Category: Articles

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

 

If we believe that in the beginning the Word existed and was divine, then we also acknowledge that intrinsic power exists within Word. We accept that Word is active and creative. Likewise, when we consider the power of word we must acknowledge that God spoke the universe into existence and sealed it with words: it was very good. It is no accident that this is a story documented and perpetuated in word. Neither is it an accident that so many of us feel a compulsion to create—with words, no less. In doing so, we imitate our maker. For this reason our work is more than private prayer, but a ministry in which we are to shed light, speak as prophets, link heaven and earth, and embrace mystery.

A prominent attitude toward technology in American culture is the optimistic embrace of technological change as progressive, as expressed in what Leo Marx has called “the rhetoric of the technological sublime.” This attitude has been embraced by evangelicals, as exemplified in two projects which view the internet in terms of an ecclesial version of the technological sublime. This article analyzes the ministries of Global Media Outreach and the Table Project, and argues that their uncritical embrace of the idea of technological progress has led these ministries to redefine the mission and fellowship of the church in theologically problematic ways.

 

This interview presents a follow-up conversation between Quentin Schultze, a professor in communications and author on communication, faith, and technology and DJ Chuang, a web developer and consultant on web strategy, social media, and online education following the New Wine, New Wineskins conference Worshipping in the Matrix: Technology in Communication, Culture, and the Church.  The two address the current use of technology both in worship services and education including multi-site churches with live feeds, online education, and the ability to self-publish. They also discuss how the availability of new technologies shape worship experiences and how we relate to others, as well as the need for deeper reflection on the theological and ecclesiological implications of implementing technologies into worship.