Adam Copeland, a professor and student of religion, relates smartphones to John Calvin, Martin Luther, and asks if they help or hinder our faith in a post on his blog, titled “Pastor, Bless My iPhone”.
From the post:
When it comes to theology and that tricky word “sin,” often defined as the things that separate us from God, I admit that my beloved iPhone and MacBook tempt me to accept false promises, misplaced attachments, and confused praise. As theologian John Calvin put it, our nature is “a perpetual factory of idols.” Calvin didn’t write it “i-dols,” but we might.
Copeland ends the piece noting that his technological tools are his primary tools for expressing his faith, and calls for pastors to include them in their blessings, invoking Martin Luther’s concept of tools that we can use to share God’s love with our neighbors.
You can read the rest of the piece on his blog.
David Henson, an ordained Episcopal Priest and journalist, has a slightly different take on the Apple iPhone. He has collected his most humorous autocorrect modifications to the words “Episcopal” and “Episcopalian”; highlights include “Ask Italians” and “Basketball Church”. You can read his humor piece on Patheos.