"A Theological Analysis of Media and Culture through the Lens of Craft."
The people of God are marked by the vision of a coming Kingdom, one of everlasting life. This vision consists not ethereally like a dream state, but rather, embodied and holistic; people with redeemed physical, affective, and volitional capacities that are incapable of sin--going against the nature human existence. And yet, seemingly more often than not, our experience as Christians seem marked by the distinct removal of these ways that we engaging our faith. Understanding these changes are important, and there needs more thoughtful Christian response on them. Here, this article will seek to understand the beneficial qualities craft has for Christians living within mediated, American culture. In doing so, the paper will consider several things, them being: (1) a primer view on communication theory, (2) the culture and technology that consists mediated living and the problems thereof, (3) how the discipline of craft speak meaningful to these issues, and lastly (4) what that means for the Church. In discussing craft, I will be meaning the disciplines that are hands-on and have some creative and artistic qualities of them -- woodworking, leatherwork, textiles, pottery, etc. For this reason, sometimes these are called handicraft, but they are used here synonym of meaning.
First Words on Communication.
To begin with, I want to consider perhaps an unfamiliar way of looking at communication; a way that can account for more of the complexities that are present within daily living. Namely, I want to consider how communication involves more than only the message of what's being communicating, but also the way that the message is being communicated that speaks to certain things. Normally, one might not exactly consider pottery or woodwork to really communicate much, if anything. Here are two ways of thinking will help guide this article: form and function. Form can be understood as the way that things are, how they take shape, or process. Function, on the other hand, are the end purpose for something having been created (for more on that, read here). In this way, form might be understood analogously to medium (or technology). So that one communications scholar writes "the medium is the message" emphasizing that how one communicates (whether that be through book, video, image, etc.) also communicates a message. In some way, though, most people are aware of this from interpersonal communication. For example, how often has someone said "sorry" while showing no signs of remorse or penance; the way someone communicates affects what they communicate. Rather, maybe better put, they are more interwoven than people would like to imagine. Another scholar, Neil Postman, takes this further and notes that the source of truth, or epistemology, is found within the medium itself. That is, how people discern truth is shaped greatly by mediums of technology; from books to television screen, technology has a forcible effect on how the user engages content. For example, books include a method of engagement of linear, rational thought; where television relies on audio and images, which lie more within the realm of affection and appearance over rationality. In this way, because the medium or technology supposes a type of user-engagement, the medium speaks both to the nature of the message and the person. In the keystone communication book, Robert Fortner notes that all communications theory ultimately rest upon assumptions--and, not all these assumptions of communications are equally Christianly compatible. It's the hope of this article, therefore, that we can look more meaningfully and theologically at what mediated-living speaks about the lived human experience and the ways that craft speaks on these things.
Craft, Human Finiteness, and American Media.
In the opening narrative of Scripture, we see the God who creates things that are good and for the benefit of man (Genesis 1-2). Not only that, but God gives the humans purpose for keeping and tending the garden. Notice that these things are innately earthly, belonging to dirt and material from the ground -- of which, they too are formed. To be human, therefore, means to be finite, to have limitation. That is, the life that God gives humans are meant to be lived within the context that God gives them; keeping the garden and having symbolic authority over naming the animals. And although this mirrors the work of God, the two are not one the same. To be human rightly, then, means finding life by the context of God; He as the Creator and we as the created from His own likeness and image. As the beautiful hymn sings, "This is my Father's World". Further, too, does the Older and Newer Testament shed light on the theme that humanity exists within a specific framework of reality; dependent on the One who is greater than themselves. Psalm 100 compares God's covenant people to being like sheep with the obvious implication that we are not the Shepard nor the one that has brought the pastures be. This fact, so apparent for the ancient Jewish person, is why the Old Testament first-most considers a "fool" as being someone who denies God's own existence (Psalm 12:1) -- the very thing that should be most evident for humanity as created beings of God's world. Every year, when preparing for Easter, Christians remind themselves such truth by the marking of ash on the forehead and praying these words:
"Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life"
Therefore, with the foundation as people utterly depended on the Lord as the Shepard of our souls (1 Peter 2:25), I want to more thoroughly examine the ways that modern, American culture and technology undermine the our created reality; looking first at social media and then screened technology.
Social Media and Disembodied Reality.
