David Noble's central thesis is that modern technology, particularly in its pursuit of control over nature and human destiny, functions as a secular religion, replacing traditional divine authority with a quasi-spiritual faith in invention and progress. The book argues that this "religion of technology" is rooted in a historical impulse to overcome death and achieve immortality through human ingenuity, echoing ancient religious aspirations. Noble traces the intellectual and cultural lineage of this belief system from the medieval monastic pursuit of order and labor to the Enlightenment’s emphasis on rational mastery and the modern technological drive to dominate the natural world.

The book's key ideas include the sublimation of religious yearnings into technological ambition, the secularization of the concept of divinity through human creation, and the pervasive influence of this technological worldview on Western culture. Readers gain an understanding of how the pursuit of innovation has become a source of meaning and transcendence, often at the expense of critical reflection on technology's social and environmental consequences, and how this "faith" shapes our societal values and aspirations.

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Key concepts

Mastery of Nature — The belief that human technological capacity should extend to controlling and dominating the natural world.
Secular Salvation — The idea that humanity can achieve redemption and overcome its limitations, including mortality, through technological advancement.
The Technologically Defined Self — The notion that individual identity and purpose are increasingly shaped by one's relationship to and participation in technological development.
Industrial Monasticism — A historical parallel drawn between the disciplined, ordered labor of medieval monks and the dedication and sacrifice found in modern industrial and technological pursuits.