postmodernbible

SCANDAL: @thechurchmouse issues own birth certificate, so clearly FAKE! What is rodent hiding? #mouseonahottinroof

via churchmousepublishing.blogspot.com

Note the comments - Mice do not live this long. The text is a computer-enhanced font which was not in existence in 1975. The Vestry is not a proper Registration District. This is a forgery of a public document!

A Celebration for Easter Day, 2011. Christ is Risen! #HeIsRisen #EasterLive

Happy Easter.  Christ is Risen.

What are we supposed to say about such a day?  It doesn't fit into categories of modern, secular Britain.  It infuriates the secularists and humanists that otherwise seemingly sane individuals and communities across the country and across the world believe that a man who was dead is alive again. Dr Who probably nodded in the direction of Jesus last night.  When the Dr was shot dead, he was then seen again and Amelia and friends stood in amazement. What must those early disciples have felt.  No time machines, no technology, no strange alien life forms.  Just their friend, crucified (the wounds still on his wrists, feet, side), now risen.  What must it have been like?  For that is simply what Easter is about.  We can theologise it as much as we want - we can say that death was defeated and that life was reaffirmed.  But in the end, for me, it is not a conjuring trick with a bag of bones but a real resurrection.  A celebration of God's power over the ultimate end - death itself.  It means that in everything God's love is triumphant.  It says that for those who suffer, God will be there.  For those caught in the horror of cancer or warfare or poverty, God will be there.  For those who die and suffer the death of others around them, God will be there.  And it means that for me and for millions of others, we are called to be Easter People - people who live out the passion of God for the poor, the destitute, the downtrodden, the bereaved, the diseased, the forgotten, so that as Christian Aid once said, people might know that there is life before death as well.

Life wins. The Lamb wins.  Love wins.  Whatever way you want to put it, Easter Day says that in all things, God wins!

That's enough for me.

Words can't say enough though - so four pieces to meditate on and to feed your soul:

1. John Donne's Poem: Death be not proud

 

Death be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so,

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,

Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,

Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee do go,

Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,

And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well,

And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally,

And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

 

2. Ben Cantelon's song, Saviour of the World

01_Saviour_Of_The_World.m4a Listen on Posterous

3. Nicolas Maes', Old Lady Praying

 It warrants some meditation - see the Bible, the meal, who is she sharing it with, her humility, and the cat...

4. Social Media telling of the Jesus story...(via bigbible.org.uk - of course!)

5. And, if only I was at home, I'd have added that wonderful, wonderful clip from Jesus of Montreal where they are sat in the underground tunnel and someone comes running in to the most wonderful background music and they re-enact the Emmaus Road resurrection appearance! My favourite film of all time, I think.

Happy Easter!

Pete

A Celebration for Easter Day, 2011. Christ is Risen! #HeIsRisen #EasterLive

Happy Easter.  Christ is Risen.

What are we supposed to say about such a day?  It doesn't fit into categories of modern, secular Britain.  It infuriates the secularists and humanists that otherwise seemingly sane individuals and communities across the country and across the world believe that a man who was dead is alive again. Dr Who probably nodded in the direction of Jesus last night.  When the Dr was shot dead, he was then seen again and Amelia and friends stood in amazement. What must those early disciples have felt.  No time machines, no technology, no strange alien life forms.  Just their friend, crucified (the wounds still on his wrists, feet, side), now risen.  What must it have been like?  For that is simply what Easter is about.  We can theologise it as much as we want - we can say that death was defeated and that life was reaffirmed.  But in the end, for me, it is not a conjuring trick with a bag of bones but a real resurrection.  A celebration of God's power over the ultimate end - death itself.  It means that in everything God's love is triumphant.  It says that for those who suffer, God will be there.  For those caught in the horror of cancer or warfare or poverty, God will be there.  For those who die and suffer the death of others around them, God will be there.  And it means that for me and for millions of others, we are called to be Easter People - people who live out the passion of God for the poor, the destitute, the downtrodden, the bereaved, the diseased, the forgotten, so that as Christian Aid once said, people might know that there is life before death as well.

Life wins. The Lamb wins.  Love wins.  Whatever way you want to put it, Easter Day says that in all things, God wins!

That's enough for me.