As we have already set forth, at some length, a proper understanding of being human means we are created beings; unique from other creatures that we bear God's very image. With this, I argue that to live rightly one must live within the context that God has defined. I've also argued that everything communicates; not merely by content or function only, but also through form and medium. I would like to now argue that the technology biases of social media, how the user engages this technology, are destructive for right human living. That is, the biases of this media promote self-defining reality, primary through the means of expression and deliberation, which aim toward acceptance. Let's examine this by looking at Facebook and Instagram, two of more well popular and relevant mediums today. They are designed to be engaged with through posting and also receiving feedback (likes, thumbs-up, comments, etc.). The very nature of posting deems it expressive; whether that obvious or not. For example, even the picture of coffee being posted expresses certain values and judgments on the person; that they found that they found that image worth posting for others view. Social media engagement is also influenced around the notion feedback or reception. So much so that how one anticipates their post fairing changes how they post; whether that be the content of picture, or the actual time when they choose to post (for posts can "perform" better at certain times and days of the week, as one person reflects on). This to say, the feedback/reception feature of social media shapes user engagement around and for acceptance. After all, who doesn't want to be liked, loved, or laughed alongside with? So such things are inherit within the medium itself and are conducive to destructive consequences. Primarily, by (1) cultivating a false sense of self and (2) by the formative, time-addictive behavioral engagement they warrant. So first, they cultivate a false sense of self by assigning acceptance unto narrow form of self-expression -- taking the minutia of expression and conflating with acceptance of identity, rather then the embodied reality that God has spoken. This plays out a couple ways. One, people become less concerned about their lived experienced but how they can present it. Whether that be getting the "right angle" or hiking the mountain for the picture with little regard for actual nature. This also reinforces the centrality of externalities, such as physical appearance, are most important. And yet, the Bible speaks of Jesus as having "no beauty or majesty to attract us to him" (Isaiah 53:2). Many of us might cringe a little to find maybe Jesus looks more ordinary or average than we might normally consider. This might be symptomatic of the values of the culture we find ourselves immersed.
Flowing from this first point, then, are the ways that social media illicits addictive-like usage. Two articles are worth mentioning on this topic. First, from Forbes, and the secondly a peer reviewed study from Nottingham Trent University. These articles describe well the why's beyond how social media technology can be addictive and are worth reading. On actual quantity of usage, the New York Posts notes on average Americans check their smartphones every 12 minutes, or 80 times daily, and near one-third of users experience some form of separation anxiety apart from their phone. More than ever, we seem discomforted by our existence -- terrified by the finiteness that, until now, our culture and technology has taught us to ignore and reject. Perhaps this is why Twenty One Pilots writes, "sometimes quiet is violent" and "I have no distraction to mask what is real" finds such resonance with younger listeners (after all, that song has received nearly 200+ million views/listens on YouTube and Spotify). The person who has not reckoned their own created finiteness will necessarily construct a false sense of self and reality. And when those things (social media) are not present to reinforce that false construct, quiet becomes violent.
Artificial Reality and American Rest.
The second way that American, modern living has removed grasp of our own created existence/finiteness has been through the increase of artificial environments. By that, I mean, we are no longer bound to living-relationship with the natural world. Except for the most extreme cases like fires and flooding, we attend to life removed from the rhythms, markers, and seasons of the natural. In understanding ourselves rightly, though, as created beings, we can not remove ourselves from the world God created. In Genesis, we learn that God creates lights "to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years" (1:14). For the Hebrew people, this had great significance beyond mere knowledge of creation, but a means by which God orders meaning to His people through religious festivals and feast. It's why, reflecting on such truth, David can write:
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3-4 ESV
Because God has chosen the created, natural world for engaging His people, there's reason for praise. Even for Christians, there exists many connections to such feast ordered by the seasons. In what ways do Americans lived removed from the material, outdoor world? There are many, and many of them are for good reasons; like heating and cooing, running water, and electricity. These allow us to enjoy quality of life that much of the world does not have and we ought be grateful and humbled. Though, to use a botanical metaphor, and outdated pop-cultural reference, every rose has its thorn. Particularly, that technology of screens and the entertainment culture of America has effects on habits of sleep and rest. By that, I would like to pose that people today spend more time staying up later hours because of digital technology that is both stimulating and not very satisfying. The Atlantic has written both on the prevalent use of television and the user behavioral patterns of social media engagement that is likened to those of slot machines. These are both worthing reading, especially the latter one, as they offer more parsed detail than capable of this article. As we become a more screened culture, we loose engagement with how the natural informs our human existence; no longer does the rising and lowering of the sun affect our times of rest and sleep. To the detriment of health, people will spend more time, doing more things, longer into the night. In American culture, though, this extends beyond entertainment but effects work and academics. Always tired, always doing more; seems our ethos of attending life. While there are systemic and economic reasons for such reality, they communicate deeply flawed things about humanity (for how systems and culture as communicates, you'll want familiarize yourself remove ourselves from the the created world, the more we lean away from things that speak to our own created existence. Rather than submitting to the way of God's designs (say, like sleeping as one ought), we more easily define our own ways of attending reality (i.e, spending one more hour on the cell-phone before bed, making the choice to be tired the next day). To the extent that we do some of these things, we effectively are saying that my body has no bearings on my choices and reality. Externalized, this conviction is known as dualism or gnosticism, a ten-cent theological word and heresy that this article unpacks well. However, we are not the creator of our own reality, but rather, inheritors and those dependent upon God. Perhaps that's why Jesus teaches His disciples to pray for to the Father for "daily bread", for they--as are we-- daily to remember that their substance depends ultimately on God's hand of providence.
