The Church of Phone
Many Rainy Day readers will know that today, 29 June, marks the feast of the founders of the Church of Rome: Saints Peter and Paul. It can be no coincidence, then, that Steve Jobs picked this significant date for the epiphany of the most holy icon of his Church, the iPhone. Some will think this notion fanciful, but Jobs is far too clever to miss an angle to promote his latest object of devotion, and if he can subliminally attach it to a more ancient resonance, he'll grasp the opportunity. With both hands.
What Jobs knows far better than all his rivals is that millions of people long to belong to a movement that reflects spirituality and beauty. If this weren't so, the millions of iPod owners would not have bought his product. Similarly, those who have kept vigil this week to acquire an iPhone are questing for something more than a device for making phone calls.
How will that other high priest of our times, Al Gore, respond to this challenge? Gore leads the Church of Green, which preaches a very different "Truth" to that espoused by Jobs. Apple is all about man's expression of his God-given creativity, whereas environmentalism sees sin in our desire for the pleasures of consumption. You see, iPods and iPhones represent globalization and, worst of all, they encourage consumerism. In this sense, the Church of Green is Protestant and severe, while the Church of Phone, is Catholic and hedonistic.
Meanwhile, the oracle of hi-tech, Walt Mossberg, tried the iPhone for a fortnight and he liked it a lot. "The iPhone's most controversial feature, the omission of a physical keyboard in favor of a virtual keyboard on the screen, turned out in our tests to be a nonissue, despite our deep initial skepticism." A convert, in other words.
And how will the Vatican respond to this? Well, it looks like the Church of Rome will soon issue a Motu Propio reviving the Mass in Latin. (Read Fr. John Zuhlsdorf's excellent blog for more on the Motu). While Benedict XVI prepares to offer us a return to the past, Steve Jobs is preparing to offer the masses the promise of something divine that everyone (with at least $499) can hold in their hands.
Comments
I like the "Church of Phone" but you should have gone all the way and instead of calling Gore's thing the "Church of Green" you should have called it the "Church of Phoney!"
Posted by: mike martin | June 29, 2007 5:30 PM
Great writing.
Especially because I could not tell if your were serious about the date comment or not. As a non-Romman Catholic, the date means nothing to me.
I think that maybe you should get out of [Catholic] Ireland for awhile.
After all, even I leave my basement every now and then.
Posted by: Dave Barnes | June 29, 2007 7:12 PM