Deathly (De)Vices

""Pastor Dillon T. Thornton has done something almost unimaginable in today's hyperconnected world: he's gone off social media--cold turkey. But Deathly (De)Vices isn't an instruction manual on how you can do the same. Instead, it's a thoughtful exploration of how our smartphones can warp our souls. Dillon uses the seven capital vices--vainglory, envy, sloth, avarice, wrath, gluttony, and lust--to not only shine a light on the technology, but on our own hearts. A challenging, engrossing read!"" --Chris Castaldo, Lead Pastor, New Covenant Church of Naperville, Illinois ""While critics of today's technologies abound, Dillon Thornton offers a rare treat: thoughtful and clear-eyed teachings of Scripture that reveal God's nature as a way to call us to face the soul malformations that are at stake in our everyday uses of digital devices and social media. A terrific resource for preaching and discipleship, Deathly (De)Vices is an accessible go-to primer that persuasively refreshes such ancient terms as avarice and sloth for our digital lives today."" --Felicia Song, author of Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age ""The beauty of Dillon Thornton's excellent book, Deathly (De)Vices, is that it calls out the seven capital sins that mark our hearts and lives and mar our discipleship of Jesus, both for those who are glued to their devices and the digitally disengaged. The book provides a discipleship health-check with warmth and humility, rich biblical insights, and practical advice. It avoids simplistic all-or-nothing approaches to technology, instead encouraging wisdom, godliness, and greater abiding in Jesus."" --Claire S. Smith, author of The Appearing of God Our Savior: A Theology of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus ""Our relationship to technology is this century's most urgent question of theology and discipleship. With a scholar's insight and a pastor's care, Dillon Thornton offers crucial wisdom for navigating the complex and pernicious world of devices, media, and entertainment. By drawing our attention to the malformation we invite into our lives when we uncritically embrace technological trends, Thornton sets our sights towards higher joys and a more faithful, more human way to live."" --Zachary Wagner, Director of Programs, Center for Pastor Theologians