We had a thought-provoking talk today about 'Faith Online'. The way that the world learns has changed, and now often involves bite-sized chunks of readily accessible information. There are some excellent online resources out there that illustrate how Bible learning can be done in novel and engaging ways using online formats. The Bible Project is a great example - and was new to me so thought I'd share.
We viewed The Bible Project's take on Genesis 1-11, which made me want to look up more episodes:
There are pros and cons of expressing faith online. It offers the potential for further reach than conventional media, and opens up new possibilities in terms of presentation of information. However, there are some potential pitfalls too. Whilst constructive and challenging discussion is to be encouraged, especially with those who don't share the same beliefs, there is a risk of being drawn into unhelpful discussion. This risk is especially acute online where there can be a tendency to 'hide behind' an online persona, saying things that you wouldn't dream of saying face to face. (Which recalls an interesting Radio 4 series by David Mitchell on how the internet is changing the way we interact with one another.)
But on balance, the pros far outweigh the cons for me. Which is one of the reasons I am writing this blog!
By Jon
We viewed The Bible Project's take on Genesis 1-11, which made me want to look up more episodes:
There are pros and cons of expressing faith online. It offers the potential for further reach than conventional media, and opens up new possibilities in terms of presentation of information. However, there are some potential pitfalls too. Whilst constructive and challenging discussion is to be encouraged, especially with those who don't share the same beliefs, there is a risk of being drawn into unhelpful discussion. This risk is especially acute online where there can be a tendency to 'hide behind' an online persona, saying things that you wouldn't dream of saying face to face. (Which recalls an interesting Radio 4 series by David Mitchell on how the internet is changing the way we interact with one another.)
But on balance, the pros far outweigh the cons for me. Which is one of the reasons I am writing this blog!
By Jon