What’s playing on St. Benedict’s iPod?

A Benedictine approach to technology

Several years ago, as I was preparing to enter the monastery, I asked my soonto-be novice master if I would be allowed to bring my laptop computer with me. He responded that the Rule says that every monk should have a stylus and writing tablet (cf. RB 55:19).

In so many ways, the world we live in today is very different than that of St. Benedict, who wrote his Rule for monks over 1,500 years ago. Technology has radically altered our landscape and our outlook on life. Yet, at the same time, our basic human nature remains the same. Our desire to communicate, to express ourselves to others, to preserve our thoughts in words, remains as strong today as it was in Benedict’s time.

Today we simply use computers to do so, rather than wax writing tablets. Benedict takes account of the fact that one culture’s way of doing things may be different than another’s, when he stresses on several occasions that “local conditions” should prevail over what is prescribed literally in the Rule.

On that account, computers and other modern pieces of technology—cell phones, iPods, PDAs and so forth—are not at all incompatible with Benedictine spirituality or the monastic life. The important thing is that we recognize them for what they are, and that we use them in a way that fulfills rather than contradicts the Gospel message.
The down side, however, of our culture’s rapid advance in technology is that we have become what might be described as a “throw-away” society. Household goods have become increasingly cheap — both in terms of cost and quality. This has conditioned us to think of many of the things we acquire as being disposable. It is often cheaper and easier to replace something than it is to make the effort to take care of it.

The more recent exponential growth in technology, especially in the area of computers and other electronic devices, has only worked to cement this attitude. To keep up with the latest technology, to be able to use the latest software and programs, we have come to expect that these will have to be replaced or updated at least every three to five years.
Although the progression of time has changed the types of goods that monks are accustomed to using—computers rather than styli and tablets—nevertheless, the proper attitude toward these goods, prescribed by St. Benedict, remains the same: “Whoever fails to keep the things belonging to the monastery clean or treats them carelessly should be reproved” (RB 32:4).

The monk is advised to “regard all utensils and goods of the monastery as sacred vessels of the altar, aware that nothing is to be neglected” (RB 31:10-11). To take care of what you have, to treat with loving care what has been put in your possession—this is another important lesson I learned from my novice master.

The purpose of such attitudes toward our tools and goods, whether they be shovels and hammers, styli and tablets, or computers and cell phones, is twofold. First of all, Benedict wants us to understand our tools and technology for what they are—not ends in themselves, but instruments for serving God, promoting the Gospel, strengthening the Church, building up our relationships and realizing communion with one another.

Second, the way we treat our possessions will ultimately be reflected in how we treat other people. If we see technology as just an efficient way to serve our own needs and gain an advantage over others, then the criterion for our personal relationships likely will be “what’s in it for me?”

If we acquire inexpensive and poorly made goods, if we mistake cheapness for value, if we view our possessions as short-term investments that will be disposed of quickly and take care of them accordingly, then we most likely will approach our personal relationships with a temporary outlook as well.

The assumption behind Benedict’s Rule is that our life in this world is a preparation for the eternal life that is to come. How we treat little things—our tools and goods, for instance—ultimately reveals to God our readiness for receiving bigger things, such as the love and trust that grows out of our committed relationships to one another, which are the prelude to our promised eternal life with Christ.

Questions for Reflection
1.    How much time do I spend on the computer every day? How much time do I spend conversing with others each day?
2.    Do I use my time on the computer or the cell phone to build relationships, or as a convenient way of avoiding a personal, face-to-face connection?
3.    Do I take care of my computer (and other electronic devices) and intentionally get as much use out of it as I can, or am I thinking about what my next one will be as I am taking my new one out of the box?
4.    What are some concrete ways that I can use computers and technology to spread the Gospel and build up the Church?

Br. Matthew Mattingly, OSB
Monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey
Benedictine Oblate, Winter 2010, Vol. 16:1

Tagged as: Meinrad, mobile devices, Oblates, spirituality