The Body & Technology, Pt 1: The Material & Communal Life of the Church

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Humans are both material and spiritual beings; while man is created as a concrete image of God in physical form, he is still able to participate in the spiritual life of God. Orthodox praxis stems from this principle and in spite of its spiritual emphasis, is markedly tangible. The Divine Liturgy, for example, is a feast for the senses: parishioners bow and cross themselves; incense permeates the air; holy food and drink is given; icons, architecture and the intercessory movement of priests can be seen; and hymns and prayers continue without cease. 

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In addition to being a tangible event, the Divine Liturgy is communal as well. The priest entreats God together with the parishioners, gathered in a single place and moment in time. They join together in processions, in lighting candles, in partaking of the Holy Mysteries and joining together in song. They are surrounded by the icons of the saints who are joining in heaven's liturgy as they are on earth. Each aspect of liturgy involves a deeply interpersonal bond between those participating that resonates in both physical and spiritual forms simultaneously, thus forming the Body of Christ. It is here we see an image of the Trinitarian God, for while the parishioners are distinct persons, they are united together in will and purpose. Or rather, the Interpersonal God has granted human beings the same possibility for interpersonal communion and mutual blessing that He has in Himself between Father, Son and Holy Spirit, though to a lesser degree of perfection.

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Here, even by general contrast, we can see a sharp difference between full interpersonal communion found in the material and communal life of the Church and that achieved through the use of technology, either by social media or various other devices. However, to more thoroughly assess the problems of interpersonal connection through technology, it is helpful to form some basic sketches of three related concepts: spatiality, technology and selfhood. The next three posts will explore these concepts, beginning with spatiality.