Craft as Remedial to Mediated Culture.
For a couple reasons, craft exist ideally to engage with the technological and cultural dilemmas we have raised thus far. First, craft is both attainable and achievable. This is important, because the the implication of this essay are not the removal from society or to somehow move backwards. A working Christian theology dictates that we should be engaging life with non-believers (See Matthew 5:14-16). Rather, we want to ask ourselves how we can engage current-advancements without masking the core of our created reality. In particular, there are three ways that I believe craft fosters remedial qualities for the modern, mediated person. These are: connection to the material, necessity of time, and healthy creative expression.
Material
The first distinguisher of craft is that there is a strong connection with the materials being used -- rather than a concealment or ambiguity of where our things come from. Take, for example, the particular instance of ordering a new, hardback Bible as I have a few weeks ago. The cover, which although plain, seemed functional enough. Though only a couple weeks later started ripping from binding. While the quality was apparently sub-par, even beyond the quality there was nothing about the cover that I could identity as having some inherit meaning or that even someone had made it. In likelihood, there were probably a machine manufacturing this, but there's no way for me a consumer to ascertain any of that. Apparently, information like that does not matter; or rather, there exist a way of thinking, a plausibility structure, of our culture that tells us where things are sourced and how they are made does not really matter. We are functionally illiterate when it come these matters. Craft, then, has the ability to remind us of the value of the world that God has called "good." Because craft relates closely with the materials being used, they remind us of that value they have; that they are not disposable. In the example of the Bible, again, I decided a new cover was of order and remade one according to size with repurposed leather. Now, when I open this Bible up, I am aware of the material that was needed for such a project; I am aware that at some point an animal was killed first to make this and should be grateful. It be reason for awe of all the miraculous inventions and advancements that we do have. In this way, craft helps enlarge our awareness of the natural world around us and give better understanding for the things that we don't otherwise notice -- in this case, the cover to a Bible. Material awareness also helps people approach consumerism with greater aptitude. In a fascinating essay-turned-book, Matthew B. Crawford, a senior fellow at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, makes the following point:
Being able to think materially about material goods, hence critically, gives one some independence from the manipulations of marketing, which typically divert attention from what a thing is to a back-story intimated through associations, the point of which is to exaggerate minor differences between brands. Knowing the production narrative, or at least being able to plausibly imagine it, renders the social narrative of the advertisement less potent.
The craftsperson also can imagine better the ways that systems can have ethical and moral repercussions; for they will have greater awareness of where and how things are made.
Time
Secondly, craft has the wonderful virtue of being processes-oriented; that is, needing of time and often times inconvenient by consumeristic norms of attending life. After all, no-one decides to build a kitchen table for saving time or money. They go to Walmart or Ikea for that. However, the craftsperson recognizes that value does not lie solely with the end result, but also the process and time needed for making a project. This is what the great Jewish author, Abraham Joshua Heschel, considers as the time-space divide, noting that many people today are primary space-oriented. On the topic, he writes:
"Unlike the space-minded man to whom time is unvaried, iterative, homogeneous, to whom all hours are alike, qualities, empty shells, the Bible senses the diversified character of time" (p8)
In this way, craft underscores the value of time because craft embodies process -- no two projects, of the same thing, are exactly alike in that someone is every exactly the same at two different moments. Where one is space-dominated, the process is a hindrance and something to be exploited. However, craft holds value not despite process, but rather through process. This is evident by the many shop-class projects that hang around the home many years after their making--that, even though they may not fit the decor or have nicks-and-dings, they reflect the value of process and the many memories that have since accumulated with the piece.
