Martin Buber: Are We Treating People Like Things? | Fr. Bonaventure Chapman and Fr. Joseph-Anthony Kress

October 1, 2026

Martin Buber, Technology, Relationships, and What Makes Us Human

Are we beginning to treat people more like things?

In this episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Bonaventure Chapman and Fr. Joseph-Anthony Kress explore the thought of Jewish philosopher Martin Buber and his influential work I and Thou. Buber argues that we encounter the world through two fundamental relationships: “I–It,” in which we experience and use things, and “I–Thou,” in which we encounter another person in genuine relationship.

What happens when the world of “It” begins to take over?

Fr. Joseph-Anthony and Fr. Bonaventure discuss Buber’s concern about the growing tendency to reduce people to their usefulness, why love requires freedom and choice, and how our relationship with God reveals a radically different way of encountering reality.

They also bring Buber’s philosophy into the age of AI, automation, and self-checkout. As technology makes life increasingly efficient, are we becoming more likely to see other people as inconveniences, obstacles, or simply things to be used?

This conversation explores what Martin Buber can teach us about human dignity, relationships, technology, prayer, worship, and what it means to remain truly human in an increasingly mechanized world. Watch the full episode to learn more.