[Note: This reflection on the new book @StickyJesus was written for the Patheos Book Club’s roundtable conversation. I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher.]
@StickyJesus begins with an important thought: The printing press contributed to “the Reformation and… the spread of Christianity”. Without it, the Bible’s wide readership would not have been possible. (pgs. 7-8) The authors astutely note that a dramatic shift in any society’s access to information can mean monumental things for its subcultures. They explain, in so many words, that Christianity (arguably America’s largest subculture) is no exception, and should leverage social media to increase its reach.
I believe the authors have a great point. Most of us are completely unaware that we are living in an age of profound history for the Church. However, I am not sure that the information era will be notable in Christian history for the reasons suggested in @StickyJesus. Here’s why…
The authors write that Christians should approach social media with a commitment to preserving and spreading a traditional message. On page 18, they argue that “adapting to technology does not mean you change the message to fit the culture.” I understand their appeal for preservation, but it’s important to remember that Martin Luther’s message was the most radical “heresy” Christians had heard in hundreds of years. We herald the “changed message” that was born in the Reformation as a great thing now, but it was an abominable movement in its day.
21st Century Christianity’s message will not change because the Internet was invented… however it will change because of the context that will be added to Christianity by the information we gather. The Information Superhighway will continue to make the world a smaller place and the “other” our neighbor. We now have access to information that was once preserved for the ministerial elite. With this much information and context at our fingertips, a change in collective perspective and consciousness is certainly inevitable.
As our perspectives change, we will probably also change our understanding of what it means to “assemble ourselves” for worship. For instance, as a blogger with a growing social media presence, I’ve had the privilege of participating in a number of gatherings with “Emergent” Christians. Known as theological outsiders and liturgical rabble-rousers, Emergent-types have used social media tools that were as complex as streaming video media or as simple as Twitter hashtags to organize themselves in ways that have had a significant impact on religious discourse in America. Similarly, Skype has made it possible to “fellowship” with like-minded people without leaving home. Christians are abandoning the top-down Sunday-sermon model for impromptu egalitarian Bible studies—and they’re organizing them on Facebook. These are important things to consider when speaking of the use of social media in Christianity.
I think it’s vitally important for Christianity to embrace social media, but I think it’s unfortunate and possibly even shortsighted to view change as an impending curse. It’s a blessing. We see through a glass dimly, but with technology, the light is getting brighter. (Now go get the book for someone who needs to get plugged in! It was a fun read!)
Hi Crystal!
U agree with the above that social media is going to be to Emergent Christianity as the printing press was to a changing Church centuries earlier. We already see churches (one of which my church fellowships with) using Facebook, and many are on Twitter. If Christianity-period-is going to stay relevant in the 21st Century, it will have to embrace social media as a viable outlet for ministry instead of an afterthought. This will be more important as we become a more mobile society.
Peace!
Very true! I think a time will come when churches that aren’t “plugged in” will face obsolescence. It’s important to get on the ball now, or they may be left behind. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for this. Have you read any of David Weinberger’s stuff? He’s a technologist and has a lot to add to this conversation. Too Big To Know is his most recent. I posted about it on the Emergent FB site. You might want to read it.
Thanks for the book suggestions. I think I remember seeing your post. I’ll have to scroll through the Emergent Village page and search for it again. Sounds very interesting. Thanks for dropping by.
Great point. I never really thought about it this way, but you must surely be right about this being an absolutely crucial turning point in Christian history, just as the time of the new printing press was. It gives a whole new angle to looking at Christianity, knowing that we’re on such an important cusp!
I think it’s also worth pointing out that since nothing is black and white, we shouldn’t expect change to be wholly good. While the printing press and the Reformation improved a lot of things about Christianity (de-emphasised hierarchy, addressed corruption, etc.), it also had quite a few negative effects:
-It made God smaller. The perception of God went from an awe-inspiring figure whose glory could be glimpsed at in the timeless majesty of nature and the jaw-dropping grandeur of vast cathedrals, to someone who could be explicitly known, spoke through a regular human voice, and was essentially contained within the pages of a book that fit in your hands.
-It made everyone an authority. While the decentralising of religious authority was a good thing in and of itself, it had a nasty underside. Suddenly, everyone had all the answers in the palm of their hand (the Bible), and suddenly everyone knew better than everyone else – which led to schisms, bitter arguments, splinter groups, and fragmented Christianity so badly that we now have literally thousands of denominations, and theology has become less about searching for God, and more about bickering among ourselves.
-By emphasising Sola Scriptura and a diminished reliance on the communal aspects of religion, it created a strongly individualistic religion, which helped breed an atmosphere of selfishness, dog-eat-dog mentality, and greed. It’s no coincidence that the most Protestant countries tend to have the most individualistic cultures. And it’s no coincidence that many of the countries with the highest per capita of CO2 emissions are those with Protestant roots – most notably, of course, the U.S.
-By placing all the authority onto a messy, complicated book that preached both violence and non-violence, condoned slavery and preached emancipation, practised misogyny and insisted on equality, celebrated cruelty and stressed kindness, it open the door to a kind of anarchy where people could commit just about any crime under the sun, and still bolster themselves with the belief that they were doing God’s work.
I agree that Christians should embrace the change that the information age is bringing and be excited by it, because Christianity needs to change. But it strikes me that Christians of this generation have a unique opportunity, and a unique responsibility, to try and shape that change so that it will be mainly positive.
For, like anything, social media offers good things and bad. Just some things that could work to the detriment of a healthy Christianity, off the top of my head, are:
-an emphasis on what is bite-sized, simplistic and transient; a de-emphasis on what is timeless, complex, multi-faceted, or contemplative
-The encouragement of a ‘crowd-mentality’ approach to information exchange, where information is judged not by its merits, but by how many hits, likes, or re-tweets it has, and where unpopular, fringe, or difficult ideas are buried.
-The increased blurring of the line between information and advertising, where the profitability of advertiser-supported blogs, cross-promotion, and targeted advertising mean that people are increasingly encouraged to spread those messages that are the most marketable.