The Religion of Technology: The Divinity of Man And the Spirit of Invention - Softcover

Noble, David F

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140279164 ISBN 13: 9780140279160

Publisher: Penguin, 1999

Synopsis

Are religion and science really at war with one another? Not according to David F. Noble, who argues that the flourishing of both religion and technology today is nothing new but rather the continuation of a 1,000-year-old Western tradition.

"The Religion of Technology" demonstrates that modern man's enchantment with things technological was inspired by and grounded in religious expectations and the quest for transcendence and salvation. The two early impulses behind the urge to advance in science, he claims, are the conviction that apocalypse is imminent, and the belief that increasing human knowledge helps recover what was lost in Eden. Noble traces the history of these ideas by examining the imaginings of monks, explorers, magi, scientists, Freemasons, and engineers, from Sir Isaac Newton to Joseph Priestley to Wernher von Braun.

Noble suggests that the relationship between religion and technology has perhaps outlived its usefulness. Whereas it once aimed to promote human well-being, it has ultimately become a threat to our survival. Thus, with "The Religion of Technology," Noble aims to redirect our efforts toward more worldly and humane ends.

About this title

About the Author:

David W. Noble is professor of history and American studies at the University of Minnesota. He lives in St. Paul, MN.

From the Inside Flap:

nst the widely held belief that technology and religion are at war with each other, David F. Noble's groundbreaking book reveals the religious roots and spirit of Western technology.
        
It links the technological enthusiasms of the present day with the ancient and enduring Christian expectation of recovering humankind's lost divinity. Covering a period of a thousand years, Noble traces the evolution of the Western idea of technological development from the ninth century, when the useful arts became connected to the concept of redemption, up to the twentieth, when humans began to exercise God-like knowledge and powers.
        
Noble describes how technological advance accelerated at the very point when it was invested with spiritual significance. By examining the imaginings of monks, explorers, magi, scientists, Freemasons, and engineers, this historical account

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0140279164
• ISBN 13: 9780140279160
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288