Words can't say enough though - so four pieces to meditate on and to feed your soul:

1. John Donne's Poem: Death be not proud

 

Death be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so,

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,

Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,

Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee do go,

Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,

And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well,

And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally,

And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

 

2. Ben Cantelon's song, Saviour of the World

01_Saviour_Of_The_World.m4a Listen on Posterous

3. Nicolas Maes', Old Lady Praying

 It warrants some meditation - see the Bible, the meal, who is she sharing it with, her humility, and the cat...

4. Social Media telling of the Jesus story...(via bigbible.org.uk - of course!)

5. And, if only I was at home, I'd have added that wonderful, wonderful clip from Jesus of Montreal where they are sat in the underground tunnel and someone comes running in to the most wonderful background music and they re-enact the Emmaus Road resurrection appearance! My favourite film of all time, I think.

Happy Easter!

Pete

A Celebration for Easter Day, 2011. Christ is Risen! #HeIsRisen #EasterLive

Happy Easter.  Christ is Risen.

What are we supposed to say about such a day?  It doesn't fit into categories of modern, secular Britain.  It infuriates the secularists and humanists that otherwise seemingly sane individuals and communities across the country and across the world believe that a man who was dead is alive again. Dr Who probably nodded in the direction of Jesus last night.  When the Dr was shot dead, he was then seen again and Amelia and friends stood in amazement. What must those early disciples have felt.  No time machines, no technology, no strange alien life forms.  Just their friend, crucified (the wounds still on his wrists, feet, side), now risen.  What must it have been like?

Words can't say - so four pieces:

1. John Donne's Poem: Death be not proud

Death be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so,

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,

Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,

Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee do go,

Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,

And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well,

And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally,

And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

2. Ben Cantelon's song, Saviour of the World

01_Saviour_Of_The_World.m4a Listen on Posterous

3. Nicolas Maes', Old Lady Praying

It warrants some meditation - see the Bible, the meal, who is she sharing it with, her humility, and the cat...

4. Social Media telling of the Jesus story...

5. And, if only I was at home, I'd have added that wonderful, wonderful clip from Jesus of Montreal where they are sat in the underground tunnel and someone comes running in to the most wonderful background music and they re-enact the Emmaus Road resurrection appearance! My favourite film of all time, I think.

Happy Easter!

