Ecumenism in the Blogosphere

Posted January 2nd @ 3:04 pm by Chris Salzman Print This Post

Per Christum points out how blogs are leveling the playing field of religious debate. Here’s a partial list of his main points:

1. Blog-level ecumenism lacks a bureaucracy
...
3. Blog-Level ecumenism is generally diverse – Most bloggers are not academics or even ordained (although some are), but folks of diverse backgrounds who attempt to accurately represent their faith through dedication, commitment, and love of knowledge…

4. Blog-Level ecumenism tends to give traditional religious persons a voice
...
6. Blogs offer a chance for us to come into contact with hostile individuals

7. Blogs offer a chance to form associations and work on common projects

Most importantly though,
in the blogworld, we get a real chance to actually engage Christians who accurately represent their respective churches…it means you are getting an accurate picture of a particular faith.
With the internet we get to interact with all the John Does of the congregations in a direct way. We’re not just reading a bunch of pastors and professors, but the everyday Christians as well. The individuals that think deeply about their faith, but until now had no real way of testing their ideas.

Do you think open religious discourse on the internet has been a generally positive thing? Any thoughts on how the internet has changed the way you communicate your faith? What about this idea of lack of bureaucracy?

(HT: [lab]oratory)

Filed in: Blogging, Misc

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5 Comments

  1. Kyle Latino
    January 2, 2008 at 16:16

    Not to be overly negative, but the internet often just makes a more continent forum for people to be ignored in. But I guess that isn’t always true, because I check this place out.

  2. Bill Blackrick
    January 2, 2008 at 23:32

    It has allowed me to communicate with atheist and see what they say on certain matters. They actually respect my opinions as I do theirs

  3. Chris
    January 3, 2008 at 09:26

    I think there are positives and negatives to it. I like that Joe Christian can communicate his ideas and receive feedback, but when he comes across as his way is right that this becomes a problem. I find it nice having the theologians online writing blogs to hear what they are saying and to gain insight I normally wouldn’t have as easy of access to. One thing that does scare me is how being a pastor automatically gives credit to what you say. There are a number of preachers and pastors out there with no formal training, something increasingly common with the “organic house church” movement.

  4. len20
    January 3, 2008 at 12:26

    For our congregation and staff, it’s still a matter of getting them over the idea that conversations on the web are not credible. On a more basic level, it’s a matter of getting them to turn on their computers, read, and participate.

  5. Tim
    January 4, 2008 at 16:59

    I think it’s a good thing. Theologians, pastors and other “professionals” often paint an idealized picture or discuss the way that things “should” be. The average person may give a better picture of the way things are. An average church attender may give a very different picture of what is going on in a church than the senior pastor would. I think the lack of bureaucracy on the internet helps give a more well-rounded picture of what is actually going on and what people actually think at the ground level.

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