Unfettered Hope.

Book Review

Dawn, Marva J. Unfettered Hope. A call to faithful living in an affluent society. Westminster John Knox Press. Louisville, London. 2003.
M.D.- a theologian and church musician. Ph.D in Ethics and the Scriptures- Notre Dame.

Comment. Henry
Marva speaks as a theologian and social critic to the technological milieu which is such a large part of our consumerist, affluent society. She presents a way in which we can remain true to our biblical values in this society and at the same time offer hope that our Christian faith offers.

We don’t realize how fettered we are by technology. E.g. The computer does not add as much to our lives as it controls our lives. An information glut (available on line) has the capacity to make us incapable of making decisions. The computer does not enhance education to the point we are led to believe it does. Technology contributes to loss of relationships.

Technology has removed tasks that were fundamental to building family (and other) relationships. The fireplace (wood burning stove) which created jobs for various members of the family has been replaced by electric (gas and oil) heat where no co-operative efforts are involved. Technology and its devices tend to replace or destroy opportunities to build relationships at all levels. This dilemma is called the “device paradigm”. (50) Consumerism feeds this paradigm. It has destroyed our work ethic and replaced it with “technological boredom”. (55) Some steps are outlined how we can escape technological bondage.

“Christianity provides focal concerns- for dealing with the – fetterings of our technologicalized, commidified milieu.” (76) These focal concerns are twofold, love god and love your neighbor. Are churches ready for this challenge? The loss of culture and community add to this challenge. Technology must be our servant rather than our master. The dangers of commodification are very real.

An exposition of the focal concerns is given. These concerns will provide an escape from death and despair which are brought on by endemic prevalence of meaninglessness.

The Ten Commandments are reviewed as a guide to living the “language of focal concerns”. (155) “The way forward is to give up on ourselves, to recognize how badly we fail, to acknowledge our guilt, and then, freed by unfettered hope of forgiveness and the promise of God’s new future (already begun), we rise from that death to ourselves into newness of life, filled with Joy and Hope and thereby equipped for devotion to loving God and the neighbor.” (192)