Durham E-Theses The Gift of Creativity: An Approach to a Theology of Technology LUNN, DAVID How to cite: LUNN, DAVID (2015) The Gift of Creativity: An Approach to a Theology of Technology, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11083/ Use policy This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY) Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk The Gift of Creativity: An Approach to a Theology of Technology David Lunn Thesis submitted for the award of the degree of Master of Letters Department of Theology and Religion University of Durham 2015 Table of Contents List of Illustrations ........................................................................ ............. ......... 6-7 Acknowledgements and Dedication .............................................. ............. ......... 8 Chapter 1: Creativity, Technology, and Theology ........................ ............. ......... 9-31 1.1 Ubiquitous Technology ...................................................... ............. 9 1.2 Creativity in Aviation Technology ..................................... ............. 11 1.2.1 Moments of Inspirations ............................................. ............. 12 1.2.2 Creativity as Delight and Fascination ......................... ............. 14 1.2.3 Creativity in Production .............................................. ............. 17 1.2.4 Creativity dealing with reality .................................... ............. 19 1.2.5 Creativity through Teamwork..................................... ............. 21 1.2.6 Creativity as innovation .............................................. ............. 22 1.2.7 Creativity as Problem solving ..................................... ............. 24 1.2.8 Building on the work of others ................................... ............. 26 1.2.9 Creativity is taken for granted .................................... ............. 28 1.3 Summary and moving forward ........................................... ............. 29 Chapter 2: Mapping the relationship between Theology and Technology . ......... 32-57 2.1 Mapping through Philosophy ............................................. ............. 32 2.2 Mapping using a Theology and Science Model ................. ............. 35 2.3 Mapping using Niebuhr’s ‘Christianity and Culture’ Model ........... 37 2.4 Christ against culture .......................................................... ............. 37 2.4.1 George Blair - Technology as alien to Faith ............... ............. 37 2.4.2 Jacques Ellul - Technique and Faith in confusion ...... ............. 39 2.5 The Christ of culture ........................................................... ............. 41 2.5.1 Wilhelm Fudpucker – Technology bringing in the Kingdom of God ....... ............. 42 2.5.2 Charles Coulson – True dignity achieved by Faith and Technology ... ............. 44 2.5.3 Philip Hefner – The Seamless Robe of Evolution, Faith, and Technology ..................... ............. 46 2.6 Christ above culture ............................................................ ............. 48 2.6.1 Terry Tekippe – Technological confusion needs divine wisdom ..... ............. 48 2.7 Christ and culture in paradox ............................................. ............. 50 2.7.1 André Malet - Technology and Faith living in separate compartments ............................ ............. 50 2.8 Christ the transformer of culture ........................................ ............. 52 2 2.8.1 Egbert Schuurman – Technology in need of sanctified motivation ........ ............. 52 2.9 Conclusions. ....................................................................... ............. 54 Chapter 3: Creativity ..................................................................... ............. ......... 58-85 3.1 Language and Communication ........................................... ............. 59 3.2 Language and Creativity .................................................... ............. 62 3.3 Creative People are not Unique .......................................... ............. 64 3.4 Creativity is not the Preserve of the ‘Arts’ ......................... ............. 68 3.5 Progress in Science and Technology .................................. ............. 71 3.6 Creativity in Science .......................................................... ............. 74 3.7 Imagination ......................................................................... ............. 78 3.8 Summary ............................................................................ ............. 84 Chapter 4: Creation, Creativity, and the Image of God ................ ............. ......... 86-114 4.1 The Place and Use of the Bible .......................................... ............. 86 4.2 First Creation Narrative in Genesis .................................... ............. 91 4.3 Creation of Humankind in the Image of God ..................... ............. 95 4.4 The Garden of Eden ........................................................... ............. 101 4.5 Beyond Eden ...................................................................... ............. 105 4.6 Broadening the Understanding of the Image ...................... ............. 106 4.7 God, Creation and Christian Theology ............................... ............. 108 4.8 Summary ............................................................................ ............. 114 Chapter 5: Creativity’s Dark Side ................................................. ............. ......... 115-135 5.1 Process ............................................................................... ............. 116 5.2 Product ............................................................................... ............. 118 5.3 Person ............................................................................... ............. 123 5.4 Press ............................................................................... ............. 125 5.4.1 R101 Airship Disaster................................................. ............. 126 5.4.2 Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster .............................. ............. 129 5.4.3 The Result of External Pressure ................................. ............. 134 5.5 Summary ............................................................................ ............. 134 3 Chapter 6: The City ....................................................................... ............. ......... 136-159 6.1 Paleolithic beginnings ........................................................ ............. 136 6.2 Neolithic developments ...................................................... ............. 140 6.3 Cities and City States ......................................................... ............. 142 6.4 Seeking a scientific theory of Cities ................................... ............. 144 5.5 Cities and God .................................................................... ............. 148 6.5.1 Revelation’s Surprise .................................................. ............. 148 6.5.2 The beginning of Cities in the Bible ........................... ............. 150 6.5.3 Urbanisation and Judgement....................................... ............. 155 6.6 Conclusion .......................................................................... ............. 158 Chapter 7: Divine and Human Creativity...................................... ............. ......... 160-186 7.1 To be human is to be creative ............................................. ............. 160 7.2 Technology is the modern human environment ................. ............. 165 7.3 The Christian roots of modern Technology ....................... ............. 166 7.4 The Reformation and Technology ...................................... ............. 169 7.5 The Development of this-worldly Goals ............................ ............. 171 7.6 Technological Systems ....................................................... ............. 173 7.7 Creativity and monolithic Technology ............................... ............. 174 7.8 The Domination of Nature ................................................. ............. 176 7.9 God and Violence in Creation ............................................ ............. 177 7.10 Does God enjoy Violence? ............................................... ............. 179 7.11 God’s apparent ambiguity towards Creation .................... ............. 182 7.12 The Image of God as a paradigm to direct Technology ... ............. 184 Chapter 8: The Purposes of God ................................................... ............. ......... 187-209 8.1 Human Beings are not the ultimate goal of God’s creativity. .......... 188 8.2 Space for creativity ............................................................. ............. 190 8.3 God’s risk in creation ......................................................... ............. 193 8.4 God’s New Creation ........................................................... ............. 196 8.4.1 God’s decisive action .................................................. ............. 196 8.4.2 The Historical Bodily Resurrection of Jesus .............. ............. 198 8.4.3 The Resurrection to come in God’s New Creation ..... ............. 199 8.4.4 Preparing