A Theology of Interconnectivity: Buber, Dialogue and Cyberspace Amanda Jane Moseley Submitted for the Award of Doctor of Philos
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A Theology of Interconnectivity: Buber, Dialogue and Cyberspace Amanda Jane Moseley Submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy School of European Culture and Languages University of Kent 2015 97, 393 words / 305 pages 1 Abstract: Relationships are a fundamental part of being human; they enable communication, a shared sense of belonging, and a means of building identity and social capital. However, the hallmarks of late modernity can be encapsulated by the themes of detraditionalisation, individualisation and globalisation, which have essentially challenged the mode and means of engaging in relationships. This thesis uses the theology of Martin Buber to demonstrate how his dialogical claims about relationships, namely the “I-It” and “I-Thou” model, can provide a new ethical dimension to communication in the technological era. This thesis argues that through co-creation in cyberspace there is a realisation of the need for a new theological understanding of interconnection. Theology can utilise the platform of technology to facilitate a re-connection in all spheres of relationality and, ultimately, to the Divine. This thesis will first outline the predicament for theology in late modernity. It will discuss how detraditionalisation has led to an emphasis on individual spirituality, as opposed to collective doctrinal beliefs. The global nature of cyberspace has facilitated the means to experiment with these alternative forms of spirituality, which has allowed theology to be commodified and has introduced a challenge to the dimension of relationships. Cyberspace presents a paradox for relationship: the medium transforms modes of relating because the self is re-configured through its contact with technology. This facilitates communication as the individual merges with the machine, resulting in models such as the cyborg. However, this can also be seen to erode the essence of humanity, as humans find themselves on the fringes of relationships. Their hybrid status means that they are no longer fully human or fully machine but become dominated by the latter. They exist on the boundary of both domains and cannot cultivate genuine relationships of the “Thou” variety. This leads to alienation from surroundings, community and the Divine. 2 Second, the thesis will discuss how Buber’s theology can be used to re-position relationships by providing a means to reflect on different aspects of dialogue and communication. By applying Buber’s dialectic to cyberspace it will be demonstrated how interconnectivity causes individuals to re-think the notion of self-in-relation. The three spheres of relationship which Buber identified: “man with nature, man with man, man with forms of the spirit” will be re-contextualised in cyberspace to show how the medium manifests both aspects of the dialectic but allows for a greater awareness of interconnection. Buber’s insistence on the centrality of creative dialogue provides a solution to overcome this dilemma by bringing awareness of the interconnectivity of the self to all aspects of creation. It is through informed use of the medium of cyberspace that humans can re-envisage relationships characterised by a more genuine ethical dimension. These “Thou” moments begin the process of redemption; each one is part of the relationship with the “eternal Thou” and has the potential to draw the Divine down into the encounter, to re-connect with creation. This thesis is arguing for a new theology of interconnectivity that is able to redeem the potentiality of cyberspace as a medium for genuine “Thou” relationality. 3 Contents Introduction: Mapping the Changing Nature of Theology in Late Modernity 7 Part 1: The Predicament of Cyberspace Chapter 1: The New Challenge of Late Modernity 36 Chapter 2: Theology, Cyberspace and the Paradox of Relationships 61 Part 2: Buber’s Theological Model Chapter 3: Re-thinking Buber for the Cyberspace Age 98 Chapter 4: Critical Perspectives on Buber’s Thought 131 Part 3: Engaging Buber’s Theology and Cyberspace Chapter 5: Alienation from the Environment: the ethics of gendered interconnectivity 166 Chapter 6: Alienation from the Other: the ethics of community 199 Chapter 7: Alienation from the Divine: the ethics of co-creation 239 Conclusion: Redemption of Relationships through Interconnected Co-creation 270 References 280 4 Acknowledgments First, my thanks go to my supervisor, Professor Jeremy Carrette, University of Kent, for having confidence in my project and my ability to actualise it. The engaging and challenging discussions that we have had, have allowed me to capture the form of this thesis and dialogue with it. Thank you also for allowing me to see that books can take you only so far and there is always a need for genuine dialogue! Second, my thanks go to everyone at the Rochester Grammar School, Kent; both staff and students, for their inspiration, support and continuous dialogue which has moulded my initial concept into a reality. Thank you also for providing me with time to complete this project. Third, to my family, and my husband Ralph. Buber said that dialogue can be without words; I could never communicate in speech what your support, patience and love has allowed me to achieve. Thank you for many fruitful dialogues which have informed, inspired and moulded my final thesis. 