Romano Guardini on Technology and the Liturgy

A lecture by Professor Peter Casarella (Duke University Divinity School), originally delivered at the University of Chicago's Swift Hall on October 19, 2023.
Romano Guardini penned his Letters from Lake Como between 1923-1925 in order to think about the new technocratic relationship between nature and culture that was emerging in post-war and post-Enlightenment Europe. Guardini’s reflections on the technocratic paradigm are critical for understanding the relationship of the human person, the dynamics of culture, and our hyperdigitized world today. Guardini’s newly translated Liturgy and Liturgical Formation was also published in its first edition in German and Italian in 1923 and reflects a similar approach to the centrality of the body and the senses in the spiritual formation of the human person. In a surprising way, Guardini’s critique of technology parallels his analysis of liturgy and prayer within the life of the Church.
This lecture is cosponsored by the University of Chicago Divinity School and the In Lumine Network. It is made possible through the support of ‘In Lumine: Supporting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide’ (Grant #62372) from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.