Creativity Expression
Lastly, I want to posit the creativity of craft as having positive benefits for those engaging them. Specifically, the creative element associated with the making process as being healthy as contrasted with many negative traits associated with excessive screened media for expression that we've discussed earlier. Unlike social media, craft does not have the biases of being self-centric. Rather, the creativity and expression of craft--that produces a tangible product--has a healthy distinction between expression and identity. Several studies have shown that knitting has been beneficial for psychological benefits including certain anxiety disorders. In analyzing such things, this article connects craft with similar patterns to certain forms therapy, like diversion and skills-equipping. The Foundation for Art and Healing, noting the growing health problem of loneliness that 33% of adults face, has created the UnLonely Project , which sees the value that creative, artistic expression on the health of people and seeks to equip people in such ways.
Craft and the Church.
By now, we have both looked at the media and culture of mediated life, and three ways that craft speaks on the topic. Now, I want to turn attention to how craft can serve as meaningful for the Church, the Body of Christ. I believe there are two large ways this happens: first, through meaningful engagement with our humanity, and secondly, through opportunity for relationships and shared community.
Context for Spiritual Disciplines
In a wonderful article on the human body and spiritual growth, or becoming like Jesus, Dallas Willard writes:
"On the other hand, if the body is simply beyond redemption, then ordinary life is too. Many Christians seem prepared to accept this--at least in practice. But then "spiritual formation" really becomes impossible. That would be a defeat of major proportions for Christ's cause, and could never be reconciled with the call to godly living that both permeates the Bible from end to end and resonates with the deep-seated human need to live as one ought."
Wether intentional or not of Churches, this rings true for many people's experience. People are often taught great truth and application from Scripture, but there seems much less opportunity for such engaging the transforming work of Jesus in more tangible, human ways. We begin that work does really matter, outside of earning a wage or having an opportunity for sharing the good news of Jesus (although, both good inclinations). But this way of thinking, one that undermines the humanity of our lived experience, has problems from the Christian standpoint. First, we no longer have something holistically meaningful to offer people; i.e, that Jesus came to save all of us, not only the soul, but the body also through resurrection. We do good to remember that Jesus, without sin, had a human body in every way like ours but without sin. Even now, as raised and glorified, Jesus has a body. Our quest to becoming like Jesus, then, means becoming like His true humanity--which, we do always and through grace. For more on this, the Dallas Willard article at the beginning of this heading explains really well. A reintroduction into the arts and crafts would help the Church have a meaningful way for engaging their humanness in spiritual growth. For example, one supplements mere hearing or exhortation on patience with the opportunity for practicing patience because the skills of craft require it. James K. A. Smith, professor of philosophy at Calvin College, calls this the power of habit and gift of practices, which he means to show that discipleship has active involvement with changing habits to become more like Christ. In this way, humans are often defined more by what they love (and what they love ultimately, they worship) than even what they know. Perhaps this is why ancient Israel would say these same words daily, known as the Shema:
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might..."
Deeper than just memorizing the words, there's something formative happen when one reminds themselves of this about God (something New Testament author Scott McNight, has written popularly on). In this way, craft can act as an opportunity by which people engage their humanity in becoming more like Jesus.
Context for Community and Discipleship
In addition, craft acts as an ideal means for fostering community and discipleship--growing together in becoming like Jesus. One, because Christians have long understood the value of art and creativity. So, where craft can be a singular activity, there also exists great opportunity for meaningful community. This especially for the cross-generational nature that craft fosters. By that, I mean the nature of craft permeates well through experiential knowledge over theoretical knowledge; cultivated more through showing than merely telling. In this way, the practice of takes more time and is more ritual than transmission. That's why craft is advantageous for community. It offers an opportunity for learning together and with someone, more than an instructional manual or video could give. It also offers holistic expression of discipleship that the church needs and often lacks. Through the process of craft, one not only learns a certain skill but they become like the person they are learning from--whether explicitly or implicitly. For this reason, the crafts are especially poised for offering meaningful discipleship that might otherwise not be possible. Someone that might not be open to "discipleship" may find the benefits of a mentorship through learning a discipline like woodworking or stonework.
Final Words...
By now, I have hoped to have accomplished two ends. First, showing how the ways that technology of American culture engages people are often problematic. They reduce what Dallas Willard calls living "according to our kind." The reality that humans are created beings, meant for relational context with God. I note that many of the technologies we engage today are harmful to healthy human living. I then demonstrate three ways that craft speaks meaningfully on living within a mediated culture. Lastly, I look at how craft is especially suited for the benefit of the Church; through offering meaningful ways for engaging our humanity and the cultivation of community and discipleship-relationships. This should give us an awakened desire not only for seeing the ways that technology and culture effects us today, but leaning into the desire of becoming more like Jesus through the creative disciplines of craft.