Reforming the Religion of Tech: A Conversation with Greg Epstein

Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein believes today’s technology has overtaken religion as the chief influence on twenty-first-century life and community. In his new book, Tech Agnostic, Epstein explores what it means to be a critical thinker with respect to this new faith and the importance of reclaiming our common humanity beyond the seductive sheen of “tech.” Tech agnosticism—not worship—should be our approach.

In this conversation, Wayfare editor Zachary Davis and Epstein will explore some of the following questions:

• What is a religion and why does tech appear now to be our dominant one?

• Who profits from an uncritical faith in technology?

• How can we reform technology’s problems while retaining its benefits?

• What might tech agnosticism look like in practice?

Greg M. Epstein serves as Humanist Chaplain at Harvard & MIT, where he advises students, faculty, and staff members on ethical and existential concerns from a humanist perspective. He was TechCrunch’s first “ethicist in residence” and has been called “a symbol of the transition in how Americans relate to organized religion” (The Conversation). He is the author of the New York Times-bestselling book Good Without God and has also written for MIT Technology Review, CNN.com, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and Newsweek.

Zachary Davis is the Executive Director of Faith Matters and the Editor of Wayfare Magazine. He is also the founder and principal of Lyceum, an educational media studio, and the host and executive producer of the podcasts Writ Large, Ministry of Ideas, Making Meaning and Illuminations. He lives in Somerville, Massachusetts with his wife, Mariya and their three children.