I entered an essay entitled “The Medium Is The Mass Sage” to the Evangelical Outpost contest, which posed the question:
If the medium affects the message, how will the Christian message be affected by the new media?
I cannot find a way to post this either in full, or page-by-page, in a way I like. So here are less-than-slick links to the essay, in 3 parts and in full:
Part 3: A Spiritual Perspective
Here is a PDF of the full essay.
It’s long. Enjoy.
Mark,
Excellent essay, one I will review and reflect upon. I thank God for this effort, for you and your work and thoughts, and for awakening and empowering that so much can be, what new media affords our witness.
Well deserved First place!
Thanks Jeff. Honored to add you to my blogroll.
Every ADL reader should check out your essay here: http://dadmanly.blogspot.com/2008/04/wary-of-insularity.html.
In particular, we should consider carefully your insights here:
I submit that the greatest danger the internet and new media poses for the Christian (practitioner or evangelist) is the same danger posed by more traditional Christian community. Fellowships that turn inward, Congregations that self-serve, church bodies that exclude or separate or find more division with other Christians than unity, all of these stray from God’s call.
I don’t suppose this potential is any greater via new media than in the easier ways we isolate ourselves in the physical world. I certainly have witnessed enough isolation and cloistering behavior in churches to think the very act of stepping out online represents something of a hopeful sign, denoting an attempt to reach beyond the comfortable or known, seeking those who are lost.
In dialog such as those encouraged by Evangelical Outpost, and this Symposium, and the emerging communities of Christian bloggers, I also see a breaking down of denominational and doctrinal boundaries which have far too often stifled and stunted, than protected believers from error or bad doctrine.
Mark, thanks for the great essay on the question. I am a big fan of new media myself (blogs, podcasts, social networking, church website, etc) and we are continually thinking in that direction when considering how we present ourselves and the message.
The question that seems to be in my mind is, “How far?”
How do you recommend balancing the very real value of ‘presence’ with the distance that is involved in much of new media? First from a theological idea of ‘presence’ and then implementation.
As a pastor on the street, I am asking:
1. What impact on ‘presence’ does video venue have? What problems are down the road with this? Lack of intentional leadership development to raise up pastors? The development of super-pastors?
2. What impact does the widespread distribution of podcasts have on the local congregation, its pastors and those under his care? Certainly we can learn from other teachers, but we also see conflict arising here as well. Should we be following our local congregational leadership or the guy we podcast?
3. What about church-based web-based social networks? Are they good as alternatives to Facebook? etc? Do we use them or not?
Mark, I promise I am not a hater of technology. If my wife and friends could testify, I am actually a little too interested in these things. As a lead pastor planting a church in Austin (America’s #1 blogging city according to Scarborough) I need to ask these questions. Indeed, every church needs to answer these things as well.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the theological importance of ‘presence’ and how you would recommend we navigate new media? What questions, in addition to McLuhan’s, would you ask? Also, I realize that new media has the ability to draw people toward presence, how would you recommend that we specifically use it to do so?
You have already invested considerable time in the original question and I thank you for that. You would serve me and others well with your thoughts here.
Blessings.
Jacob,
Great questions. They are very important, and I take them especially seriously given your vocation. Let me give this some thought and prayer and get back as soon as I can…