacob and Andrew Noble are trying to get out, use technology for good, and find our rest in God. Episode 26.

0:00 - Intro

2:10 - How Tech Is Designed

6:15 - How We Get Addicted

10:35 - Social Media Companies Aren't Evil (necessarily)

14:30 - Joel gets called out for not changing routines

22:15 - Getting out of the digital addiction spiral

Notes:

The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg

How To Start a Startup - Tarun Agarwal

Haggai 1 in NET

You Are Not Your Own - Alan Noble

You're Only Human - Kelly Kapic

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech or to support the future of WWJT, please visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Parenting Well in a Digital Age (with Nathan Sutherland)

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 10:48:00 +0000

There is "tool tech" such as shovels, violins, and 3D Printers, and then there is "drool tech," which pervades digital space. How do we raise our children well in the midst of these devices fueling distraction and depression? How do we promote creativity over consumption? How do we help our kids live from the hope they have in the gospel rather than for the hope offered in screens?

Nathan Sutherland is the founder of Gospel Tech, an organization that helps parents who are feeling outpaced and overwhelmed as they raise children in a tech world. He joins us today to help us understand the difference between tool tech and drool tech, how to set hudges (not walls) with our kids, and how the gospel changes the way we parent.

Check out Nathan's website, and download free resources today at: https://www.gospeltech.net/

0:00 Intro

1:10 - The Story of Gospel Tech

3:35 - Tool Tech vs Drool Tech

7:00 - Operant Conditioning

12:30 - How to audit tech use with RESET

17:03 - Gospel Tech Parenting

20:00 - Lack of tool tech, AI, and the next generation

34:02 - Building a Hedge

46:32 - Best websites to learn about the appropriateness of certain movies

47:20 - Best websites to learn about the appropriateness of certain video games

48:55 - Bible verses to talk about tech

50:08 - What do you do if you've made a parenting tech mistake?

Notes:

The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge
The Mind and the Brain by Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Sharon Begley (not "Schwab")
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal
Andy Crouch's The Life We're Looking For
Tony Reinke's God, Technology, and the Christian Life
Andrew Noble's article on parent settings and apps for phone monitoring.
Apps to monitor a child's screen: Bark, Net Nanny, Qustodio, OurPact, FamilyTime, and MMGuardian
Common Sense Media
Plugged In Media
Entertainment Software Ratings Board
Haidt, J., & Twenge, J. (ongoing). Social media and mental health: A collaborative review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University. Accessed at tinyurl.com/SocialMediaMentalHealthReview

Thanks for listening to What Would Jesus Tech, co-hosted by Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob. Episode 26. To learn more about the podcast or to support us financially, check out https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Should We Embrace New Tech? Joel and Andrew Disagree (or at least try to)

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 10:05:00 +0000

Joel Jacob is a Tech Futurist, an early adopter, and an eternal optimist when it comes to new tech. Andrew Noble is a ministry leader, a late adopter, and a tech skeptic. Andrew told Joel it's time to work through our differences and find common ground as two Christians trying to use technology as Jesus would if he lived today. We spend a lot of time thinking about ChatGPT as an example but the question applies more broadly: should Christians have a positive disposition towards embracing new technology?

0:00 - Intro and our default stance toward tech

3:15 - Why technologists feel churches don't support their work

8:05 - In the technology world but not of it

10:04 - AI, the ChatGPT letter, and the future

22:05 - Practically, should we adopt new tech like AI?

28:40 - Technology is an idol

33:10 - The Unpredictability of AI Technology

39:09 - Would Jesus "lean in" to technology?

Links:

Gary Marcus on A.I. hitting a wall.
Jay Kim's Digital Church
The Gospel Coalition Good Faith Debate on Embracing New Technology.

Episode 24. You can join Team WWJT through our website: https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Social Media, Anxiety, and Leadership (with Chris Martin)

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 07:54:00 +0000

Social media consultant and author Chris Martin joins us on this episode of What Would Jesus Tech to discuss his latest book, The Wolf Their Pockets: 13 Ways the Social Internet Threatens the People You Lead. We dive into the ever-present anxiety that comes with social media, the impact it makes on friendship, and what churches, parents, and leaders should do about it.

