DIGITAL THEOLOGY

In this era where technology is fast advancing, where is the world headed? In this day and age, almost everyone dwelling in developed countries has digital technology involved in most aspects of their life, even if they are not aware of it. 

Chris explains in a Medium post that more devices are connected to the internet than humans are, and that number of devices is expected to keep growing. 27 billion devices were found to be connected to the internet in 2017, and they are expecting these devices to increase up to 125 billion by 2030. 

These digital technologies have been developed to make our lives easier and more efficient. Is there a medium with which we can reach countless lives connected to the internet with the knowledge of God? In this article, I will tell you what digital theology is and how it is important. 

Digital theology involves the reflection on the digitalization of humanity and the implication it has for Christian faith and practice. There are a whole lot of social changes that technological innovation has brought in the twenty-first century. The Christian church also is changing through its involvement with social media, increasing use of digital technology in worship, in pastoral practice, in evangelism, and its communication through websites. 

The primary idea of digital theology is that the church has found itself in this emerging digital culture, and this demands fresh theological conversations and approaches. But the question remains. “Can people be reached through digital media with the knowledge of God?” “Is it as effective as reaching people physically?”   

We should bear in mind that Paul the Apostles was more physically absent than present to the churches he ministered to. Yet, he sustained the bond he had with them through correspondence. This shows us that the church has always had a virtual aspect, but the technology used to make this possible just changes as civilization kept advancing. In the era of Paul the Apostle, it was through correspondence, today, we have the internet. The technology just changed. 

Covid-19 pandemic was one situation that made us appreciate the power of digitalization. The church went online and even so reached a larger audience ― which included people who couldn’t access church before now due to one reason or the other. They were given hope that they could participate once more in Christian practices and learn God’s word from the comfort of their homes. 

Since the pandemic struck, half of the population that goes to church still uses the internet as a substitute for physical church, and that is a clear indication that the hybrid church must expand their online presence in order to include resources for spiritual growth such as bible studies, small groups, and times of prayer, beyond just streaming worship services. With this, the whole body of Christ will participate and the elderly and individuals with disabilities that were once excluded will be able to be included in these practices.  

In this era where technology is fast advancing, where is the world headed? In this day and age, almost everyone dwelling in developed countries has digital technology involved in most aspects of their life, even if they are not aware of it. 

Chris explains in a Medium post that more devices are connected to the internet than humans are, and that number of devices is expected to keep growing. 27 billion devices were found to be connected to the internet in 2017 using IoT, and they are expecting these devices to increase up to 125 billion by 2030. 

These digital technologies have been developed to make our lives easier and more efficient. Is there a medium with which we can reach countless lives connected to the internet with the knowledge of God? In this article, I will tell you what digital theology is and how it is important. 

Digital theology involves the reflection on the digitalization of humanity and the implication it has for Christian faith and practice. There are a whole lot of social changes that technological innovation has brought in the twenty-first century. The Christian church also is changing through its involvement with social media, increasing use of digital technology in worship, in pastoral practice, in evangelism, and its communication through websites. 

The primary idea of digital theology is that the church has found itself in this emerging digital culture, and this demands fresh theological conversations and approaches. But the question remains. “Can people be reached through digital media with the knowledge of God?” “Is it as effective as reaching people physically?”   

We should bear in mind that Paul the Apostles was more physically absent than present to the churches he ministered to. Yet, he sustained the bond he had with them through correspondence. This shows us that the church has always had a virtual aspect, but the technology used to make this possible just changes as civilization kept advancing. In the era of Paul the Apostle, it was through correspondence, today, we have the internet. The technology just changed. 

Covid-19 pandemic was one situation that made us appreciate the power of digitalization. The church went online and even so reached a larger audience ― which included people who couldn’t access church before now due to one reason or the other. They were given hope that they could participate once more in Christian practices and learn God’s word from the comfort of their homes. 

Since the pandemic struck, half of the population that goes to church still uses the internet as a substitute for physical church, and that is a clear indication that the hybrid church must expand their online presence in order to include resources for spiritual growth such as bible studies, small groups, and times of prayer, beyond just streaming worship services. With this, the whole body of Christ will participate and the elderly and individuals with disabilities that were once excluded will be able to be included in these practices.  

 

In my book Church Media, you will learn more about how to use media to share the word of God with the world. You can buy my book by clicking here. Also at Poetry Girl, LLC we are hosting a workshop in February called All things Facebook. You can learn more about that workshop by clicking here

Rev. McKenzie