What does philosophy, theology, and addiction science say about how the church can help prevent technological addiction? With tech addiction on the rise, Armand Babakhanian suggests that certain Christian doctrines and practices may help.
Read the full article in Christian Perspectives on Science and Technology.
Abstract: In this paper, I engage work done in philosophy, theology, and addiction science to argue that the church possesses resources for preventing technology addiction. First, I briefly sketch what technology addiction is and provide evidence to suggest that it is rapidly growing. Then, I suggest two causes for the growth of technology addiction: boredom and the desire for a meaningful identity. Third, I discuss two resources that the ancient churches possess to address these two causes. These two resources are the doctrine of divinisation and the sacrament of reconciliation. Fourth, I argue that some Protestant traditions possess similar practices for addressing technology addiction. The significance of my thesis is that the church can help preventing non-addicted people from falling prey to technology addiction.
Keywords: addiction theory, boredom, divinisation, meaningful identity, philosophy, technology
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