0:00 - Intro
1:17 - The Funnies
3:17 - Bird Watching
5:36 - Why "Wolf In Their Pockets"?
14:40 - Friendship and Social Media
20:20 - The Metaverse and Friendship
23:35 - Anxiety And How Social Media Erases The Backstage
28:25 - How Can The Church Provide Backstage Presence?
35:30 - Should A Youth Pastor Post on Social Media?
42:45 - Should you give your teenager a phone?
46:02 - Thoughts on podcasts?
52:50 - The Future of Social Media

Show notes:

Subscribe to Chris Martin's weekly newsletter called, Terms of Service, here: termsofservice.social

Chris Martin's two books:

https://www.moodypublishers.com/the-wolf-in-their-pockets/

https://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/products/terms-of-service-2/

Support WWJT

We've launched a Patreon to give our listeners the opportunity to help us cover the costs of the show. If you sign up, you'll immediately receive access to two bonus mini-episodes on ChatGPT-4 (released March 20, 2023) and Silicon Valley Bank (released March 17, 2023). Episode 23 of WWJT.

Visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/ to join us. And as always, thanks for listening!

The Surprising Story Behind WWJD (with Dr. Jess Joustra)

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 11:17:00 +0000

How do we imitate Jesus in 2023? There is a growing interest in a particular theological tradition and it helps us answer this question in our modern age. This is not the Calvinism of memes, but the Calvinism of Herman Bavinck and Abraham Kuyper. Our regular hosts, Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob, spoke with Dr. Joustra about this history, the story behind WWJD bracelets, the different ways of answering, "What Would Jesus Do?" and how everything (including technology) is religious.

Dr. Jessica Joustra is one of the leading scholars in this area. She is an Assistant Professor of Religion and Theology at Redeemer University, an Associate Researcher at the Neo-Calvinist Research Institute, and is currently in the midst of translating Herman Bavinck's final volume of Reformed Ethics.

0:00 - Intro
3:00 - Why study church history?
7:15 - Part of the "catholic" church?
9:50 - Neo-Calvinism For An Age Like Ours?
21:10 - The Story Behind WWJD
23:30 - Should we really ask WWJD?
33:58 - How Do We Really Imitate Christ?
43:25 - How To Imitate Christ In Tech?
49:09 - Recommended Resources & Tech In Heaven

To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech or to support the show, please visit www.whatwouldjesustech.com. This is episode 22 of WWJT.

Recommended books referenced:

Calvinism For A Secular Age - edited by Dr. Jess Joustra and Dr. Robert Joustra

Reformed Ethics - by Herman Bavinck

The Catholicity of Christianity and the Church - by Herman Bavinck (pdf link)

Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport by Richard J. Mouw

A Secular Age by Charles Taylor

Bavinck: A Critical Biography by James Eglington

Mere Morality by Lewis B. Smedes

Creation Regained by Albert Walters

Christian Field Guide To Technology by Derek C. Schuurman

Modernism and Orthodoxy in On Theology: Herman Bavinck's Academic Orations, Editor / Translator: Bruce R. Pass

When The Kings Come Marching In by Richard J. Mouw

Common Grace by Herman Bavinck (pdf link)

Neo-Calvinism: An Introduction by Cory Brock and N. Gray Sutanto

Grace In Common - A Neo-Calvinist Podcast

Y’all Read Scripture? Or Y’all Scroll? (with John Dyer)

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 10:16:00 +0000

Digital technology is changing the way we access the Word of God. But this isn't the first time Bible technology has changed. Special guest John Dyer unpacks some of the key findings of his latest book, People of the Screen, including how evangelicals are shaping Bible apps with Hopeful Entrepreneurial Pragmaticism and how Bible apps are shaping us. Episode 21.

Link to all things John Dyer: https://j.hn/

Link to People of the Screen.

Link to From the Garden to the City. (You can hear a great podcast interview with John on this book over at the TheoTech podcast.)

In this episode of WWJT:

0:00 - Intro to John Dyer
3:05 - Y'all Version (https://www.yallversion.com/)
4:40 - The ethics of http://bestcommentaries.com/
7:37 - "Tech is neither good or bad, nor is it neutral"?
11:00 - A history of the technology of Scripture
17:45 - The NAB Version
19:28 - How John Studied Digital Bible Use
21:53 - What was learned of the differences between book and screen?
24:40 - Why do print readers say God is more judgmental?
30:40 - The positives of using digital Bibles?
32:15 - Why are evangelicals "People Of The Screen"?
43:00 - "Hopeful Entrepreneurial Pragmaticism" and evangelicals
49:52 - What is the future of Bible engagement? VR? AR?
53:27 - What Bible Tech Would Jesus Use?
54:15 - Recommended reading
58:19 - How to enter for a chance to win People of the Screen

Hey Siri, What Is ChatGPT?

