NASA recently displayed several breathtaking new images taken by the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope. But by the time you have seen the pictures and have read a little something about the science behind the stunning cosmic entities, the information has been filtered multiple times. It is filtered first by the enormous industrial-technical conglomerate of NASA itself, then by the scientists and engineers who present the information, then by members of the media and press, then by the media outlets, many of which are large for-profit corporations. But it is not just the universe which is processed and interpreted this way.

Any event that makes the headlines or goes viral on social media is likewise filtered through a variety of agencies and interpretations. In such a predominantly secular and technological culture like ours which gives deference to science, technology, and the economy, reading the times in light of Scripture is no easy task, especially when the volume of news and information thrown at us is far more than we could ever keep up with, let alone respond to. 

Our guest again this week is associate professor of English at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, Dr. Jeffery Bilbro. Jeff discusses with us his new book Reading the Times - A Literary and Theological Inquiry Into the News. Here on part two, Jeff continues to discuss some of the ideas of Wendell Berry in reflecting about ways in which we as believers can begin to filter, read, and understand news and social media.

Dr. Jeffrey Bilbro is an Associate Professor of English at Grove City College and the Editor-in-Chief at Front Porch Republic. He grew up in the mountainous state of Washington and earned his B.A. in Writing and Literature from George Fox University in Oregon and his Ph.D. in English from Baylor University. His books include Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News, Loving God’s Wildness: The Christian Roots of Ecological Ethics in American Literature, Wendell Berry and Higher Education: Cultivating Virtues of Place (written with Jack Baker), and Virtues of Renewal: Wendell Berry’s Sustainable Forms.

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