Pet

The text of my #No2AV article in this week's @methodiistrecorder

#NO2AV
It goes against the grain for me to back a campaign led by a Conservative Government.  My own politics is left of centre and I remain deeply against the cuts-agenda being put in place by the Tory-led Coalition and as a previous LibDem voter very unhappy about tuition fees.
Left of centre, former LibDem voter – whyever am I writing a piece which opposes the move to AV?  Basically, because it is not a good enough replacement for our current first past the post electoral system.  It’s a voting system which promotes backroom deals and inter-party machinations.  It’s a system which is radically undemocratic and which moves the country away from key principles of our democracy.  
Of course, if the vote was for a proportional system, then I would be jumping up and down for joy.  A proportional system takes the votes cast by everyone and elects the number of MPs in direct proportion to these votes.  Such a system maintains one person one vote but could undermine the link between local constituencies and MPs.
But PR is not on offer, sadly.  What is on offer is a system which Nick Clegg, just before the election, called ‘a miserable little compromise’.  AV offers a number of problems which muddy the water of our electoral system rather than offering the crystal clear waters of proportional representation.  
Firstly, AV offers both too much power to minority parties and not enough.  If we had a proportional system, all parties receiving enough votes would have seats in Parliament.  That would mean many of the parties on the fringe of British politics (Greens, UKIP, BNP) would gain representation in Parliament.  We may not like that, but it does mean everyone’s vote counts.  AV does not guarantee those parties representation.  But could mean more coalitions.  We have already seen that the present coalition resulted in the manifestos of both participant parties being compromised. The electorate has not had any opportunity to vote on the Coalition Document or Manifesto.  As such, the resulting compromise does not have an electoral mandate.  If AV is going to increase the number of coalitions, particularly for the Conservative party, then the parties will need to ensure that the electorate know what post-election scenarios might be – otherwise the process becomes wholly undemocratic, stitched up by representatives from the two parties behind closed doors in Westminster – the very thing which AV says it is trying to move away from.
Secondly, AV moves away from the principal of one person one vote.  British politics has worked hard over the years to ensure fair votes for both men and women over a certain age and as long as they aren’t in prison.  Each person’s vote counts.  However, in AV, each person’s vote counts again if their preferred candidate does not gain the required 50%.  Let me give an example. Where I live, it was a Liberal/Labour marginal at the last election.  If I voted for UKIP, then I might give my preferences to other parties in this order – 1-UKIP, 2-Conservative, 3-English Democrats, 4-Liberals.  Let’s assume that the first round of voting splits between Labour and Liberals 30% each. This would mean subsequent redistribution of the votes of the minor parties – first out goes English Democrats and Independents, then eventually my UKIP first preference is reassigned to the Conservatives.  My vote has now counted twice.  However, my wife’s labour vote has only counted once. Then the Conservatives are eventually redistributed and my vote has counted three times.  My wife’s vote remains counted only once.  In other words, voters for marginal parties will get multiple chances to have their say.  Voters for the mainstream parties are more likely to get their vote counted once.  And those marginal voters are much more likely to affect the outcome as their votes pile up on top of the candidates.  It’s the very effect which unseated David Miliband when he was favourite as Labour Leader.  The redistribution of votes stole the victory from him.
Thirdly, AV doesn’t allow for true plurality within constituencies.  Plurality is important within contemporary Britain.  That plurality is pushing the country towards a multiparty political landscape. This is much more the case in Scotland and Wales than in England.  However, plurality is much more common.  As such, a three way marginal is a three way marginal.  If 30% of the population support each of the main political parties,  then the vote will be split three ways.  The result under first past the post would be a close marginal. The MP elected would need to work hard to maintain the support of the whole constituency, representing both those voters who voted for her and those who didn’t.  I am not sure that our current MPs fail to support voters from other parties.  However, AV would force that three way marginal into an old fashioned two party debate.  The redistribution of the votes to ensure a 50% win for one of the candidates suggests that the plurality is wrong and minorities need to be forced to agree with the majority. Why not just let minorities have their say?
Fourthly, AV doesn’t respect conviction politics.  There are quite a few comments circulating suggesting that the #NO2AV campaign supports tribal politics and that FPTP is only supported by lazy politicians in safe seats.  What about the concept that people are convinced of a particular political agenda and are not willing to vote for someone of a different party? It’s interesting that the political system is using ‘tribalism’ in a very pejorative sense, just when writers such as Seth Godin is talking of the way that tribes can develop intense community within a networked society.  We have seen through the recent campaigns against student fees and involving UKUncut that forcing people into a coalition agenda which has no electoral mandate can end in a fractured society.  Conviction voters sense that they have been marginalised by a group of bureaucrats in Whitehall.
For all these reasons, and more, I will be going to the Ballot Box and voting No to AV.

Many thanks to Methodist Recorder for permission to reproduce

A song for Good Friday - this keeps going through my head...Elbow's "Open Arms".

I love this song. I love the image of arms open wide to offer comfort and protection. On Good Friday, Christ spread his arms and welcomed all people into his care, into his love. He's got open arms to welcome all people into his embrace. Today that offer stands as much as it did 2000 years ago.

You're a law unto yourself
And we don't suffer dreamers
But neither should you walk the earth alone

So with finger rolls and folding chairs
And a volley of streamers
We can be there for tweaks and repairs
Should you come back home

We got open arms for broken hearts
Like yours my boy, come home again

Tables are for pounding here
And when we've got you surrounded
The man you are will know the boy you were

And you're not the man who fell to earth
You're the man of La Mancha
And we've love enough to light the street
'Cause everybody's here

We got open arms for broken hearts
Like yours my boy, come home again
We got open arms for broken hearts
Like yours my boy, come home again

Everyone's here
Everyone's here
The moon is out looking for trouble
And everyone's here

Everyone's here
Everyone's here
The moon wants a scrap or a cuddle
And everyone's here

We got open arms for broken hearts
Like yours my boy, come home again
We got open arms for broken hearts
Like yours my boy, come home again

Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Come home again

The moon is out looking for trouble
The moon wants a scrap or a cuddle
The moon is face down in a puddle
And everyone's here

via sing365.com

May 9th 1-2.30pm: SocMedia Tweetup in C.London 2 discuss #LoveWins/Pyro-theolo gy: bit.ly/hQsyx b. Send a tweet if you can come. Pls RT

[[posterous-content:xyviBxBwlDFEGpoxvauu]]Event: #LoveWinsChat Networking Lunch

When: Monday May 9th, 1.00pm-2.30pm 

Advance warning: Early Evening TweetUp on June 8th possibly???