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 19:57:00 +0000

Should Christians be scared of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)? How might we use ChatGPT as a co-pilot to aid us in giving glory to God? How might ChatGPT limit us from discovering truth? Co-hosts Joel Jacob and Andrew Noble hash it all out in this shortened - but deep - episode of What Would Jesus Tech. Episode 20.

In this episode:

00:00 - Intro (Andrew Noble)

00:21 - Does Joel Jacob build AI?

01:30 - What is ChatGPT? Should we be scared?

04:30 - Is AI getting "smarter"?

08:20 - Revolutionary but limited; co-pilot not command centre

10:49 - ChatGPT is made in our image

13:04 - Responsibility and moral agency

15:55 - Spirit, soul, and mind

19:00 - New website! whatwouldjesustech.com

Links:

Logic Of The Body by Matthew A. LaPine
Compatibilism - Don Carson
Following Jesus in a Digital Age - Jason Thacker
The Singularity is Nearer - Ray Kurzweil
John Calvin and Free Will - Matthew Barrett
ChatGPT Is A Blurry JPEG Of The Web - Ted Chiang

Please rate our podcast to help support the show! Learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and contact us at https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Value in Video Games (with Sarah Zylstra)

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 10:50:00 +0000

In the world today, there are more people that play video games than there are who say they're Christians. Is gaming causing a "boy crisis? Is there any good in playing video games? Would Jesus play video games?

To help us on this episode, we spoke with Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, senior writer and faith-and-work editor for The Gospel Coalition. She is also the coauthor of Gospelbound: Living with Resolute Hope in an Anxious Age and editor of Social Sanity in an Insta World. She believes that social media should come with a warning label and she recently wrote something that caught our attention, saying, "Let’s play video games under the lordship of Christ and before the face of God." Episode 19 of WWJT.

Check out her original piece on "Gaming Alone" here.

0:00 - Intro to Sarah Zystra
4:30 - The similarities between social media and gaming
6:46 - The Gaming Gender Gap
10:18 - How Gaming Is Getting Worse And Better
14:50 - Shouldn't We Panic?
17:49 - How To Know If You're Addicted?
20:03 - A Theology of Play
24:21 - Parenting & Video Games
29:00 - Parenting, Getting Immersed, and Learning
32:14 - A Christian Kind of Video Game?
38:42 - Would Jesus Play Video Games?
41:05 - Why did Sarah leave Social Media?

Notes & links:

Listen to TGC's Recorded podcast episode on Gaming Alone. You can find the statistics that Sarah referenced here.
TGC's Recorded podcast episode on Social Media.
Statistica Gaming Gender Gap.
The Rise of Chess.
FaithTech's "Missional Tech Trends" brief on Video Games.
John Dyer's People of the Screen.

The Latest (and Greatest?) Technology - CES 2023

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 19:20:00 +0000

Joel Jacob joins the podcast today right from CES, the Consumer Electronics Show. He and Andrew Noble show off fifteen innovations and reflect on whether Jesus would ever go to such a consumeristic event. This one has some visuals, so watching on YouTube may be preferable for you. Audio-only will work too! Episode 18 of WWJT.

0:00 - Intro to CES

2:01 - Is CES a religious experience?

4:51 - Smart Baby Carseat

6:37 - Autonomous lawn mower & snow blower

8:53 - A bike that fits in a suitcase

9:18 - The Truth Brush

10:28 - ADHD Test Kit

12:40 - New Cars TV News, multi-colored car

13:41 - Sony and Honda launch electric sedan

14:00 - A Flying Car

15:45 - Smart Oven

16:22 - Smart Shower

16:47 - Personal Infinity Pool

17:05 - The Ring Smart Products

17:45 - Age Technology

18:15 - Smart Urinal

20:00 - Smart Pen

22:48 - Reflections after the conference

24:20 - Does the tech industry only care about rich people?

28:00 - Would Jesus Go To CES?

31:05 - Funding good works, open source, philanthropy etc.

