EMQ » April–June 2021 » Volume 57 Issue 2
By David I. Smith, Kara Sevensma, Marjorie Terpstra, and Steven McMullen
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2020
348 pages
US$29.99
Reviewed by Daniel Topf (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary), regional mobilizer with World Team in Los Angeles, California.
Likely in allusion to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s (1906–1945) reflections on doing “life together,” Digital Life Together “presents a wide range of research findings about how faith, technology, and learning are interacting in Christian schools” (1) from pre-COVID-19 days. This volume addresses an important topic, considering that young people are increasingly engaging with technology, both in their free time and in educational settings. In such an environment, teachers and parents may be wondering what happens to students when they have their own laptops and access to the internet while in the classroom.
The authors collected the empirical data at three different sites: a pre-K–12 Christian school system called Modern Christian Schools (a pseudonym), a second Christian school that is relatively new to utilizing one-to-one technology, and a Christian liberal arts college, which includes alumni of the two mentioned schools. The data was gathered through a considerable research effort, such as classroom observations, surveys, focus groups, case studies, and the close analysis of hundreds of electronic files provided by the schools.
Digital Life Together consists of thirty-nine relatively short chapters, which are arranged into five parts, namely mission, teaching and learning, discernment, formation, and community. These five themes encompass the main concerns under discussion, considering that the authors’ aim is to “examine how technological change is affecting the schools’ understanding of their mission, the processes of teaching and learning, the effort to teach Christian discernment, the formation of students, and the nature of the learning community” (8).
The theological orientation of the study is shaped by the Reformed tradition. Three of the four contributors are professors at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, an institution that is well-known for emphasizing the integration of faith and learning. A Reformed vision for education also characterizes the institutions that were researched for this study; Modern Christian Schools, for instance, believe that “forging ahead with digital technology would support the Kuyperian emphasis on Christians contributing to and transforming the wider culture” (34).
The authors readily acknowledge that their volume does “not set forth clear-cut, universal solutions,” neither does it pursue questions “about whether learning with digital tools has increased academic performance” (8, 20). Instead, Digital Life Together “looks for fruitful questions, fresh possibilities, and wise strategies for action,” focusing “on how technological change interacts with the faith commitments of a Christian school system” (8, 36). As such, this publication is principally of interest for administrators and teachers, as well as for parents and students who are interested in the intersection of education, theology, and technology. The book primarily presents findings based on empirical data, inviting the reader to reflect on a variety of thought-provoking issues; however, it does not necessarily provide answers to these questions. For those seeking concrete suggestions related to technology and its implications for Christians, several other publications may be helpful, as also indicated below.
For Further Reading
Crouch, Andy. The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2017.
Lowe, Stephen D., and Mary E. Lowe. Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth Through Online Education. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2018.
Ward, Frances. Full of Character: A Christian Approach to Education for the Digital Age. London: Jessica Kingsley, 2019.