Venue: Upper Room at The Angel in the Fields, 37 Thayer Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 2QU

Deal: CODEC have booked the Upper Room, you buy your lunch and a drink yourself from the upstairs bar

Purpose: A few of us have been discussing #LoveWins and Peter Rollins concept of Pyro-Theology - mostly via the net, on blogs, twitter and facebook.  Well, we want to gather together for a face to face conversation to look at a positive and useful response and engagement.  Sounds like fun!  Open, chatty, networky...

Space: Space could be limited this time, so please email me or send a tweet (@pmphillips) to confirm you are coming!

Faith 2.0 | A Conference on Religion and the Internet | #faith2point0 | report updated with audio links and some post conference thinking

Faith 2.0 | A Conference on Religion and the Internet | #faith2point0

Partners:  Royal Society for the Arts, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, Durham University (Faith and Globalisation/CODEC)

This important academic conference was held on 14^th April at the RSA in London.  CODEC were delighted to be involved in the planning for and delivery of the event. CODEC's research director, Pete Phillips, moderated one of the panels (and had great fun doing so) and had lots of opportunity to chat and discuss theology and sociology with lots of people.

The key aim was to bring together a number of academics in the field and to provide a rough overview of contemporary pathways in scholarship around faith and the internet.

All proceedings from the day are available on the RSA website and now that they are available, I am sure that there will be much more opportunity to give a fuller report.  Indeed, a number of people are already talking about doing this on the twitter feeds (e.g. @boldcreative, @digitalnun).  There is also a record of the online conversation here - a full record of tweets using the hashtag #faith2point0. 

 For the time being, all that is here is a kind of impressionistic view of the event…

Many, many thanks to Ruth Turner, Drew and Kate at TBFF and all the staff at the RSA who made the whole day and the preparations for it so good!

Many, many thanks to Professors Joanildo Burity and Emma Murray at Durham for inviting me along and listening to some possible ideas along the way. 

Many, many thanks to those involved in the day.  I put on twitter in the morning how I felt like a fish out water.  I was glad to feel I was in good company by the beginning of actual proceedings!  We are all fish and this is big water!

Here’s what happened:

 Opening Addresses: PODCAST HERE

• Professor Emma Murphy, SGIA, Durham University
• Ruth Turner, Chief Executive, Tony Blair Faith Foundation
• Professor Joanildo Burity, Director of Faith & Globalisation, Durham University

 All the speakers spoke of the incredible complexity of the issues. The study of faith is difficult and the study of the internet is difficult.  Put the two together and the subject is probably overly ambitious.  However, the partners had brought together the key people exploring the subject area and we had a chance of getting an idea of what it is all about…

Panel 1: PODCAST HERE

• Religious Identity: How should we understand the nature and activities of online faith-based communities?
• Dr Peter Phillips (Director of Research, CODEC) moderated the panel, encouraging discussion on the role of the internet as information-provider or space for play and urging participants not to judge the coming generations for their engagement in the internet and apparent lack of  focus on the real world.
•  Professor Heidi Campbell (Texas A&M) spoke on the development of community and the effects of technology on humanity and our identity especially in terms of networked individualism and the problem of identity and performance online.  There is a danger of performance infecting online identity.
•  Professor Lorenzo Cantoni (Lugano, Switzerland) (Vice-Director: Institute of Public and Educational Communication) explored some recent quantitative data concerning Catholic engagement with the internet – especially clerical involvement, showing some abnormal trends and greater take up in non-technological societies and across all ages, use of the internet was mostly to provide information
•  Andrew Graystone (Director, Church and Media Network) took the Parable of Legion from Mark’s Gospel and explored multiple personality issues related to the use of the internet and argued for a singularity of personality, a FairTrade approach to indentity on the Net
•  Professor Brenda Brasher (Tulane) spoke of the development of internet/faith research and the phenomenon of online presence; of the role of the internet as a place of imagination; of the absorbing and distracting nature of the internet and whether it distracts from focused embodied presence in the real world

Panel 2: PODCAST HERE

• Building New Communities: How has the internet created space for new religious communities to come together?
• Professor Heidi Campbell moderated the panel
• Professor Scott Thumma (Hartford Institute for Religion Research) an expert on megachurches in the USA and their engagement with the internet, spoke of the way that the internet was taking Church beyond Sunday mornings and allowing for asynchrous expressions of faith
•  Ambassador Miguel Diaz (US Ambassador to the Holy See and Professor at St John’s University) spoke of the importance of the internet for diaspora communities and the power of the internet to allow marginal voices an option to participate and be heard
•  Stephen Timms MP (Vice Chair: Labour Party) spoke of the empowering nature of the internet and impact the internet could have on engaging change – he argues that faith provided the values which needed to influence our engagement with the internet and our politics
•  Professor Lorne E Dawson (University of Waterloo) spoke of the background to sociological study of the internet and the dangers and opportunities associated with community development through the net and of his own research with diaspora communities

From both of the morning panels, the message was loud and clear that there were only a few people across the world doing academic research on internet and faith related issues.  We all know of a few PhD projects but most people are concerned with other issues within theology.  We need people to explore this issue now.  (More on this and the role CODEC could play below!)