Links and resources referenced:

- Stock video footage from https://www.cesbroll.com/

- Smart Baby Carseat - https://www.babyark.com/

- Autonomous lawn mower & snow blower - https://www.yarbo.com/

- A bike that fits in a suitcase - https://ca.e-scooter.co/icoma-tatamel/

- The Truth Brush - https://www.truthbrush.com/#/

- ADHD Test Kit - https://www.ces.tech/innovation-awards/honorees/2023/honorees/a/adhd-bank-(adhd-genetic-testing-kit).aspx

- Multi-coloured car - https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/04/bmw-unveils-dee-prototype-the-next-level-of-human-machine-interaction/

- A Flying Car - https://www.cnet.com/tech/a-flying-car-futuristic-screens-and-the-tesla-of-the-sea-ces-must-see-highlights/

- Smart Oven - https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/brava-glass-smart-oven-ces/

- Smart Shower - https://www.kohler.com/en/products/smart-home/shop-smart-showering

- Ring Smart Home - https://ring.com/

- Smart Urinal - https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/smart-home/ces-2023-sees-the-launch-of-two-smart-toilet-sensors/

- Smart Pen - https://nuwapen.com/

- Gospel Patrons - https://www.gospelpatrons.org/

- Henry Zoo - Open Source -https://henryzoo.com/

- Timothy Keller's How To Reach The West Again - https://redeemercitytocity.com/reachthewest

Living On God's Word With Technology

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 04:04:31 +0000

Which is more commended by Scripture?

A) A daily 15-minute quiet time with Bible reading.

B) A throughout-the-day reflection on Scripture.

In this post, Andrew Noble answers that question and describes how to meditate on Scripture, the ways of reminding ourselves of Scripture (according to Deut. 6), and how technology can be leveraged to better take-in Scripture. The Israelites used doorposts to remember Scripture. We should use digital doorposts.

Note:

Joel Jacob is away again but will be back soon.

The first 8 minutes of this video are transcripted here (with links and references included): https://andrewnoble.substack.com/p/the-neglected-practice-of-bible-meditation

The final portion of the video is transcripted here (with links and references included): https://andrewnoble.substack.com/p/228ca664-9c82-4efd-948d-8b8828cedac7

James Kelly (Founder of FaithTech)

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 15:29:53 +0000

Why does it feel like the Christian world and the tech world speak two different languages? If there's a senior software developer at your church, is the best use of their giftings to click *next* on the PowerPoint slides? FaithTech exists to bridge the gap between faith and technology. This week Andrew Noble speaks with James Kelly about the story behind FaithTech, how Christians should approach technology, and how Christians can work toward a better world through tech. (Joel Jacob was away on vacation this week - he'll be back soon!)

Outline

0:00 - Intro

0:57 - Story of FaithTech

9:05 - The Three Kinds of Tech

15:45 - Should Tech people leave their companies if they have moral disagreements?

20:10 - What keeps James going through the challenges of leading FaithTech?

26:00 - What did James' wife think of James starting FaithTech?

27:10 - How has the culture's view of tech changed?

32:15 - Digital Sabbath

36:10 - What are strategies for Christians to live counter-culturally with tech?

41:30 - Sabbaticals for all?

43:30 - Some really funky audio

Show notes:

- FaithTech.com

- The FaithTech Podcast https://faithtech.com/podcast/

- Andy Crouch's Tech-Wise Family https://www.amazon.ca/Tech-Wise-Family-Everyday-Putting-Technology/dp/0801018668

James K.A. Smith's You Are What You Love - https://www.amazon.ca/You-Are-What-Love-Spiritual-ebook/dp/B012H10K3G/

- "The Age of Social Media is Ending" - https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/11/twitter-facebook-social-media-decline/672074/

The Allure of Artificial Intelligence

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 02:42:00 +0000

Would Jesus use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? How should Christians approach AI with neither fear nor naivety; neither pessimism nor blind futurism? How might we be both innovative with AI and wise to its risks? What does the future hold?

In this episode, Joel Jacob goes deep into one of his personal passions, discussing with Andrew Noble the allure of AI and the essence of this AI technology that may bring robots to life.

For feedback and ideas, reach out to us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, or send us an email at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com

01:04 - No really though, what is AI?

06:10 - How does AI learn? Intro to Neural Networks.

11:00 - The bias that AI brings

14:58 - The wild future of AI

20:49 - Are AI people, too?

30:30 - Will God reconcile robots to himself?

Show notes:

Algorithms to Live By by Brian Christian & Tom Griffiths
The Age of AI - by Jason Thacker
The Evangelical Statement on Artificial Intelligence - https://erlc.com/resource-library/statements/artificial-intelligence-an-evangelical-statement-of-principles/
The Singularity Is Near by Ray Kurzweil

Twitter News & Ancient Views

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 21:21:53 +0000

Twitter affects us all, even if you never use it. It is shaping what we think of as "public opinion" as traditional news networks increasingly rely on it. It serves as a forum for discussion, and Andrew & Joel discuss the pros and cons of Twitter's approach.

