Tag Archives: technology

George Orwell’s Review of C.S. Lewis’ “That Hideous Strength” (Throwback Thursday)

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

At A Pilgrim in Narnia we have an occasional feature called “Throwback Thursday.” This is where I find a blog post from the past–raiding either my own blog-hoard or someone else’s–and throw it back out into the digital world. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Throwback Thursdays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 65 Comments

L.M. Montgomery, the Radio, and Nostalgia in the Podcast Age

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

This is a piece of writing I have been working on this spring. I even managed to pull in J.R.R. Tolkien on this reflection, and had to restrain myself there. The way writers of the post-WWI age both resisted technological … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian literature, L.M. Montgomery, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

On Being a Digital Leopard Frog, or Living Among the Digital Natives (Throwback Thursday)

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

This summer I introduced an occasional feature I call “Throwback Thursday.” This is where I find a blog post from the past–raiding either my own vault or someone else’s–and throw it back out into the digital world. This might be an … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays, Throwback Thursdays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A Call for a Silmarillion Talmud

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

Though we live in a digital age, we are sometimes artificially constrained by older technologies. Like modern cars and trains that are largely designed according to the size of Roman cart paths, our reading is still shaped by a time … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

Instructions for Avoiding God

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

On a global superpower scale, the 1960s were partially defined by the Space Race. In a strange twist on propaganda–or a poor twist in the tale–Lewis had heard that the Russians had announced that they had been to outer space … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

sabbath unplugged

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Author Doug Coupland argued that when we reach a certain level of technological connectivity we can’t go back. We are lost when we leave our cell phone at home. When we get our new Smart Phone platform or the latest … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

George Orwell’s Review of C.S. Lewis’ “That Hideous Strength”

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

This week we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the publication of That Hideous Strength (THS). While George Orwell’s 1984 is considered among the great 20th c. dystopian novels and C.S. Lewis’  THS is read mostly by fans of dystopia or of Lewis’ work, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 54 Comments

On Being a Digital Leopard Frog

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

Imagine digital technologies in the Reptile Room at your local zoo or aquarium. I think there are three types of technology creatures in our culture zoo. Technology Turtles are our reptilian luddites. They withdraw from technological advancements into their hard shells … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

You’re Not Special, Despite What The Lego Movie Tells You

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

It’s become a bit of a running joke among the youth and young adults I work with. Before speaking once, I was introduced like this: “This is Brenton Dickieson, and he’s going to tell us all why we aren’t special.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments