Below is a curated and annotated sets of resources that would be valuable as starting points for engineers interested in exploring the intersection of faith and technology. This “Christian Engineer’s Bookshelf” includes ten influential books that the creators of the site believe are foundational to the understanding of engineering and technology from a Christian perspective. This collection includes resources that address foundational questions about the nature of technology (philosophy of technology), the nature of engineering, and the application of Christian values and ethical frameworks in guiding technological development.
| E. Brue, D. Schuurman, and S. VanderLeest, A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers, Chicago, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2024. | |
| This recent book provides wisdom and practical guidance for Christians studying and working in engineering, computer science, technical design, and related fields. It is a must-read introduction to reflecting carefully on engineering work from a Christian perspective. | |
| S. V. Monsma, Ed., Responsible Technology: A Christian Perspective, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman’s, 1986. | |
| This academic resource provides a foundation for developing a distinctively Christian on the influential role technology plays in our culture. A heavy read, but worth it for its interdisciplinary perspective and application to engineering design (particularly chapter 9, which introduces design norms). | |
| C. Mitcham, Thinking Through Technology: The Path between Engineering and Philosophy, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1994. | |
| This academic treatise is one of the few that addresses technology and engineering from a philosophical perspective. The holistic definitions of technology and engineering presented here are particularly insightful. His work is both abstract and practical. Although not written from an explicitly Christian perspective, the concepts are consistent with a Christian approach. | |
| A. Borgmann, Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life: A Philosophical Inquiry, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1984. | |
| In this scholarly work, the author uses philosophical and social analysis to identify patterns in technology development that induce negative influence on human flourishing. He suggests making room for “focal things” to prevent the “device paradigm” from having undue influence over our actions and relationships. Although written for a secular audience, the author’s Christian convictions are revealed in later publications. | |
| H. Petroski, To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design, New York: Vintage Books, 1992. | |
| This book is one of the most entertaining and well-written attempts to describe the nature of engineering practice. The examples illustrate how the drive to optimize for better performance naturally leads to situations where current analysis models fail to anticipate edge effects that can lead to disasters. | |
| J. Swearengen, Beyond Paradise: Technology and the Kingdom of God, Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2007. | |
| This book is an attempt to bring the resources of Scripture and the Christian tradition to bear on that evaluation of modern technological development. It aims to lay out a theology of technology that can help to assess the impacts of technology and steer it towards ends that are consistent with God’s purposes. While not a comprehensive analysis, it does prophetically point out the challenges generated by modern society’s often uncritical acceptance of the progress promised by science and technology. | |
| E. Schuurman, Technology and the Future: A Philosophical Challenge, Toronto, ON: Wedge Publishing Foundation, 1980. | |
| In this book, the author describes several secular approaches to technology before contrasting them with his own Christian approach. It is helpful to see the range of philosophical stances towards technology that are possible, along with a Christian critique. The treatment of technology is more abstract than practical. | |
| S. Florman, The Existential Pleasures of Engineering, New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 1996. | |
| This book (along with The Civilized Engineer and The Introspective Engineer) is intended to promote and describe engineering to the broader public. It celebrates technological progress and expresses enthusiasm for creativity and innovation. It provides motivation and encouragement for engineering work. | |
| A. Crouch, Culture-Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, Chicago, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2008. | |
| Although not focused directly on technology or engineering, this popular book provides encouragement for Christians to engage in the creative production of cultural artifacts (in addition to the critique of culture that comes more easily when we reflect on what we observe around us). The cultural mandate of Genesis is used as a rationale and the conclusions can be extended to technological creativity as well as cultural creativity. | |
| C. Perrow, Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999. | |
| This book is particularly valuable in identifying the risks that need to be managed in increasingly complex technological systems. He focuses not just on what conventional engineering approaches to safety might be helpful, but also on the societal responses that will be necessary to reduce the risk of catastrophe. Descriptions of accidents are used to highlight new challenges and inform the recommendations for dealing with them. | |