 After lunch and networking time…

Keynote speech: PODCAST HERE

• Sister Catherine Wybourne (@digitalnun, Holy Trinity Monastery) spoke about the online ministry of Holy Trinity Monastery including the various blogs (e.g. ibenedictines.org) which they run.  She shared some of her wariness about aspects of the web; her passion for Twitter and the success of online retreats.  She also shared the way in which she thinks different levels of engagement with the internet mirror Benedictine practices of admission into community.  The whole session was wonderful and deserves a listen!
•  The session was moderated by Professor Joanildo Burity.

Panel 3: PODCAST HERE

• Religious Authority and the Growth of Online Extremism: How has the internet destabilised traditional structures of authority? Has the internet facilitated the creation of new lines of authority in their place? Who has the power?
• Professor Lorne Dawson moderated the panel
• Rev Canon Robin Morrison, (Bishop's Adviser for Church and Society in Wales) spoke of the need for conversation and dialogue across religious boundaries as the way to engage with extremism in contemporary culture
•  Joshua Fouts (@josholalia) spoke about his own pioneering research in Second Life concerning engaging with extremism and providing opportunities for dialogue and the power of the internet to open up religious expression (see his co-authored Carnegie report: “Digital Diplomacy”)
• Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan – unable to attend due to illness
• Dr Gary Bunt (University of Wales Trinity Saint David) is doing some archival observation of Islamic websites and explored what is out there and how religious authority is often associated with technological capital in today’s web-based world.  Gary also explored the phenomenon of e-jihad.

Of course, what isn’t listed here is all the interactivity between the speakers and among the audience.  We had a meal the night before and spent some time discussing research and the internet amongst a few of the academics.  We had time to discuss things in the speakers room.  People asked a lot of questions and could have asked a lot more!  We debated where we went from here…

Some of the sessions went better than others.  So the last panel had a pretty torrid time when it came to questions in that the whole area of misrepresentation of Islam was raised by some passionate members of the audience.  Some of us thought there was a problem with the subject area given to the panel or the selection of people on the panel.  But Lorne Dawson said in conversation later how even on panels where people speak about lots of different extremism, usually the question time ended up focusing on Islamic extremism because this is the issue currently running so strong.  You can see on the twitter feeds (#faith1point0) how this came out in the actual discussion – listen to the audio – was it a car crash?

We spoke as well about some possible future steps.  One of the issues was that there was no time to actually discuss the issues being raised.  The academics wanted more time to discuss and negotiate with one another, to interact with what different people were saying.  So, I will be making a proposal to a few people for the next step sometime: Faith 2.1: A Colloquium on Religion and the Internet.

The conversation must go on!  As Sister Catherine Wybourne said on her blog this morning when reflecting on the Conference:

There was, I think, a tremendous affirmation of the importance of real, face-to-face encounter alongside online or virtual meetings. As I travelled back, I could not help thinking that the internet has unleashed a power we haven’t yet truly understood. Like printing, it enables us to communicate more quickly and cheaply than ever before. Like nuclear fission, it can generate both heat and light. It is an energy, a force, and we are privileged to be shapers of what it will become and how it will be used. Perhaps we need another conference, not about how the internet can serve religion, but how religion can serve the internet to ensure that its power is used for good and peaceful purposes.

However, I think the biggest thing I learnt from the day was the strategic possibility and strategic frustations for CODEC.  There are so few people engaged across the world in research linking theology and the internet - and a lot of what is happening is more sociological than theological.  We were trying to rack our brains for who is working in the field.  We came up with a relatively short list (not for public or private viewing!!!  In fact, it was just one of those things you do after a glass of wine or two...). That list needs to be expanded further into the key non-traditional academics and practitioners making headway in the field and there are plenty, indeed CODEC has been instrumental in drawing those kind of people together through CNMAC, research seminars, social media lunches, etc. 

