Understanding Our Current Cultural Moment: Two Book Reviews on Unmediated Interpersonal Communication for Cultural Renewal

I'd like to recommend two books for understanding our current cultural moment. They're not new, but if you haven't read them, push them to the top of your list. The first is Technopoly by Neil Postman, and the second is The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist. Postman looks at the unpredictable effects of technology on society. McGilchrist begins with deep research into the neurological functions of the human brain and then compares his findings with the character of many cultures throughout history.

Among the many things these books have in common is their conclusion that for a culture to be healthy, interpersonal communications must be direct, honest and compassionate. The more media or technologies come between people, the more troubled a society becomes—less personal, less humane.

What we commonly call "culture" may become a thing of the past if face-to-face communications are lost. So the appeal I'm about to make stands on doubly shaky ground. I'm sending it as an email (rather than putting pen to paper or making a visit), and I'm asking your support for a face-to-face community which might not be your community.

We have a pile of ambiguities here: the war of print with electronic media, the instantaneous availability of images and information, the misuse of words like virtual, friend or society.

These are ambiguities which can and should be discussed. And this is where the Eighth Day Institute most proves its necessity. Our mission requires both maintaining a local community and seeking to foster community in faraway places through as many means as possible.

If you come to our events, you'll find discussions, friendships, and a genuine society. If you are an online subscriber, our hope is that you find fuel for your own, local fire.

I teach high school, and one of my favorite parts of the job is that I give a half-hour lecture every Wednesday morning on any topic. I like series, so for the first two months of this school year, I spoke about definitions of what it means to be human from around the world. For these talks, I was able to draw from the writings of Church Fathers and on discussions I've had with other EDI patrons.

For the second two months, I'm taking over-used, under-considered phrases like "science and technology" or "sanity" and giving an extended etymology for them. This week, the phrase was "social media." Socius: ally or companion; Medius: between or middle. "Social Media" has only been in use since 2008. But it's now ubiquitous. So ubiquitous, in fact, that we rarely consider that the phrase is an oxymoron.

Socius, associate, social—these words refer to intimate community and interdependence. Medius, medium, mediator—these words describe what comes between people or things. In other words, a true society needs no outside media. Yet who considers that every online encounter involves a host of corporations, advertisers, psychologists, designers—all mediating our communications?

If a complete break with technology is not possible, a decisive down-sizing is. We need a re-directing of our attention and energy toward what makes for stable, peaceful culture. Neil Postman and Iain McGilchrist understand this too well. Saints and Fathers of the ages encourage us to slow down, breathe, study, and share our lives with each other, unmediated.

Likewise, EDI is working to lessen the Medius and increase the Socius, wherever and whenever we can. Consider joining the EDI community and help us spread the word!

*Joshua Alan Sturgill, M.Div., M.A. has worked with Eighth Day Books and the bookstore community for more than twenty years. He is a member of St. George Orthodox Cathedral, and currently teaches philosophy and literature at Northfield School in Wichita, KS. Frequent travels for Eighth Day take him to conferences and workshops nationwide. Joshua is the author of two poetry volumes, most recently Now A Major Motion Picture, published by Darkly Bright Press. He holds a masters in divinity from Sangre de Cristo Seminary, and a master of arts in Far Eastern classics from St. John's College, Santa Fe. Joshua was a founding member of the Eighth Day Institute, serving as its first board vice president. Among his many hopes for EDI is the formation of a catechetical academy, where students (young and old) can come together for extended periods of study and conversation.