Following Jesus in a Digital Age

by Jason Thacker

Overview

We were told technology would make our lives easier and more convenient, but technology just seems to have made it more complicated and confusing. As Christians, what does our faith have to do with these pressing issues of life in a digital age? 

In Following Jesus in a Digital Age, you will not only be challenged on how technology is shaping your walk with Christ, but you will also be equipped with biblical wisdom to navigate the most difficult aspects of our digital culture—including the rise of misinformation, conspiracy theories, social media, digital privacy, and polarization.

God calls his people to step into the challenges of the digital age from a place of hope and discernment, grounded in His Word. How will you follow Him in the digital age?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781087754598
Publisher:	B&H Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/30/2022
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	629,278
Product dimensions:	4.90(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jason Thacker (PhD in progress, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as chair of research in technology ethics and director of the research institute at The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. He also serves as an adjunct instructor of worldview and apologetics at Boyce College in Louisville, Kentucky.

Table of Contents

Introduction: We Are All Being Discipled but Not How You Might Expect 1

Chapter 1 Pursuing Wisdom in a Digital Age 9

Chapter 2 Pursuing Truth in a Post-truth Age 33

Chapter 3 Pursuing Responsibility in a Curated Age 71

Chapter 4 Pursuing Identity in a Polarized Age 101

Appendix: A Note to Leaders 145

Notes 153

Editorial Reviews

Christians have no option but to learn what it looks like to live in a digital age. This is the world we have been born into, the world to which we are called. So what does it look like to think biblically about our devices and platforms? Jason Thacker is a leading evangelical ethicist who has mined both the Scriptures and church tradition and is a faithful guide for anyone desiring to follow Jesus. He writes in a way that both elevates our understanding, provokes deep thinking, and relates to the everyday questions we have about our technology. This book is a must-read for every believer, a resource every church should distribute generously.” 

-Daniel Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement, Columnist for World, and bestselling author of several books, including, The Dignity Revolution, A Way With Words, and The Characters of Christmas 
 

"One of the Christian's greatest tasks for our day is the consistent examination of how technology is framing not just our world but also our very minds, bodies, and souls. That's why I'm grateful for Jason Thacker and the thoughtful work he does around technology and ethics, and why I'm especially grateful for this book. He asks us to consider how our technology is discipling us and then offers us practical wisdom in bringing all things under the authority of Jesus. I've benefited greatly from this book."

-Christine Hoover, Bible teacher and author of several books, including How to Thrive as a Pastor's Wife 

"In the digital age, a formational course correction is profoundly necessary for most of us. In Following Jesus in the Digital Age, Jason Thacker opens us up to new possibilities, down a path leading toward wisdom, truth, responsibility, and identity. This is a must read for any and all who find themselves searching for a better way forward."

-Jay Y. Kim, lead pastor at WestGate Church in the Silicon Valley and author of Analog Church, Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age

“As a pastor seeking to shepherd Christ’s disciples, of all ages and technological abilities/understanding, in our local congregation, I am thankful for Jason Thacker’s work here. As a Christian who constantly hears others bemoaning our “discipleship problem” when it comes to the weakness of Christianity’s witness in many contexts, I appreciate this book exposing a significant, yet subtle, discipleship distraction.” 

-Kevin Smith, Teaching and Campus Pastor at Family Church in West Palm Beach, Florida 

“It’s hard for me to imagine a topic more urgent and important than how to follow Jesus in this digital age. Jason has the remarkable capacity to think like both a professor and a practitioner, which makes this work especially rich and meaningful. He is committed to holding the tension between orthodoxy and orthopraxy, navigating a way forward for all of us. Rarely do I come across a book so intensely practical but with this level of depth and for that, I am incredibly grateful. Jason not only dissects current realities with precision but offers a beautiful and compelling vision of a potential future. Discipleship is not a Christian thing, it’s a human thing. We’re all being discipled. The question is, do we know by whom?” 

-Ian Simkins, Lead Pastor of Teaching at the Bridge Church in Spring Hill, TN 

"I don’t know about you, but nobody ever taught me how to follow Jesus in the digital age. There was no concept of that when I was first growing in my faith as a Christian. Now, I am raising kids who only know of life in a digital age. What is an analog guy like myself to do? Thankfully, I have the writings of Jason Thacker. I call him the Tom Brady of helping Christians navigate through the complexities of our era with technology. I am grateful he has written Following Jesus in a Digital Age. It is a tremendous benefit to me and will be for you too!"
 
-Dean Inserra, Lead Pastor of City Church in Tallahassee, Florida

From the Publisher