Book Review: From the Garden to the City

This book review was included in the May 2018 Meadowcroft Monthly. For an archive of all book reviews, click here.

If Andy Crouch’s book is the “practical” one on technology use, Jon Dyer provides the theological context (while both authors are both practical and theological) with From the Garden to the City. This book is one of Crouch’s main recommendations at the end of his book.

Dyer is not at all anti-technology, but he calls on Christians to be discerning as to how their technology is shaping them.

While we usually think of technology as the latest phone or gadget, Dyer points out that technology existed even in Biblical times, and that even this technology was shaping. For instance, he points out that one of John’s letters ends with the lament that he has much more to say, but would rather do it face to face. The medium of pen and paper, which is archaic to us, was actually quite transformative in how people interacted.

The reason we need to be discerning with technology, Dyer says, is that “today nearly every tool available to us enables us to perpetuate the myth that we can live apart from dependence upon God.”  This means that technology can be a great blessing, but we have to consistently fight the lie that our technology offers us independence from God.

From the Garden to the City will push you to consider technology’s shaping effect on your life, and help you to discern how to use it as a means to the end of walking with God and with other people.