Digital screen technologies are playing an ever-increasingly present role in our lives and the lives of our students. While such technologies have many benefits, they also pose a number of significant challenges to the cultivation of spirituality. In this seminar, we will begin by considering some important truths about the nature of any technology. We then will examine three key aspects of cultivating a spiritual life that are uniquely challenged by digital screen technologies: solitude, contemplative silence, and engagement with reality. Finally, we will address a number of practical methods that we can use to help our students and ourselves navigate these challenges.
David Diener
Dr. David Diener began his formal post-secondary education at Wheaton College, where he graduated summa cum laude with an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Ancient Languages. A er pu ing his philosophical training to work by building custom cabinets and doing high-end nish carpentry for an Amish company, he moved with his wife to Bogotá, Colombia, where they served as missionaries for three years at a Christian international school. He then a ended graduate school at Indiana University, where he earned an MA in Philosophy, an MS in History and Philosophy of Education, and a dual PhD in Philosophy and Philosophy of Education. He has taught at The Stony Brook School on Long Island, served as Head of Upper Schools at Covenant Classical School in Fort Worth, TX, and currently is the Head of School at Grace Academy in Georgetown, TX. He also teaches philosophy courses for Taylor University as an Adjunct Professor. The Dieners have four wonderful children and are passionate about classical Christian education and the impact it can have on the church, our society, and the world.
