Some months ago Fortune magazine carried an article entitled "The world's next source of wealth." The author wasted no time in stating his position. The opening sentence announced, "The central event of the 20th century is the overthrow of matter."George Gilder, "The world's next source of wealth," Fortune, August 28, 1989.
The article made its case for the ascendancy of corporations and even nations that are masters of ideas, not those that are hoarders of material resources. Computer technology, predictably, was seen as the driving engine behind this revolution.
The article was not by any means making a case for the ascendancy of Spirit over matter! Rather, it was discussing the "mentalization" of matter at the hands of quantum physics and the technologies that spring from it. Still, the article raises intriguing issues for the Christian metaphysician—who may be inclined to agree with its opening announcement, while bestowing on the words an entirely different meaning than the author intended. The different meaning would depend on whether one traced the overthrow of matter back to quantum physics or back to the New Testament.
