A Theology of Friendship in a Digital Age

Abstract

Friendship has been a subject of theological study for many years – being viewed as both an earthly blessing and a heavenly virtue. In recent years friendship has become a topic of interest in the social sciences and within popular culture. This thesis aims to bring the theological roots of friendship into conversation with modern scholarship. This is of particular interest due to the introduction and impact of technology on friendship making and keeping. The primary question this thesis engages with is: To what extent does friendship, as practiced in a world saturated by digital technology, reflect biblical and classical ideals of friendship? This question may be answered both positively (areas of continuity) and negatively (areas of divergence).
The research approach combines theory (ancient and modern literature) and practice (empirical data). This approach reflects how friendship can be studied in a theoretical manner or within the scope of lived practice. Beginning with the theory in the form of a literature review which encompasses Biblical, classical, historic, and modern sources, these were used to create frameworks of thought and interview questions for semi-structured interviews for the empirical research. Interpreting the empirical data in consideration of the literature along with particular attention to the roles of theology and modern technology, brings about new understandings concerning the relationship between the theory and practice of friendship.
This thesis consists of seven chapters, the first chapter providing an introduction while the remaining six make up three partitions. Chapters 2 and 3 cover the ancient world addressing friendship in the Bible, ancient Greco-Roman philosophy, and church history up to the Reformation. Chapter 4 and 5 take friendship from theory towards practice focusing on value and technological changes in the modern world. The final chapters (6 and 7) contain empirical research and the conclusion.