5 Technology changes people’s awareness of themselves, of one another, of their relationship with the world (Sherry Turkle, 2005, 19). 6 Introduction: Mapping the Changing nature of Theology in Late Modernity From its ancient origins…religion has been about binding relations, either among humans or between humans and gods, relations that have constituted the fabrics and textures, the links and connections, the contracts and covenants of religion (David Chidester, 2005, 75). The modern era saw a relationship develop between theology and technology. Innovations, such as the telegram, telephone, radio and television, began to alter the way that religion1 was received (cf Stewart Hoover2 (1998; 2006)), which, in turn, had implications for theology. Tensions between the two have arisen due to the way in which technology is often seen to replace or transform theology. The boundary between the sacred and the secular has become increasingly blurred as technology has been viewed almost as a god itself. Jennifer Cobb (1998, 44) observes “we live in a culture that worships at the altar of technology. We attribute God-like qualities to computers, assuming them to be all-knowing and all-powerful”. This negative view of technology predominates in theology, but this thesis seeks to offer a positive theology of technology through an understanding of the relational qualities and ethical forms of engagement. What this thesis seeks to stress is that there is a genuine, and often overlooked, positive side to the relationship between theology and technology in the world of cyberspace. It is also important to remember there have been positive aspects of technology before cyberspace. For example, throughout history individuals have shown that technology is not a threat to established theology, but a means of 1 Throughout this thesis I am predominantly concerned with the Judeo-Christian theological tradition, as opposed to religion in general, which is, in itself, a fluid and generalised concept. In most instances I imply theology as representative of the Judeo-Christian tradition. However, there are instances in the thesis where I refer to different ‘religious’ traditions (such as Hinduism), and also occasions where an author in the secondary material refers to religion in the generic sense. Thus all references to ‘religion’ in the text refer to these instances. Buber himself drew attention in his theology to the problematic connotations with the word ‘religion’ and favoured the concept of “religiosity”, which implied doing something active, over the latter, more static position. 2 Hoover has documented significant changes in religion in America, as it encounters various mediums, ranging from the radio and television to the Internet. In Mass Media Religion (1988), he acknowledges both the advantages of the new mediums for evangelising, but is also mindful of their shortcomings. In Religion in the Media Age (2006), Hoover broadens his scope to assess global implications of the media, focusing on how events such as 9/11 have been transformed by media technologies, which have altered how religions are received globally. 7 greater access and connectivity. The foundations of this thesis were instigated by reformers such as Martin Luther (1483-1546) in the 16th century. He utilised the newly available technology of the time: the printing press, to connect communities with each other. Luther opened a new path to the Divine through popular access to “the Word”, replacing the need for the church as intermediary between God and the people. Technology has been seen to empower the individual by taking authority and control away from institutions. This has produced a horizontal model of accessibility, connectivity and creativity; power in the hands of individuals, with opportunities to produce user-generated content3. Theology needs to, and is obliged to, embrace technology to cement its relevance in 21st century society. It cannot retreat from technology because it permeates all aspects of life and has become the central means of dialogue in late-modernity. Mia Lovheim and Gordon Lynch (2011, 115) acknowledge this when they argue that there is a symbiotic relationship, an “interplay”, between media and religion; they are both able to use each other for their own purposes. Religion has a new relationship with technology, a developing relationship which has become known as the “mediatisation of religion.”4 This is a term developed by Stig Hjavard (2011, 121) to explain the way in which the media is able to shape and influence political and social institutions. In his opinion the media are not external to society but part of its “very social fabric”. He, however, is not optimistic about the future of religion. He concludes that the mediatisation of religion will eventually lead to the secularisation of society.