Wendell Berry and Martin Luther on Creatureliness in a Technological Age

Abstract: We can observe a flight from creatureliness in the modern and late modern age. Agrarian philosopher and essayist Wendell Berry helps us understand that the loss of creatureliness results from several factors, yet a significant reason is the contemporary belief in technology to transcend our creaturely limitations and our life together with fellow creatures in the creation. Berry often laments that Christianity has contributed to rather than hindered the contemporary flight from creatureliness. However, Martin Luther offers a theological vision that embraces creatureliness and the creation. By employing a credal framework as an organizing principle, we can observe how, in Luther's thought, the triune God is at work to restore human creatures to our creatureliness so that creation is "reopened" to us as a gift to delight in and receive with thanksgiving. Following this credal analysis, this article describes two disciplines God's restored creatures should cultivate that arise from living in our vocations "down and among" other creatures in our technological age: 1) learning to pray and 2) nurturing place.