However, it is more clear to me than ever that CODEC is strategically placed to do something important in terms of research into the digital world and theology. We have partnerships to form, academic liaisons to make, conferences to hold, research students to encourage, books to write... 

Of course, the issue comes back again to two connected issues:

• time for writing up what we are already doing - all the projects up and down the land
• funding - we are chasing our tail too much to be properly productive either in project development or writing up

O for the opportunity to share the vision with any potential funders! 

Pete Phillips

 Director of Research, CODEC

 

Faith 2.0 | A Conference on Religion and the Internet | #faith2point0 | report updated with audio links and some post conference thinking

Faith 2.0 | A Conference on Religion and the Internet | #faith2point0

Partners:  Royal Society for the Arts, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, Durham University (Faith and Globalisation/CODEC)

This important academic conference was held on 14^th April at the RSA in London.  CODEC were delighted to be involved in the planning for and delivery of the event. CODEC's research director, Pete Phillips, moderated one of the panels (and had great fun doing so) and had lots of opportunity to chat and discuss theology and sociology with lots of people.

The key aim was to bring together a number of academics in the field and to provide a rough overview of contemporary pathways in scholarship around faith and the internet.

All proceedings from the day are available on the RSA website and now that they are available, I am sure that there will be much more opportunity to give a fuller report.  Indeed, a number of people are already talking about doing this on the twitter feeds (e.g. @boldcreative, @digitalnun).  There is also a record of the online conversation here - a full record of tweets using the hashtag #faith2point0. 

 For the time being, all that is here is a kind of impressionistic view of the event…

Many, many thanks to Ruth Turner, Drew and Kate at TBFF and all the staff at the RSA who made the whole day and the preparations for it so good!

Many, many thanks to Professors Joanildo Burity and Emma Murray at Durham for inviting me along and listening to some possible ideas along the way. 

Many, many thanks to those involved in the day.  I put on twitter in the morning how I felt like a fish out water.  I was glad to feel I was in good company by the beginning of actual proceedings!  We are all fish and this is big water!

Here’s what happened:

 Opening Addresses: PODCAST HERE

• Professor Emma Murphy, SGIA, Durham University
• Ruth Turner, Chief Executive, Tony Blair Faith Foundation
• Professor Joanildo Burity, Director of Faith & Globalisation, Durham University

 All the speakers spoke of the incredible complexity of the issues. The study of faith is difficult and the study of the internet is difficult.  Put the two together and the subject is probably overly ambitious.  However, the partners had brought together the key people exploring the subject area and we had a chance of getting an idea of what it is all about…

Panel 1: PODCAST HERE

• Religious Identity: How should we understand the nature and activities of online faith-based communities?
• Dr Peter Phillips (Director of Research, CODEC) moderated the panel, encouraging discussion on the role of the internet as information-provider or space for play and urging participants not to judge the coming generations for their engagement in the internet and apparent lack of  focus on the real world.
•  Professor Heidi Campbell (Texas A&M) spoke on the development of community and the effects of technology on humanity and our identity especially in terms of networked individualism and the problem of identity and performance online.  There is a danger of performance infecting online identity.
•  Professor Lorenzo Cantoni (Lugano, Switzerland) (Vice-Director: Institute of Public and Educational Communication) explored some recent quantitative data concerning Catholic engagement with the internet – especially clerical involvement, showing some abnormal trends and greater take up in non-technological societies and across all ages, use of the internet was mostly to provide information
•  Andrew Graystone (Director, Church and Media Network) took the Parable of Legion from Mark’s Gospel and explored multiple personality issues related to the use of the internet and argued for a singularity of personality, a FairTrade approach to indentity on the Net
•  Professor Brenda Brasher (Tulane) spoke of the development of internet/faith research and the phenomenon of online presence; of the role of the internet as a place of imagination; of the absorbing and distracting nature of the internet and whether it distracts from focused embodied presence in the real world

