Stephen Estes examines future tech thru lens of ancient faith in Braving the Future

October 31, 2018                                                        News Release

Should the Church embrace or be wary of technology?
Estes examines future tech thru lens of ancient faith in Braving the Future

HARRISONBURG, VA — Technology is changing around us at a blistering pace. We are entering an era in which human bodies merge with devices, corporations know everything about us, and artificial intelligence develops human and even godlike potential. Douglas Estes equips Christians to thoughtfully and prayerfully prepare for a future of rapidly changing technology with Braving the Future: Christian Faith in a World of Limitless Tech (Herald Press, October 2018).

“The future is coming so fast now that we can only imagine what it will bring,” Estes writes. “What happens when technology advances at such a speed that the average person can no longer keep up?” Estes has first-hand experience with this. His father, a former NASA engineer, could not learn how to use a computer with a mouse. “I shudder to think how technologically igno­rant I will be compared to my grandchildren,” Estes says.

In Braving the Future, Estes examines eight key technolo­gies that will shape our future: virtual reality, autonomous machines, gene editing, artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, intelligent robots, nanotechnology and cybernetics.

Drawing on Scripture, Christian tradition, and scientific literature, Estes offers a theology of work, creation, and personhood that is both prophetic and sturdy enough to keep pace with the technology of a future as yet unknown. He helps readers choose trust in God over fearful retreat and following Jesus over uncritical engagement with technology. The future may not look exactly like a science fiction movie, but there will be limitless tech and boundless change.

Rebecca Randall, science editor at Christianity Today says of Braving the Future, “Douglas Estes is a master writer. His work provides valuable cultural analysis on our use of tech, now and into the future. His unique voice at this nexus is not one to ignore.”

Estes is assistant professor of New Testament and practical theology and director of the DMin program at South University—Columbia. Estes has pastored several churches and is the author of many books focusing on the intersection of text, church, and world. Estes’ work has been published in Christianity Today and other venues, and he has received two John Templeton Foundation grants for writing about science, faith, and technology. Connect with him at DouglasEstes.com.

Braving the Future is available from Herald Press for $16.99 (paperback) and $13.99 (ebook) via 800 245 7894 and at the Herald Press webstore, www.HeraldPress.com, Amazon, and other online sources. Canadian customers can order from CommonWord (877 846 1593), Parasource (800 263 2664), and elsewhere.

To schedule an interview with Douglas Estes, contact LeAnn Hamby at 540‑908‑3941 or [email protected].