On the user side, the Bible never talks about Twitter but it does talk about how we ought to speak to one another. What is your speed of listening? Is it quick? What is your speed of speaking? Is it slow? When you use Twitter, do you see evidence of the fruit of the Spirit displayed? For some, they need to delete it since it's destructive. For others, tweet more since we need more Christians in this online version of the public square.

0:00 - Intro

1:13 - What's going on with Musk and Twitter?

5:30 - Twitter Future & Past

9:05 - Lack of Context

13:45 - Challenges of Social Media Management

16:05 - Sort By Latest! (and why)

22:30 - How Important Is News?

30:00 - If you deleted, what would happen?

34:34 - Would Jesus Use Twitter?

Links to things, books, and articles referenced:

- Alastair Roberts on how Social Media lacks context - https://youtu.be/PsVR6vpRFgo

- Analogue Christian by Jay Y. Kim - https://www.amazon.com/Analog-Christian-Cultivating-Contentment-Resilience/dp/1514003163

- Neil Postman on Telegraphy - https://andrewnoble.substack.com/i/79295626/a-longer-history-of-substack

- C.S. Lewis on why schoolboys shouldn't read the newspaper - https://www.afterall.net/quotes/c-s-lewis-on-newspapers/

- Chris Martin's book "Terms of Service" - https://www.amazon.com/Terms-Service-Real-Social-Media/dp/1087738377

- Evidence of the harms of social media (meta-analysis by Jonathan Haidt) - https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1vVAtMCQnz8WVxtSNQev_e1cGmY9rnY96ecYuAj6C548/mobilebasic#

- Research on what happens when you deactivate Facebook - https://www.nber.org/papers/w25514

- WWJT episode with Wyatt Graham on Working Through Our Tech Differences - https://youtu.be/dkPcO3vnRiA

- John Dyer's From The Garden To The City - https://www.amazon.com/Garden-City-Redeeming-Corrupting-Technology/dp/0825426685

- Andrew's controversial tweet - https://twitter.com/nobullnoble/status/1582808738922012672?s=20&t=s3U5MxixTi_1eMPWoW62SA

The Burdens of Working in Tech (with Hayden Mills & David Deepwell)

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 11:19:00 +0000

Working in tech is hard. Our last episode focused on using dating apps and this episode focuses on building them. Burdens can be a good thing, but they weigh us down; we need to encourage one another to work well in this stressful world. We need to work out of our rest that we can find in Christ.

Guests:

Hayden Mills is a Lead Product Manager at a Dating App company.

Dr. David Deepwell is a Software Developer at the University of Calgary.

0:00 - Intro

2:49 - Figma Acquisition

4:05 - How do you bring your Christian identity into the workplace?

7:25 - Why should Christians reflect more on their identity at work?

8:14 - Faithful Presence not Christian Nationalism

10:11 - A Story of Hayden at Work

13:58 - Christian Ethics & Influencing Dating App Development

16:25 - How Do Tech Companies Handle Ethics?

18:41 - We're in Phase Two of the Internet

20:10 - Recognizing The Risks of Rushing Ethical Decisions

23:22 - Understanding the dating space

24:32 - The Dating Algorithm Will Not Save You

27:13 - An Ethical Framework For Building Tech:

27:41 - #1 Build Tech While Loving God & Loving People

34:03 - #2 Working out of rest, rather than for rest

40:41 - #3 Bring Your Full Self To Work - Live By Biblical First Principles

Notes:

Wall Street Journal article about Facebook's algorithm - https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-algorithm-change-zuckerberg-11631654215

Christians Can Use Dating Apps (with Ruth Cuthbert)

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 10:30:00 +0000

Let's get over our dating app stigma and start swiping right to the glory of God. Single Christians should do this, if they so desire and if their conscience allows it, as long as they do so with Biblical principles in mind. We're joined by Ruth Cuthbert, who shares her wisdom on navigating the world of Christian & non-Christian dating apps.

0:00 - Intro
1:30 - Dating Apps Are...
4:10 - Ruth's Experience & Single Stigma
7:20 - Joel's Experience & Single Stigma
14:50 - How should Christians navigate dating apps?
19:30 - What NOT to do & ghosting
24:56 - Vulnerability, taking breaks, and checking your heart
27:40 - How to go from texting to friends to dating to marriage
35:22 - Predictive AI and Dating Apps
39:31 - Setting expectations for the "ideal" spouse
45:00 - Bots and Final Advice

Links:

- How To Get A Date Worth Keeping - https://www.amazon.ca/How-Get-Date-Worth-Keeping/dp/0310262658

- Andrew's former employer - Plum - https://www.plum.io/

- Skepticism about eHarmony's predictive algorithm - https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/science/skepticism-as-eharmony-defends-its-matchmaking-algorithm.html

- Modern Romance - https://www.amazon.ca/Modern-Romance-Aziz-Ansari/dp/0143109251

- Research on how starring for 5+ minutes increases attraction - https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/style/modern-love-to-fall-in-love-with-anyone-do-this.html

- Tim & Kathy Keller interview #1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ0AcJU4wAo&ab_channel=GordonConwell

- Tim & Kathy Keller interview #2 - https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/gospelbound/tim-and-kathy-keller-share-the-secret-of-a-great-marriage/

Would Jesus Use BeReal?