Panel 2: PODCAST HERE

• Building New Communities: How has the internet created space for new religious communities to come together?
• Professor Heidi Campbell moderated the panel
• Professor Scott Thumma (Hartford Institute for Religion Research) an expert on megachurches in the USA and their engagement with the internet, spoke of the way that the internet was taking Church beyond Sunday mornings and allowing for asynchrous expressions of faith
•  Ambassador Miguel Diaz (US Ambassador to the Holy See and Professor at St John’s University) spoke of the importance of the internet for diaspora communities and the power of the internet to allow marginal voices an option to participate and be heard
•  Stephen Timms MP (Vice Chair: Labour Party) spoke of the empowering nature of the internet and impact the internet could have on engaging change – he argues that faith provided the values which needed to influence our engagement with the internet and our politics
•  Professor Lorne E Dawson (University of Waterloo) spoke of the background to sociological study of the internet and the dangers and opportunities associated with community development through the net and of his own research with diaspora communities

From both of the morning panels, the message was loud and clear that there were only a few people across the world doing academic research on internet and faith related issues.  We all know of a few PhD projects but most people are concerned with other issues within theology.  We need people to explore this issue now.  (More on this and the role CODEC could play below!)

 After lunch and networking time…

Keynote speech: PODCAST HERE

• Sister Catherine Wybourne (@digitalnun, Holy Trinity Monastery) spoke about the online ministry of Holy Trinity Monastery including the various blogs (e.g. ibenedictines.org) which they run.  She shared some of her wariness about aspects of the web; her passion for Twitter and the success of online retreats.  She also shared the way in which she thinks different levels of engagement with the internet mirror Benedictine practices of admission into community.  The whole session was wonderful and deserves a listen!
•  The session was moderated by Professor Joanildo Burity.

Panel 3: PODCAST HERE

• Religious Authority and the Growth of Online Extremism: How has the internet destabilised traditional structures of authority? Has the internet facilitated the creation of new lines of authority in their place? Who has the power?
• Professor Lorne Dawson moderated the panel
• Rev Canon Robin Morrison, (Bishop's Adviser for Church and Society in Wales) spoke of the need for conversation and dialogue across religious boundaries as the way to engage with extremism in contemporary culture
•  Joshua Fouts (@josholalia) spoke about his own pioneering research in Second Life concerning engaging with extremism and providing opportunities for dialogue and the power of the internet to open up religious expression (see his co-authored Carnegie report: “Digital Diplomacy”)
• Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan – unable to attend due to illness
• Dr Gary Bunt (University of Wales Trinity Saint David) is doing some archival observation of Islamic websites and explored what is out there and how religious authority is often associated with technological capital in today’s web-based world.  Gary also explored the phenomenon of e-jihad.

Of course, what isn’t listed here is all the interactivity between the speakers and among the audience.  We had a meal the night before and spent some time discussing research and the internet amongst a few of the academics.  We had time to discuss things in the speakers room.  People asked a lot of questions and could have asked a lot more!  We debated where we went from here…

Some of the sessions went better than others.  So the last panel had a pretty torrid time when it came to questions in that the whole area of misrepresentation of Islam was raised by some passionate members of the audience.  Some of us thought there was a problem with the subject area given to the panel or the selection of people on the panel.  But Lorne Dawson said in conversation later how even on panels where people speak about lots of different extremism, usually the question time ended up focusing on Islamic extremism because this is the issue currently running so strong.  You can see on the twitter feeds (#faith1point0) how this came out in the actual discussion – listen to the audio – was it a car crash?

We spoke as well about some possible future steps.  One of the issues was that there was no time to actually discuss the issues being raised.  The academics wanted more time to discuss and negotiate with one another, to interact with what different people were saying.  So, I will be making a proposal to a few people for the next step sometime: Faith 2.1: A Colloquium on Religion and the Internet.

The conversation must go on!  As Sister Catherine Wybourne said on her blog this morning when reflecting on the Conference:

There was, I think, a tremendous affirmation of the importance of real, face-to-face encounter alongside online or virtual meetings. As I travelled back, I could not help thinking that the internet has unleashed a power we haven’t yet truly understood. Like printing, it enables us to communicate more quickly and cheaply than ever before. Like nuclear fission, it can generate both heat and light. It is an energy, a force, and we are privileged to be shapers of what it will become and how it will be used. Perhaps we need another conference, not about how the internet can serve religion, but how religion can serve the internet to ensure that its power is used for good and peaceful purposes.

However, I think the biggest thing I learnt from the day was the strategic possibility and strategic frustations for CODEC.  There are so few people engaged across the world in research linking theology and the internet - and a lot of what is happening is more sociological than theological.  We were trying to rack our brains for who is working in the field.  We came up with a relatively short list (not for public or private viewing!!!  In fact, it was just one of those things you do after a glass of wine or two...). That list needs to be expanded further into the key non-traditional academics and practitioners making headway in the field and there are plenty, indeed CODEC has been instrumental in drawing those kind of people together through CNMAC, research seminars, social media lunches, etc. 

