About What Engineers Can Learn from Wendell Berry
| Authors | Wyenberg, Danielle |
|---|---|
| Date | 2024 |
| Proceedings | Proceedings of the 2024 Christian Engineering Conference |
| URL | https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/christian_engineering_conference/2024/proceedings/27 |
Type: Conference Paper
Tags: Christian Engineering
Abstract
This paper explores how Wendell Berry’s agrarian philosophy offers valuable insights for Christian engineers seeking to practice responsible and holistic design. Berry’s writings emphasize themes of place, community, stewardship, and appropriate scale—concepts that challenge modern assumptions about technological progress and efficiency. Drawing from Berry’s essays, fiction, and poetry, the paper proposes “mad engineer” directives inspired by Berry’s manifesto: recognize and respect limits, count intangible costs and benefits, and love your place. These principles encourage engineers to slow down, consider the broader cultural and ecological context, and design technologies that promote human and environmental flourishing. Case studies, including TLUD cookstoves, Ford’s River Rouge rehabilitation, and solar grazing, illustrate practical applications of these ideas. By integrating Berry’s perspective, engineers can move beyond narrow technical goals toward a vocation rooted in stewardship, community, and creativity. Ultimately, the paper argues that engineering informed by Berry’s vision aligns with the Christian calling to cultivate and keep creation, offering a hopeful approach to technological development that seeks renewal and “practices resurrection.”