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 03:15:25 +0000

Social media is constantly changing. BeReal has entered the scene as an alternative to unmanageable Facebook, algorithm-heavy TikTok, and over-polished Instagram. So would Jesus add his disciples on BeReal if he had lived today?

0:00 - Intro
1:35 - Did Joel get fired?
2:24 - What is BeReal?
6:40 - How TikTok is different from BeReal
11:20 - Positives of BeReal
14:30 - Authenticity is good but overrated
16:50 - Why authenticity is overrated
21:45 - Expressive individualism & the Lord's Prayer
24:30 - Creating social media apps in the midst of economic struggle
30:40 - Would Jesus use BeReal?

Links:

- Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow (system 1 vs system 2) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468377-thinking-fast-and-slow

- Kranzberg's Laws of Technology - https://andrewnoble.substack.com/p/book-review-following-jesus-in-a

- Luke 12 (fear God rather than man) is the passage Andrew spoke to around 15:00

- Tim Keller on authenticity - https://youtu.be/R_IBHXVfVeA

- Brian Rosner on how The Lord's Prayer is an Antidote to Expressive Individualism - https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/prayer-antidote/

- Chris Martin on What's The Deal With BeReal - https://www.termsofservice.social/p/whats-the-deal-with-bereal

- BeReal Captures Our Nostalgia for a Time When Social Media Was Boring - The New York Times... https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/24/magazine/bereal-app.html

- Stratechery - Instagram, TikTok, and the Three Trends - https://stratechery.com/2022/instagram-tiktok-and-the-three-trends/

Following Jesus In a Digital Age (with Jason Thacker)

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 10:28:00 +0000

August 30th, 2022, marks the official release of Jason Thacker's latest book, Following Jesus In a Digital Age. We spoke with him about the so-called neutrality of technology, sharing truth in a post-truth world, and navigating everything digital from TikTok to conspiracy theories.

If we're honest, too many of us are digitally addicted. We think we use social media but social media uses us. Thacker believes that the Bible's wisdom has something to say so that we might better love God and our neighbor.

Outline:

0:00 - Intro

1:40 - Jason Thacker's interest in tech

6:45 - Are technologies good, bad, or neutral?

8:30 - How is technology discipling us?

14:05 - What does it mean to follow Jesus in "a digital age"?

20:44 - How do we navigate platforms like TikTok?

29:18 - Pursuing truth in a post-truth world

38:09 - Could new tech prioritize truth?

45:49 - Being responsible for our digital actions

52:45 - Should Christians do a better job building tech?

55:46 - Rapid fire questions (Twitter, pods, & books)

Links:

https://jasonthacker.com/

Following Jesus In a Digital Age by Jason Thacker - https://www.amazon.com/Following-Jesus-Digital-Jason-Thacker/dp/1087754593/

The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity - https://www.amazon.com/Age-AI-Artificial-Intelligence-Humanity/dp/0310357640/

Jason's podcast Digital Public Square Podcast: https://jasonthacker.com/digital-public-square-podcast/

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari - https://bookshop.org/books/homo-deus-a-brief-history-of-tomorrow/9780062464347

Top books by Herman Bavinck, ordered from young adult reading level to college-educated:

1) What is Christianity? - https://www.amazon.com/What-Christianity-Herman-Bavinck/dp/1683074203/

2) Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion - https://www.christianbook.com/guidebook-for-instruction-the-christian-religion/9781683072997/pd/072997

3) The Wonderful Works of God - https://www.christianbook.com/wonderful-instructions-christian-according-reformed-confession/herman-bavinck/9781733627221/pd/27221X

Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death - https://www.amazon.com/Amusing-Ourselves-Death-Discourse-Business/dp/014303653X/

Podcasts are Friendships

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 19:31:00 +0000

A podcast is not a sermon. It's not a lecture. And it's certainly not a book. But it is something like a friendship. The very medium of a podcast is personable and intimate - you literally hear a podcast inside your own head thanks to the earplugs most of us use. But we should never settle for consuming friendships, we need to cultivate our own. In this episode, Joel and Andrew reflect on podcasts and friendships and how they make sense of each other.

