Seeking Wisdom Inwards Tradition

A summary of:
Schultze, Q. J. (2002). Habits of the High-Tech Heart: Living Virtuously inward the Information Age. Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
Chapter 3 - Seeking Wisdom inward Tradition

Schultze begins past times mentioning the "simplicity movement," whose adherents quip, "Maintaining a complicated life is a swell way to avoid changing it" (69). As much equally nosotros tin rhapsodize virtually a simpler time, in addition to fifty-fifty wishing to supply to it, non exclusively tin y'all never set that toothpaste dorsum inward the tube, but equally Schultze says, "Slowing downwards our charge per unit of measurement of retrieving in addition to disseminating data is a necessary but insufficient pace inward our journeying toward reclaming the habits of the heart" (69).

The betoken of this chapter is threefold:

1) We demand faith equally an anchor to a greater, to a greater extent than meaningful continuity; or to what Schultze argues faith creates/maintains: "an overarching metanarrative" (70). I am reminded 1 time again of Joel Mason's sermon virtually existence participants inward a storey when nosotros come upwards to church. This chapter asks how nosotros tin perchance sympathize ourselves without agreement our history in addition to that narrative. Tradition is non silly; it is real of import to our agreement of who nosotros are. One Definition quoted hither is that "'tradition' [is] the 'living faith of the dead'" whereas "traditionalism" is the "dead faith of the living" (74). Schultze defines religious tradition equally "a transcendentally framed in addition to morally directed way of life that faithfully aims to rebind the broken cosmos from generation to generation" (75). The work nosotros convey to reconcile amongst this view, however, is that fact that the basis our ancestors was describing no longer exists; things are profoundly dissimilar equally our agreement of the basis has grown. But in addition to thence the value of traditions is that they are "direction-setting 'maps of reality' that generations of wisdom-seeking communities of faith convey already charted" (76). Simply put, "Without history memory, at that topographic point tin live on no wisdom" (89).

2) We demand to cultivate to a greater extent than advanced listening skills. Think virtually the extreme nosotros convey arrived at where nosotros literally hollo into the ether amongst tools similar Twitter. We don't fifty-fifty presume anyone is listening to us. But what should nosotros do? Forcibly quiet the chatter? Schultze mentions attempts (successful ones!) to institute "Quiet Zones" inward America: "Establishing these zones was non exclusively a reaction against vibrations but also an activeness inward favor of practices such equally healing in addition to learning" (77). (As Havel shows, having enforced quiet in addition to fourth dimension for contemplation - existence jailed for years - is a swell way to cultivate depth of thought.) It is worth considering that monastic dominion is non "'Do non speak' but rather 'Do non speak unless y'all tin amend on the silence'" (78). This requires a combination of moderation in addition to reflection. How tin technologies back upwards this notion?

3) "we are all responsible non jut for seeking virtue but also for passing it along to each generation" (71). For example, 1 trace of piece of work organisation is that "impressive messaging could potentially cutting us off from tradition in addition to unravel the tapestries of gratitude in addition to responsibleness that bind us to God, neighbor, self, in addition to creation" (81). This 3rd betoken is linked to the betoken I was making inward my concluding ship virtually the value of retentivity to society. Interestingly, Schultze goes on a flake of an unpredicted give-and-take virtually the importance of "caring" equally purpose of existence responsible. (More predictably, this evokes questions virtually sustainability in addition to corporate social responsibility, which Schultze glosses over except to tell that nosotros demand to tending for God's creation.) One instance of this caring that nosotros tin detect on the Internet, which I personally quite like, is MS Softserve. This website was created inward recognition of the emotional acquit upon of information, which tin derail a somebody who has of late been diagnosed amongst multiple sclerosis. This website allows the user to approximate the score of intensity of the data they tin get out amongst receiving at the moment.

Again, I'm a flake wary of Schultze's faith inward religion. He says, for example, "The beginning tidings religio agency ‘to rebind.’ To deed religiously inward the basis is to rebind the broken cosmos” (72). I mightiness attribute such loftiness to spirituality, but I am reticent inward applying it to religion, which is thence complicated past times politics in addition to embittered past times centuries of fighting amongst other religions. This is simply 1 ground I recoil from talking virtually "religion" - equally if y'all tin meaningfully fifty-fifty speak of it equally a coherent thing, when it is composed of such dissimilar traditions.

But I recollect this is a useful seek for developing technologies: "Do they foster the joy in addition to harmonious shalom, or create they sustain alienation, conflict, unhappiness, in addition to injustice" (72)?