{"id":1157,"date":"2010-06-21T12:26:12","date_gmt":"2010-06-21T12:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/06\/two-must-read-articles-for-christians-interested-in-the-impact-of-technology-on-church-and-faith.html"},"modified":"2010-06-21T12:26:12","modified_gmt":"2010-06-21T12:26:12","slug":"two-must-read-articles-for-christians-interested-in-the-impact-of-technology-on-church-and-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/06\/two-must-read-articles-for-christians-interested-in-the-impact-of-technology-on-church-and-faith.html","title":{"rendered":"Two “Must Read” Articles for Christians Interested in the Impact of Technology on Church and Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here are links to two thoughtful and thought-provoking articles related to the impact of technology on our lives. One deals specifically with implications for the church. The other shoots for a broader target, but has many implications for the church and its mission.<\/p>\n

The Face-to-Face Gospel and the Death of Distance<\/font><\/b><\/font><\/a><\/h3>\n

The first article appears on the Christianity Today<\/i> website. It is an interview of Al Erisman by Tim Stafford. Erisman, who spent over thirty years as an executive for Boeing, is now a teacher at Seattle Pacific University. He is the co-founder and editor of Ethix<\/span><\/i> magazine (Ethix.org<\/a>). Erisman is one of the most thoughtful and insightful Christians I know when it comes to the conversation about faith and business. <\/p>\n

Here is one excerpt from the interview:<\/p>\n

\n

That brings us to the fifth layer, where we consider what technology has done to<\/em>
\npeople. We all see that people have shorter attention spans, read less,
\nand try to do two things at once and get distracted. Churches see both
\nthe positive and negative aspects of technology every week. It is great
\nto deal with people who can instantly respond to needs since they are
\nalways connected. It is challenging to deal with a congregation that is
\ntext messaging in church or gets distracted when the sermon goes longer
\nthan 20 minutes.<\/p>\n

We need to think about the communications challenge
\nsimilar to a cross-cultural challenge. A missionary would not go to the
\nPhilippines without trying to understand the language and culture of
\nthe people there. So is it important for both church leaders and
\nmissionaries to understand the culture of the digital generation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

‘The Shallows’ by Nicholas Carr: The Internet warps you<\/p>\n

<\/b><\/a>A couple of years ago, technology writer Nicholas Carr stirred the pot with his article in the Atlantic<\/i>: “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”<\/a> Now Carr has published a book that appears to underscore his affirmative answer to this troubling question. Here’s an excerpt from The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains<\/i>:<\/p>\n

The news is even more disturbing than I had suspected. Dozens of
\nstudies by psychologists, neurobiologists, educators and Web designers
\npoint to the same conclusion: When we go online, we enter an
\nenvironment that promotes cursory reading, hurried and distracted
\nthinking and superficial learning. It’s possible to think deeply while
\nsurfing the Net, just like it’s possible to think shallowly while
\nreading a book, but that’s not the type of thinking the technology
\nencourages and rewards.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The review<\/a> The Shallows<\/i> in USA Today<\/i> is more of an introduction than a review, an appetizer that gets you ready for the main meal, which is Carr’s book. That appetizer was enough for me. I’ve purchased The Shallows<\/i> and am looking forward to reading it. In the meanwhile, however, I need to hurry on and check a few more blogs.    <\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here are links to two thoughtful and thought-provoking articles related to the impact of technology on our lives. One deals specifically with implications for the church. The other shoots for a broader target, but has many implications for the church and its mission. The Face-to-Face Gospel and the Death of Distance The first article appears…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church-and-internet"],"yoast_head":"\nTwo "Must Read" Articles for Christians Interested in the Impact of Technology on Church and Faith - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1157"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1157\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}