Inklings, Halflings, or Cyborgs?

New Book Releases, Upcoming Interviews, Ancient Worship, &... Orc Babies?

“It is easy for me to imagine that the next great division of the world will be between people who wish to live as creatures and people who wish to live as machines.”

— Wendell Berry (Quoted in ‘Are We All Cyborgs Now?” by Robin Philips and Joshua Pauling)

Dear Barrel Aged Christians,

One of the biggest questions I have asked as a father is “How do I help navigate my family in a world where technology is no longer just a tool but has almost become fully integrated within our own self-identity?” Many of us shrink at the thought of brain chip technology that Elon Musk is pioneering, but most of us do not realize that we’ve already crossed this line with our smart phones which are literally reshaping our brains, especially youth.

In their new book (“Are We All Cyborgs Now?”), Robin Philips and Joshua Pauling answer my burning question. They speak of the real ‘burden of technological omnipresence’ in our lives as well as the strange new world unfolding before our eyes (think AI girlfriends). They also ask the ‘deep questions’ such as ‘Are we becoming more conformed to the image of the Machine rather than to the Image of Christ?’ Thankfully, not only do they diagnose the real risk of ‘becoming cyborgs’ in a sense, but they also offer real solutions to ‘reclaiming our humanity.’

I am excited to announce that I will be interviewing Robin Philips and Joshua Pauling next week, and its going to be a very enlightening one! I hope you will join in to listen as well as prayerfully consider supporting their work. At 480 pages, this book is a ‘treatment’ of the subject and not mere fluff to sell books. While being ‘dense’ with important insights and reflections, it is very readable for a wide audience. Listen to this reviewer:

“Without a doubt, this is the most comprehensive contemplation I've read on the topic, and beyond simply admiring the problems that come with technology, Phillips and Pauling provide their readers with hope and a way ahead to successfully deal with technological advances that easily overwhelm most of us.” — Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Alexander Braszko, Jr.

Also, here is the summary of the book by the publisher:

“As technology increasingly blurs the distinction between man and machine, new questions emerge about the future of religion, education, work, politics, and family life. Joshua Pauling (Education’s End) and Robin Phillips (Rediscovering the Goodness of God's Creation) respond to this profound confusion by articulating a vision for flourishing in the digital age rooted in the sacramental life of the Church and the rich tradition of liberal learning. The authors leave few stones unturned in detailing the pervasive and often detrimental effects of the indiscriminate use of technology. Far from connecting us, technology in its modern manifestations has instead contributed to isolation, ignorance, loss of imagination, sedentary habits, and poor critical thinking skills. The book offers a difficult but needed remedy to our current dilemma, by presenting a philosophy of technology anchored in Christian metaphysics, and by suggestion habits and practices that help us reclaim our humanity from the Machine.”

Family Update

Say a prayer for our family, especially my wife, as we will be expecting our 7th halfling in the next couple of weeks. Sarah and I both grew up with only one sibling and so we are always searching for answers on how to be godly parents of a large family. In other words, we cannot rely on our own experiences or acquired wisdom, “This is how mom and dad managed 7 of us kids growing up!” but instead, we must trust the Lord with everything, learn from other large families, and look to the saints (such as St. Olga of Alaska who bore thirteen children, eight survived to childhood).

Support The ‘Orthodox Inklings’

Deacon Nicolas Kotar is doing a kickstarter campaign for his new science fiction novel. He has written many novels and is raising funds for his newest one along with a new publishing company called “The Wood Between the Worlds,” which is a reference to C.S. Lewis’ Magician’s Nephew (A Prequel in The Chronicles of Narnia). I also hope to interview him soon so stayed tuned!

What is even more wonderful is that he (along with others) desire to raise up the next generation of Inklings through the St. Basil Writer’s Workshop (through St. Athanasius Orthodox College). So pray for him and consider supporting this amazing forward-thinking project!

House Churches & the Nature of 1st Century Worship

Finally, I did a short series of responses to the scholarship of Dr. Tom Wadsworth who advocates for quite a different understanding of ancient Christian worship than Orthodoxy or any of the ancient liturgical traditions (Latin, Greek, Syriac, etc.). If you enjoy this series below and would like more of them, consider supporting Barrel Aged Faith for only $5 a month.

Watch Part 1 Now

Watch Part 2 Now

Watch Part 3 Now

Have an amazing weekend and Happy Birthday Mary, Holy Theotokos! (September 8th is the Nativity of Holy Mary).

Be entirely His,

Kyle