As emerging technologies continue to shape various aspects of human life, a new open-access book explores a critical question: How is technology transforming our experience of the Sacred?
Published by Springer with support from the Fetzer Institute, the open-access eBook Redefining Spiritual Spaces in the Age of Technology: Innovations and Pitfalls explores that question with nuance, curiosity, and practical insight. Co-edited by Xiaoan Li and Michelle A. Scheidt of the Fetzer Institute alongside Stacey K. Guenther of George Mason University, this volume brings together expert scholars and practitioners who are mapping a rapidly evolving spiritual landscape shaped by digital life.
“Technology can be a powerful ally in our spiritual journeys, if we engage it with care, discernment, and intention,” says Michelle Scheidt, Senior Program Officer at the Fetzer Institute. “This book invites readers to consider not only what’s possible, but also what’s sacred, as we navigate increasingly digital landscapes.”
Across thirteen chapters, esteemed contributors examine how spirituality is showing up in mainstream settings — from workplaces and classrooms to healthcare, leadership, and tech design — and how technology is, in turn, reshaping spiritual practice, belief, and community.
“This volume is both a roadmap and an invitation,” adds Xiaoan Li, Senior Program Officer at Fetzer. “Spiritual development and technological advancement don’t have to be in tension; they can evolve together in ways that serve humanity and the sacred.”
How might digital and virtual spaces become sacred spaces? What does it mean to experience spiritual depth in the digital realm? And how might we harness the power of technological tools for healing, justice and collective flourishing, while avoiding the real risks the developments also pose?
Explore these themes and more in the Redefining Spiritual Spaces in the Age of Technology: Innovations and Pitfalls eBook, free to access and share. We hope it becomes a resource as we help shape a spiritually grounded technological future.
The volume includes contributions from a wide range of field experts including Krista Tippett, Richard J. Davidson, Judi Neal, Kenneth Pargament, Heidi A. Campbell, Linda Lantieri, Meena Srinivasan, Wendy Cadge, and Fetzer’s Marketing and Audience Outreach Officer, Sarah Lee, whose chapter, ”Virtual Healing Experiences in a Dual Pandemic,” explores how meaningful spiritual connection can flourish in digital spaces.
Click the book cover to download.
Endorsements from Leading Thinkers
“I have been astonished to feel the presence of the sacred flowing into the virtual spaces where I have been teaching, braiding us together in a true version of beloved community. This insightful collection affirms the magic.”
— Mirabai Starr, Author of Wild Mercy and Ordinary Mysticism
“What forms of spiritual nourishment and community will help us achieve a liberated future? And how might the technology so central to our lives help create the sacred spaces that such a future requires? Those are the central questions of this important book. Here, you’ll find compelling reports from a diverse collection of pioneers who understand how urgent it is to keep the divine-human connection alive in an age where information abounds, but wisdom remains hard to find. It’s a book that builds a vital bridge between ancient wisdom traditions and today’s cutting-edge technological breakthroughs.”
— Parker J. Palmer, Author of A Hidden Wholeness, Let Your Life Speak, and Healing the Heart of Democracy.
“It is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of our collective spiritual lives. I cannot recommend it highly enough.”
— Rev. Jen Bailey, Founder, Faith Matters Network and author of To My Beloveds: Letters on Faith, Race, Loss and Radical Hope