0:00 - Intro + banter
4:25 - Tony Reinke's description of podcasts & what makes them unique
7:25 - Why podcasts are like friendships
15:55 - Why do we produce a podcast?
17:40 - Why creating something is important
25:20 - The rise of loneliness
27:40 - Cultivating friendships

Links:

- This episode was inspired & heavily influenced by a tweet from Tony Reinke. See here: https://twitter.com/TonyReinke/status/1528010723107819522?s=20&t=S_k5yehGcJSFglYBkQkglQ

- C.S. Lewis' The Four Loves - https://www.cslewis.com/four-types-of-love/

- Bloom's Taxonomy - https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/

- The Trellis & The Vine - https://www.amazon.com/Trellis-Vine-Ministry-Mind-Shift-Everything-ebook/dp/B09CZFTLCC

- James Kelly's FaithTech podcast - https://anchor.fm/faithtech-podcast

- Brad East on loneliness - https://www.bradeast.org/blog/four-loves-loss

- Tim Keller's sermon on friendship HIGHLY RECOMMEND - https://youtu.be/8Tc4VIQrXdE

Working Through our Tech Differences (with TGC's Wyatt Graham)

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 00:38:00 +0000

Two years ago, the proliferation of a certain technology threw the world into a heated debate. Some wore masks. Others didn't. Many called the other side ignorant. And in the church, some even went so far as to call the other side sinful and apostate due to their masking (or lack of masking). Rather than focusing on the technology of masks themselves, in this episode, we work through a Biblical approach to moral decisions and how Christians should work through disputable matters. This is not easy! But for the good of the church, theologians like The Gospel Coalition's Wyatt Graham have pointed to Romans 14 (and 1 Cor. 8-10) to help church leaders navigate this tension. Joel and Andrew picked his brain on the topic with questions ranging from using the Old Testament for moral instruction to using masks and whether more invasive technologies like masks and Neuralink still fall under the category of "Christian Liberty."

1:00 - Romans 14:1-9
2:25 - Intros
6:17 - Why should people use the Bible for morality?
8:50 - Why should Christians use the whole Bible for morality?
12:45 - In what ways does the Old Testament apply to us today?
17:05 - In what ways is the Bible is misapplied?
19:58 - How should Christians apply Scripture today?
21:30 - Life isn't simple! We need to be more humble.
22:59 - What is this idea of first principles for moral reasoning?
26:55 - Does Paul use first principles for moral reasoning?
33:50 - How does the idea of "Christian freedom" interact with moral judgement?
36:55 - How did the reformation view Christian freedom?
38:54 - What are the categories - first principles and secondary matters?
43:02 - Should we wear masks for the sake of others?
50:01 - What about more intrusive technologies like NeuraLace and Elon Musk's Neurolink? Are they matters of Christian liberty too?
57:05 - What is Wyatt's theology of technology? And so how then should we use it?

Links:

Wyatt Graham | Twitter, @wagraham | Facebook, /wyatt.graham1 | https://wyattgraham.com/

Wyatt Graham's TGCC article on Romans 14 - https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/detrinitate/how-romans-14-helps-us-to-work-through-our-differences/

Calvin's Institutes - Chapter 19 - Of Christian Liberty - https://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.v.xx.html

The Gospel Coalition Canada Confererence - Nov. 17-18 - https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/tgcc22/

Living With Distracting Tech

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 16:55:00 +0000

What we attend to is what we value. We cannot live a life of merely avoiding distraction because we will always be giving attention to something. By definition, a distraction is something that takes our attention away from something else. So what do we value? Do we value scrolling social media newsfeeds? Do we value the *ding* notifications in the midst of trying to do work? Why are we on our phones so much?

In this episode, we work through what distractions are, how to think about our "attention economy," and how to live a life where our attention is not distracted.

Links:

Alan Jacobs' Habits of Mind in an Age of Distraction

L.M. Sacasas' We Are Not Living in a Simulation, We Are Living In the Past

Andy Crouch's The Life We're Looking For

L.M. Sacasas' Your Attention is not a Resource

Michael Goldhaber's 1997 Wired Essay on Attention Economy

Carl Trueman's The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self

Carl Trueman's Strange New World

Does optimizing your home make life worse? Smart homes and thermostats

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 15:18:00 +0000

Andrew pokes holes in the very product that Joel helped build: a smart thermostat. The smart devices that we increasingly place in our homes have ecological impacts that are hard to assess and harder to predict. First, Joel recaps smart thermostats (1:05), and we discuss whether a so-called "smart home" makes your life easier or worse, including security vulnerabilities (15:00), the allure of big data (21:00), and how personalized optimization impacts family life (31:00). Then we try to bring it all together with the question of whether Jesus would use a smart home (37:30).

