Computer Science: Christianity and Computing
The faculty at Calvin College regularly reflect on the integration of faith and learning, especially as they relate to computer science and information systems. Here are some essays, talks, and interviews from our own faculty as well as links to other related work.
Faculty Articles
- Joel Adams
- Pat Bailey
- Dynamic Link: Christian Perspectives on Software Development
- Victor Norman
- Harry Plantinga
- Derek C. Schuurman
- Technology and the Biblical Story, Pro Rege, September, 2017.
- Artificial Intelligence: Discerning a Christian Response, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, June 2019.
- Approaches to Christian Education: From Elusive Towards a Larger and Deeper Approach (with examples from Computer Science), Pro Rege, March 2016.
- Faith and Weapons of Math Destruction, Christian Scholar's Review blog, January 22, 2021.
- Connecting Bytes and Christian Beliefs, Christian Scholar's Review blog, Octember 7, 2020.
- Modern Devices and Ancient Disciplines, Faith Today, November/December 2017.
- Kuyper and Technology, or How a Voice From the Past Can Speak to our Digital Age, Christian Scholar's Review, Winter 2020.
- Introducing Open Source and the Raspberry Pi to Schools in Developing Nations, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, March 2015.
- various faith and tech articles published in Christian Scholars Review blog
- various faith and tech articles published in Christian Courier
- Keith VanderLinden
Faculty Talks and Interviews
- A conversation on computer science and faith, WeeklyTech podcast, February 8, 2021.
- Connecting Bytes and Beliefs, talk given for Passion Talks 2020, August 14, 2020.
- A Christian Perspective on AI, Automation and Technology, an interview with the Purpose Nation podcast, published August 2019.
- Psalm 8 and computers, Calvin College chapel service co-led with senior Computer Science students, April 1, 2019.
- A TV interview discussing Shaping a Digital World broadcast on 100 Huntley Street, October 29, 2014.
- The Challenge of Transhumanism, presented at the 2019 ASA Conference, Wheaton College, July 20, 2019.
- Artificial Intelligence: Discerning a Christian Response, CSCA 2018 conference talk, Trinity Western University, May 2018.
- A radio interview on "Karl and June" broadcast February 27, 2015 on Moody Radio in Chicago.
- An interview broadcast on January 31, 2014 on WORD FM in Pittsburgh.
- A radio interview broadcast on July 9, 2013 on WLQV Faith Talk 1500 in Detroit.
- Technology and the Biblical Story, talk given at the Redeemer Center for Faith and Work Conference, 2016.
- Technology and Liberalism, panel talk for the Faith and Democracy in America conference, Calvin College, December 6, 2018.
Books
- Derek C. Schuurman
- Shaping a Digital World: Faith, Culture and Computer Technology, InterVarsity Academic, 2013. See also Derek’s companion website for the book.
- A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers, InterVarsity Academic, 2022, with E.J. Brue and S. H. VanderLeest
- Quentin Schultze, Habits of the High-Tech Heart: Living Virtuously in the Information Age, Baker, 2004.
- Stephen V. Monsma (ed), Responsible Technology, William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1986.
- Matthew Dickerson, The Mind and the Machine: What It Means to Be Human and Why It Matters, Cascade Books, 2016.
- Craig Gay, Modern Technology and the Human Future, IVP Academic, 2018.
- Jacob Shatzer, Transhumanism and the Image of God, IVP Academic, 2018.
- Nicholas Carr, The Shallows, W.W. Norton & Company, 2010.
- Nicholas Carr, The Glass Cage, W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.
- Sherry Turkle, Reclaiming Converstaion, Penguin, 2016.
- Neil Postman, Technopoly, Vintage, 1993.
- George Grant, Technology & Justice, University of Notre Dame Press, 1986.
- Jacques Ellul, The Technological Society, Alfred A. Knopf Pub. Co., 1964.
Other Resources on Christianity and Computing
- Discerning the Body in Cyberspace: Jason Lanier, Merleau-Ponty, and the Norms of Embodiment, by Justin Bailey, in Christian Scholars Review (Spring 2016).
- The Fall 2015 issue of God and Nature magazine is devoted to the theme: Technology & the Church, and includes several interesting essays.
- James K.A. Smith, In the Beginning was Technology, The Banner, February 2016.
- Open Source Software and Christian Thought, by Karl-Dieter Crisman, from the Journal of the American Scientific Affliliation, (March 2015). This article includes many interesting quotes and has a particular rich bibliography.
- Introducing Open Source and the Raspberry Pi to Schools in Developing Nations, by Derek Schuurman, from the Journal of the American Scientific Affliliation, (March 2015).
- Outsourced Memory: Computers and Conversation, by Noreen Hertzfield, from the Journal of the American Scientific Affliliation, Sept 2013.
- The March 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Scientific Affliliation is devoted to the theme: Responsible Technology and Issues of Faith.
- The Feb 2012 issue of the Christian Educators Journal is devoted to the theme:The Impact of Social Media and Technology in Schools, featuring these articles among others:
- Technology Has a Message, by Derek Schuurman of Redeemer University College.
- Social Networking and the Spirits of the Age, by Robert Duiker, Principal of the Rocky Christian School.
- The December 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Scientific Affliliation is devoted to the theme: Information, Intelligence, and Origins, with several articles on genomic information.
- Artificial Intelligence and the Soul, by Russell C. Bjork of Gordon College, from the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation (June 2008); plus a letter of response from David F. Siemens Jr. in the following issue.
- Forming a Christian View of Computer Technology, by Derek Schuurman of Redeemer University College, from the ACMS Journal (2007).
- From Kim Kihlstrom of Westmont College:
- Object Information Repository in a Christian Theory of Technology, by Longy O. Anyanwu, of Trinity Christian College, from the ACMS Journal (2006).
- Computer Origins and the Defense of the Faith, by John Warwick Montgomery from the Journal of the American Scientific Affliliation (2004)
- Used Body For Sale (2003), by Eric Gossett of Bethel University (Minnesota).
- From Kevin Kelly (founding editor of Wired):
- How Computer Nerds Describe God (2002), from Christianity Today
- God Is the Machine (2002), from Wired
- Nerd Theology (1999) from Kevin Kelly’s website
- From the Donald Knuth:
- From Anne Foerst:
- Why Robots Are Scary — And Cool (2005)
- The God and Computers Project (1997-1999) at MIT.
- The Great Experimenter by James Morse, from the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation (1997)
- Computers and the Information Revolution by Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries (1997)
- Parables for Modern Academia (1996), by Loren and Debra Haarsma.
- The Assumptions of Computing (1994), by Jim Huggins of Kettering University.
- An Essay on Orthodox Faith and Programming (undated) from the Free Orthodox Software website.
- Ethics in Computer Science (undated), by J. Barry DeRoos of Messiah College.
- Christian Computing Magazine, a (now apparently defunct) magazine that explored how computing technology could enhance ministry.
- Deus Ex Machina, or The True Computerist (undated; early 1980s?), by Tom Pittman.
Less Serious Links
- Umberto Eco’s Mac is Catholic, DOS is Protestant Essay (1994)
- Joel Adams’ Response to Eco’s Essay (1994)
- Thomas Scoville’s article Martin Luther, meet Linus Torvalds (Nov 12, 1998)
- The C Bible
- In the Beginning…
- Ten Commandments of DOS
- If God were a Programmer
- If Religions Were Programming Languages
- The Twelve Bugs of Christmas
- How The Internet Came To Be
- The Y2K Psalm (undated, anonymous).
- Eugene Wallingford’s Parable of the OO Programmer (2012).