{"id":4420,"date":"2009-02-20T13:00:11","date_gmt":"2009-02-20T13:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/2009\/02\/is-the-jesus-creed-community-a.html"},"modified":"2009-02-20T13:00:11","modified_gmt":"2009-02-20T13:00:11","slug":"is-the-jesus-creed-community-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2009\/02\/is-the-jesus-creed-community-a.html","title":{"rendered":"Is the Jesus Creed community a “community”?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently a gifted young anabaptist pastor, Shane Hipps, weighed in at Out of Ur blog <\/a>about whether or not cyberspace provides “community.” He says “No” and I’m wondering what you think? Here is my response. Can “community” exist in cyberspace? In what senses can it and in what senses can it not?<\/i><\/p>\n

Your point about not equating virtual community (grant me the
\nterm for the moment) with real community is one that needs to be heard.
\nBut, I’m not so sure it is this simple…<\/p>\n

First, as a blogger who has what I have sometimes called the Jesus
\nCreed “community,” I do think there are some senses in which community
\nis apt. For some, this is about the only “community” with Christians
\nthey can right now have. I honor that. For others it is therapeutic to
\ndance, as it were, at a distance — not the complete thing, of course,
\nbut still participating in some dimensions of community. And there is
\nanother dimension: there are clearly dimensions of fellowship at work
\nin blog communities. Never the whole, but some. And that needs to be
\nconsidered for what it really is.<\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

But now something perhaps more significant: by shrinking community
\nto embodied community I wonder if we have written “communion of the
\nsaints” (a community) off the map. Isn’t there something eternal,
\nsomething spiritual, and something profoundly true that all Christians
\nof all ages and of all locations are in communion with one another? \n<\/p>\n

\nThis means it may be appropriate to refer to internet communities as a
\nparticipation in the communion of the saints (I have experienced this
\nwith some folks whom I’ve gotten to know at some levels via internet
\nand via e-mails and via parcel post letters) and as virtual
\ncommunities. <\/p>\n

I would agree with you that some substitute virtual for real at
\ntheir own loss; I would also agree that some think they are the same.
\nBut I wonder if it is not swinging too far the other way to deny the
\nword community to what can happen — palpably so for many — in
\ncyberspace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recently a gifted young anabaptist pastor, Shane Hipps, weighed in at Out of Ur blog about whether or not cyberspace provides “community.” He says “No” and I’m wondering what you think? Here is my response. Can “community” exist in cyberspace? In what senses can it and in what senses can it not? 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