We welcome your comments and feedback! Email us at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com

Things cited:

Article which references Wendell Berry's argument of extensive (quantity and speed) vs intensive (quality and care).
The Wendell Barry essay itself.
Ecobee
Alastair Roberts on The Ecological Effect of Technology
John Dyer's From The Garden To The City

Money, Bitcoin, and Jesus

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 03:45:51 +0000

To understand a Christian view of tech we must unpack a Biblical view of money.

In this episode, Joel (the Tech Futurist) brings Andrew up to speed on the history of money (2:30) and Bitcoin (8:50). Then we dive into: what Jesus says about money (17:55), not letting money dictate the mission (24:40), giving to your local church (28:30), and the parable of the talents (32:22). Sorry for the slight delay - we both got sick (mild COVID).

Links:

Alastair Roberts' Gospel of Matthew commentary

NIV Audio Bible from Biblegateway.com

Gospel Patterns by John Rinehart

A Historical Survey of how Christianity has viewed Money - Christianity Today

Limits (with Scott MacLellan)

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

God created us with limits and they are good. As creatures, we do not function in predictable, meaningless motion as a machine would - nor do we exist in every place at once with knowledge of all things as God does. No, we are only human. In this episode Andrew Noble and special guest Scott MacLellan discuss Kelly Kapic's book, "You Are Not Your Own" as well as Scott's job as Director of Engineering at Vidyard and leadership (starting at 27:00) and his work in helping distribute Bibles to 100,000+ people across the world (starting at 32:10).

Links mentioned:

FaithTech

You’re Only Human, by Kelly Kapic

Kelly Kapic interview with Mere Fidelity

Kelly Kapic interview with Collin Hansen on Gospelbound

None Like Him, by Jen Wilkin

Jen Wilkin on Why It’s Good News That God Is Not like Us

Vidyard

The Making of the SHAREBIBLES App (video)

ShareBibles

The Morality of the Metaverse

Tue, 24 May 2022 10:00:00 +0000

There are many promises of the Metaverse - promises of connection, engagement, and experience - but will the Metaverse make us more or less like the humanity God created us to be? It comes down to tradeoffs. The Metaverse offers significant improvements compared to current technologies (that most Christians already use!) but will their ease of use be one of their downfalls? Will they perpetuate the problems with consumerism and expressive individualism?

In this episode, Andrew and Joel define what the Metaverse is (1:00), how it may just be like yet another place that Christians will inhabit (9:30), how Christianity prioritizes in-person gatherings (15:00), Andy Crouch's perspective on what it means to be human (20:00), and finally, how the church might engage with the Metaverse (39:55).

Show notes:

Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash

Grace in Common podcast How To Be A Modern Christian

Andy Crouch's The Life We're Looking For

Andy Crouch interview with Good Faith Podcast

Biblegateway Audio Bible 1 Corinthians 5

Brad East Tech for normies article

9marks Ministries and their argument against multi-site podcast.

Mark Zuckerberg and the Meaning of Life

Tue, 10 May 2022 10:00:00 +0000

The CEO of Meta (Facebook) was recently asked, "what is the meaning of life." In this episode of WWJT, we explore his answer. The Bible teaches us that God created us to create, that every person has a purpose, and that even the activity of doing good work can give God great glory.

Links to things referenced:

- Lex Fridman interview with Mark Zuckerberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zOHSysMmH0&t=654s&ab_channel=LexFridman

- Tim Keller sermon on "Made for Stewardship" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHIuteKTQy0&

- Genesis chapter 1 in KJV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiXQmeuHTOY&ab_channel=tmantz625

- Genesis chapter 2 in NIV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY_ydB-6aqY&ab_channel=RyanMorgan

- Tabletalk article on doing work to God's glory: https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2018/09/working-unto-the-glory-of-god/

We'll be back with another episode every two weeks. In the meantime, use tech, find rest and give God glory.

Trailer - Did God Make Tesla?

Tue, 03 May 2022 19:38:37 +0000

A brief introduction to Andrew Noble - Bible student - and Joel Jacob - tech futurist - and what to expect from What Would Jesus Tech, a podcast that explores how the Bible helps Christians navigate a technology-filled world. Welcome to WWJT!