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Philosophical and Theological Contributions by Romano Guardini and Jacques Ellul to the Understanding of Technological Power

Growing reliance upon technology as a source of power permeates practically all areas of human life and activity. Many Christian theologians and philosophers have dedicated themselves to reflecting upon technological power, which man has failed to manage responsibly for his own good and that of nature. This article attempts to present congruities between philosophical and theological reflections of two authors, one Catholic, Romano Guardini, and the other Protestant, Jacques Ellul, on understanding technological power. The article is divided into four parts. In the first part, there is a brief discussion of the technological and social situation after the Second Word War. Both authors base their reflections upon the assumption that God has been ejected from public and cultural life. Such a situation has resulted from the dominance of technology, whose key feature is ambiguity. The second part deals with a new dimension that the authors note in the approach to technological reality, its sacralisation that leads to the desacralisation of nature and the instrumentalization of the person. The third part deals with possible solutions for ensuring human survival in the struggle with technological power. Guardini finds a possible way out in the ethical power of humility and service, while Ellul stresses the theological ethic of nonpower as free renun ciation of the use of power. In the fourth part, the reception of the authors’ theological ideas on the magisterium of Popes Benedict XVI and Francis is examined, with focus on two of their documents that explicitly deal with the subject of technological power. While one emphasizes the ambivalence toward technology, the other reflects on the logic of the technocratic paradigm.

technological power ; theological ethics ; modern ; religious element ; profanity

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