{"id":11202,"date":"2017-01-26T12:51:06","date_gmt":"2017-01-26T20:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dminlgp.com\/?p=11202"},"modified":"2017-01-26T12:51:06","modified_gmt":"2017-01-26T20:51:06","slug":"the-efficacy-of-networked-theology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/the-efficacy-of-networked-theology\/","title":{"rendered":"The Efficacy of Networked Theology"},"content":{"rendered":"

Heidi Campbell and Stephen Garner \u2013 Networked Theology: Negotiating Faith In Digital Culture<\/em><\/p>\n

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Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Heidi Campbell, a media studies scholar and Stephen Garner, a theologian, \u201cA central goal of this book is to bring new media studies and theory into conversation with theology in a new way,\u201d [1] utilizing the combined expertise of their respective disciplines.\u00a0 They explore the dynamics of the network in relation to the intersection between contemporary media culture and the Christian faith. \u00a0They argue that \u201ctheology can and must engage technology and new media to offer a holistic theological response to new media culture and to understand how new media shapes our everyday lives.\u201d [2] Networked theology seeks to love God and love neighbor in a way that promotes our well-being in a media culture and simultaneously shapes that culture for the sake of the gospel of Christ.<\/p>\n

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Summary <\/strong><\/p>\n

In the eleventh century, Anselm of Canterbury described theology as \u201cfaith seeking understanding.\u201d [3] This indicates ongoing, active reflection of believers attempting to understand God and their world relative to the socio-cultural context they inhabited. \u00a0In this work Campbell and Garner\u2019s theological reflection is focused on the internet and digital technologies, also referred to as \u201cnew media.\u201d \u00a0They use the term, \u201cnetworked theology<\/em> to describe their approach to theologizing about the digital, technological, and network society in which we live.\u201d [4] The authors relate that \u201ca useful conceptualization of networked theology emerges by bringing theology into conversation with the idea of the network, enabling us to discuss the opportunities and challenges that digital culture presents to Christian communities\u201d [5] This is beneficial to individual Christians and church communities as they negotiate the opportunities and challenges of network culture. Campbell and Garner believe on the occasions when media negotiation presents opportunities for technology adoption and innovation that favors faith, it should be articulated that media usage complements and enhances the life of faith. Especially for churches and religious communities, it signals to the world who we are called to be in contemporary culture.<\/p>\n

The authors inform us that networked theology is a public and contextualized theology that engages with all aspects of our everyday world.\u00a0 \u201cIt requires us to contemplate who we are, how we should live and how we might encounter and engage others constructively and lovingly in our media culture.\u201d [6]\u00a0 It explores fundamental issues and trends that influence Christian beliefs\u00a0and practices in a world progressively dependent on and immersed in new media.\u00a0 According to the authors, the demands placed on a networked theology include, \u201caddressing questions relating to the relationship between the physical and digital worlds, and considering Christian ethical behavior of believers striving to live wholesome lives in a world that occupies both physical and digital spaces at the same time. The questions arise, \u201cWhat does it mean to be the people of God in a technological and media-saturated world?\u00a0 What does the Lord require of you in our network society?\u201d [7] Humans are bearers of the image and likeness of God. It is true theologically that our humanity and community emanate from God, so our conduct should reflect God-likeness.<\/p>\n

Networked theology holds to the belief that God\u2019s presence and interaction with human beings is not limited to the physical everyday realm but is also active in the digital locations we create and inhabit. It sees our relationship with God in Christ as indicative of \u00a0how we live and treat others in a world where the physical and digital intersect.<\/p>\n

Analysis\/Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n

I found this short book to be quite informative for its size; it is engaging and packed with thought-provoking and inspiring concepts about Christian theology intersecting with new media and technologies.\u00a0 The highlight of the book for me is the argument the authors put forth \u00a0 regarding how \u201ca networked theology might be brought about through contemplating and enacting biblical and theological themes of justice, mercy, love of God and neighbor, and humility before God in connection to the media culture we find ourselves immersed in.\u201d [8]\u00a0 Campbell and Garner further indicate that this type of networked theology \u201csupports an appropriate technology that seeks to create shalom<\/em> through a Christ-centered focus on technology and media.\u201d [9] They spell out that this kind of approach is conducive to \u201cbalancing economic productivity with social justice and environmental sustainability with personal fulfillment and is spiritually nourishing to individuals and communities.\u201d [10] \u201cSpiritually nourishing to individuals and communities\u201d\u2014I immediately thought about the Rwandan post-conflict state of affairs and how desperately that nation\u2019s individuals and communities need that kind of Spiritual renewal.<\/p>\n

The authors also tell us that networked theology involves soul searching that seeks to understand our responsibility in the technological and media world that we live in and to ask, \u201cHow we should live faithfully in that world as the people of God, the Body of Christ, and the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.\u201d [11]<\/p>\n

According to Campbell and Garner, Christians have a duty in networked theology because it, \u201crequires Christians to think deeply about technology and media, about the values, inherent character, and environments created by technology and media as wider socio-cultural systems.\u201d [12]<\/p>\n

Lastly, the authors declare that, \u201cThe end goal of networked theology is to glorify Jesus Christ in God through the Holy Spirit. To do this we seek to establish communities of shalom <\/em>that reflect true neighborliness through integrity in all our relationships.\u201d [13]<\/p>\n

If Campbell and Garner\u2019s assertions are correct, and I believe that they are, then these are powerful concepts for the Body of Christ to contemplate and embrace in order to usher\u00a0in shalom<\/em>\u00a0in one\u2019s own life and the lives of individuals and communities in our respective spheres of influence.<\/p>\n

Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. Heidi Campbell and Stephen Garner, Networked Theology: Negotiating Faith in Digital Culture <\/em>(Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016), 15.<\/li>\n
  2. Ibid., 11.<\/li>\n
  3. Ibid., 10.<\/li>\n
  4. Ibid., 2.<\/li>\n
  5. Ibid,. 12.<\/li>\n
  6. Ibid., 147.<\/li>\n
  7. Ibid., 88.<\/li>\n
  8. Ibid., 146.<\/li>\n
  9. Ibid.<\/li>\n
  10. Ibid.<\/li>\n
  11. Ibid.<\/li>\n
  12. Ibid., 147.<\/li>\n
  13. Ibid.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Heidi Campbell and Stephen Garner \u2013 Networked Theology: Negotiating Faith In Digital Culture   Introduction According to Heidi Campbell, a media studies scholar and Stephen Garner, a theologian, \u201cA central goal of this book is to bring new media studies and theory into conversation with theology in a new way,\u201d [1] utilizing the combined expertise […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[794,2],"class_list":["post-11202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-campbell-and-garner","tag-dminlgp","cohort-lgp6"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11202\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}