The Technological Church

A version of this paper was published by the Moody Media Lab. Graphics by Ben Neary.   Dear church leader, Please allow me to introduce myself. I’ve never studied Greek or Hebrew, I’ve never preached a sermon or even taught a youth group, and I’ve never led worship. I’ve never had to make difficult decisions […]

Media Ecology’s Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls were a hugely important discovery for biblical scholarship. They contained ancient manuscripts of Scripture as well as extra-biblical literature that helped scholars understand the cultural and historical place of these scriptures. Media Ecology is about to experience a Dead Sea Scrolls moment. Eric McLuhan has gathered and expanded on all of […]

Just Another Day in America: On Location with the Latest Spectacle in the Global Village

On December 3, 2015, Matt Lauer opened the Today Show in California, when only several hours earlier he had been sitting comfortably in his New York studio. While we were all sleeping NBC flew him and a camera crew across the country so we could watch events of the latest mass killings unfold on location. […]

Media Ecology and Theology

It was many years ago when I heard Robert K. Blechman’s song, “A Model Media Ecologist,” that I began thinking about the relationship between media ecology and theology. In the song, Bleckman writes, “I am a model media ecologist; I also sense the difference between me and a theologist.” What is the difference between a media ecologist and a theologist? I wondered. And, what is the relationship between media ecology and theology? Are these two totally separate domains or is there some overlap between them? If there is a connection, what forms the basis of that connection?

Plasticity and Imagination

The understanding of the brain’s activity conveyed by popular scientific writing misses much of the continuum of thought and consciousness. We are fascinated at the supposed correspondence of anatomy to function shown in the images of radioactive glucose uptake. We are astonished at the ability of a handicapped woman’s brain driven to interact with an […]

The Word Without Flesh: An Ethical Evaluation of Digital Media in Multi-Site Worship

It is not news to anyone that digital media use is a prominent characteristic of 21st century living. It is also not news to anyone that the American church is regrettably quick to fall in line with cultural whims (being all things to all people while remaining in the world but not of it is […]

Social Engineering, Mobile Lovers, and Technologizing the Fertility Awareness Method

Happy Easter! Here’s a list of some of what we found interesting this week. If you missed it last week, check out the final entry in our Lenten blog series on technology and spirituality: Trappists, Technology, and the Dictatorship of Relativism. Banksy’s latest confirmed painting skewers modern cellphone addiction – Washington Post “Banksy’s latest confirmed […]

Passion and Precision: The Faith of Marshall McLuhan

The Catholic Church does not depend on human wisdom or human strategies for survival. All the best intentions in the world can’t destroy the Catholic Church! It is indestructible, even as a human institution. It may once again undergo a terrible persecution and so on. But that’s probably what it needs. – Marshall McLuhan Precision This is a […]

Did McLuhan’s Deeply Held Roman Catholic Convictions Bias His Scholarship?

“He was a very religious man and, as a matter of fact, that was the only thing that helped him through the 15 months after his stroke. That was the core of his being – his religious strength. – Corinne McLuhan, Marshall’s wife (McLuhan, C. 1988).” McLuhan’s religious beliefs did not bias his scholarship or […]

McLuhan and Lent

This is a very special week for us. Here’s the tweet that started it all: Press Release: Introducing the new online journal, Second Nature http://t.co/90KXk629Jq #newmedia #christian #tech — SecondNature Journal (@SecondNatureJrn) April 1, 2013 We launched with five articles and a vision to become a place to encourage critical thinking about technology and new […]

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