The New Media Frontier

I don't like change. I don't adapt well. I want to keep doing things my own slow way. There's this silly notion circulating out there that the internet has revolutionized media and the way that information is handled and distributed. Who would believe that? I'm stupid for writing that, as I am currently using the technology I am denouncing, sort of like those philosophers that like to use logic to explain away everything, including the logic used to reach their conclusion. Oh well, I guess I can accept it.

Anyway, there is a new book that came out recently called The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ. It's all about how the internet is revolutionizing the way Christian ministry is being done, at least in terms of the means (media) of how ministry is being done and communicated, for surely no one is breaking new ground in how to help people know the Savior. This is the same across generations because the truth never changes. But ministry in the 21st century with its internet is vastly different than that of olden days, like when Gutenberg unveiled his shiny press and Bibles were printed for the first time in history. Or when the first primitive motion picture camera was invented by Thomas Edison who offered to give the patent to the church, which rejected the generous proposal in swift culturally-retarded fashion (from The History Channel's documentary The Passion: Religion and the Movies). As some would say, the methods have changed, but the message stays the same. That's not to say that the medium doesn't preach, because it does. This helpful book attempts to draw the line between preserving the message of the Gospel and letting the medium shape the message.

The "new media" is the new landscape which the internet has been formed into. This includes the infamous blog, where any schmuck with an opinion (myself included) can broadcast it worldwide in an instant without paying a dime. Never before in history has something so useful, and at the same time so dangerous, come into being. To quote a somewhat cheesy but great movie, "with great power comes great responsibility." It's the same with all potentially useful things. Books can be used to praise God or they can be used to control people. Likewise, the internet can be used for beneficial ministry or it can be the breeding grounds for sex offenders (watch Law and Order). This book points out the tremendous potential for good to be done through the "new media", while staunchly warning against its misuse. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about technology that is shaping our world currently, and specifically its influence on Christian ministry.