{"id":753,"date":"2009-05-04T04:01:20","date_gmt":"2009-05-04T04:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html"},"modified":"2009-05-04T04:01:20","modified_gmt":"2009-05-04T04:01:20","slug":"newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html","title":{"rendered":"Newsweek: \u201cIs That a Bible in Your Pocket?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week’s edition of Newsweek<\/em> (May 4, 2009) includes an article called: “Is That a Bible in Your Pocket?<\/a>” Lisa Miller, Newsweek<\/em>‘s religion editor, comments on the growing popularity of holy writ iPhone apps. Apparently, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are versions of the Bible, the Qur’an, and so on.
\nMiller asks if it’s a good thing to read one’s Scripture on a cell phone, for if this is an intrusion of the technological into the spiritual realm. It seems that, in the end, Miller see advantages to having a copy of the Bible “next to your calorie counter and your Global Positioning System,” since this helps to “integrate religious practice with the rest of your life.” She continues:<\/p>\n

In the modern West, “sacredness has become this ‘other’,” says Anne Foerst, professor of theology and computer science at St. Bonaventure University. “I find that problematic. Sacredness touches our lives constantly in the here and now. It enters what we call trivial and transcends it.” Religious apps may seem to represent modernity run amok, in other words, but they can bring holiness back into our lives where it belongs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I agree with Miller’s conclusion here, though with some reservations. In fact, I have five Bible versions on my iPhone (NRSV, ESV, NLT, Greek NT, Hebrew OT). I love being able to carry around these texts in my pocket. In fact, my Bible app (published by Olive Tree<\/a>), offers a split screen version, so I can have an English translation and an original language version showing at the same time.
\nMy reservations about having the Bible on my iPhone have to do with temptations that come with using an iPhone in church.\u00a0 If I’m checking a biblical passage during a sermon, I just might sneak a peek at the news, especially if the sermon’s boring. I won’t admit in such a public place whether I’ve actually done that or not. But, suffice it to say that I’d be better off putting my phone in Airplane Mode while in a worship service. (For those of you who are not iPhone users, Airplane Mode allows me to have my iPhone on, but without any phone or Internet service.)
\nNevertheless, I do like the idea that my Bible lives in the same world as my calendar, my daily news sources, and my to-do list. This fact helps to dismantle the sacred-secular distinction that keeps so many Christians from living as disciples of Jesus every moment of every day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This week’s edition of Newsweek (May 4, 2009) includes an article called: “Is That a Bible in Your Pocket?” Lisa Miller, Newsweek‘s religion editor, comments on the growing popularity of holy writ iPhone apps. Apparently, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are versions of the Bible, the Qur’an, and so on. Miller…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-thoughts"],"yoast_head":"\nNewsweek: \u201cIs That a Bible in Your Pocket?\u201d - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Newsweek: \u201cIs That a Bible in Your Pocket?\u201d - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This week’s edition of Newsweek (May 4, 2009) includes an article called: “Is That a Bible in Your Pocket?” Lisa Miller, Newsweek‘s religion editor, comments on the growing popularity of holy writ iPhone apps. Apparently, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are versions of the Bible, the Qur’an, and so on. Miller…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2009-05-04T04:01:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/iphone-bible-4.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Newsweek: \u201cIs That a Bible in Your Pocket?\u201d - Mark D. Roberts","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Newsweek: \u201cIs That a Bible in Your Pocket?\u201d - Mark D. Roberts","og_description":"This week’s edition of Newsweek (May 4, 2009) includes an article called: “Is That a Bible in Your Pocket?” Lisa Miller, Newsweek‘s religion editor, comments on the growing popularity of holy writ iPhone apps. Apparently, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are versions of the Bible, the Qur’an, and so on. Miller…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html","og_site_name":"Mark D. Roberts","article_published_time":"2009-05-04T04:01:20+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/iphone-bible-4.jpg"}],"author":"Mark D. Roberts","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html","name":"Newsweek: \u201cIs That a Bible in Your Pocket?\u201d - Mark D. Roberts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/iphone-bible-4.jpg","datePublished":"2009-05-04T04:01:20+00:00","dateModified":"2009-05-04T04:01:20+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/iphone-bible-4.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/iphone-bible-4.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/05\/newsweek-is-that-a-bible-in-your-pocket.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Newsweek: \u201cIs That a Bible in Your Pocket?\u201d"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/","name":"Mark D. 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\/753","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=753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}