However, it is more clear to me than ever that CODEC is strategically placed to do something important in terms of research into the digital world and theology. We have partnerships to form, academic liaisons to make, conferences to hold, research students to encourage, books to write... 

Of course, the issue comes back again to two connected issues:

• time for writing up what we are already doing - all the projects up and down the land
• funding - we are chasing our tail too much to be properly productive either in project development or writing up

O for the opportunity to share the vision with any potential funders! 

Pete Phillips

 Director of Research, CODEC

 

Faith 2.0 | A Conference on Religion and the Internet | #faith2point0 | report and some post conference thinking

Faith 2.0 | A Conference on Religion and the Internet | #faith2point0

Partners:  Royal Society for the Arts, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, Durham University (Faith and Globalisation/CODEC)

This important academic conference was held on 14^th April at the RSA in London.  CODEC were delighted to be involved in the planning for and delivery of the event. CODEC's research director, Pete Phillips, moderated one of the panels (and had great fun doing so) and had lots of opportunity to chat and discuss theology and sociology with lots of people.

The key aim was to bring together a number of academics in the field and to provide a rough overview of contemporary pathways in scholarship around faith and the internet.

All proceedings from the day are available on the RSA website and when they are up, I am sure that there will be much more opportunity to give a fuller report.  Indeed, a number of people are already talking about doing this on the twitter feeds (e.g. @boldcreative, @digitalnun).  For the time being, all that is here is a kind of impressionistic view of the event…

Many, many thanks to Ruth Turner, Drew and Kate at TBFF and all the staff at the RSA who made the whole day and the preparations for it so good!

Many, many thanks to Professors Joanildo Burity and Emma Murray at Durham for inviting me along and listening to some possible ideas along the way. 

Many, many thanks to those involved in the day.  I put on twitter in the morning how I felt like a fish out water.  I was glad to feel I was in good company by the beginning of actual proceedings!  We are all fish and this is big water!

Here’s what happened:

 Opening Addresses:

• Professor Emma Murphy, SGIA, Durham University
• Ruth Turner, Chief Executive, Tony Blair Faith Foundation
• Professor Joanildo Burity, Director of Faith & Globalisation, Durham University

 All the speakers spoke of the incredible complexity of the issues. The study of faith is difficult and the study of the internet is difficult.  Put the two together and the subject is probably overly ambitious.  However, the partners had brought together the key people exploring the subject area and we had a chance of getting an idea of what it is all about…

Panel 1:

• Religious Identity: How should we understand the nature and activities of online faith-based communities?
• Dr Peter Phillips (Director of Research, CODEC) moderated the panel, encouraging discussion on the role of the internet as information-provider or space for play and urging participants not to judge the coming generations for their engagement in the internet and apparent lack of  focus on the real world.
•  Professor Heidi Campbell (Texas A&M) spoke on the development of community and the effects of technology on humanity and our identity especially in terms of networked individualism and the problem of identity and performance online.  There is a danger of performance infecting online identity.
•  Professor Lorenzo Cantoni (Lugano, Switzerland) (Vice-Director: Institute of Public and Educational Communication) explored some recent quantitative data concerning Catholic engagement with the internet – especially clerical involvement, showing some abnormal trends and greater take up in non-technological societies and across all ages, use of the internet was mostly to provide information
•  Andrew Graystone (Director, Church and Media Network) took the Parable of Legion from Mark’s Gospel and explored multiple personality issues related to the use of the internet and argued for a singularity of personality, a FairTrade approach to indentity on the Net
•  Professor Brenda Brasher (Tulane) spoke of the development of internet/faith research and the phenomenon of online presence; of the role of the internet as a place of imagination; of the absorbing and distracting nature of the internet and whether it distracts from focused embodied presence in the real world

Panel 2:

• Building New Communities: How has the internet created space for new religious communities to come together?
• Professor Heidi Campbell moderated the panel
• Professor Scott Thumma (Hartford Institute for Religion Research) an expert on megachurches in the USA and their engagement with the internet, spoke of the way that the internet was taking Church beyond Sunday mornings and allowing for asynchrous expressions of faith
•  Ambassador Miguel Diaz (US Ambassador to the Holy See and Professor at St John’s University) spoke of the importance of the internet for diaspora communities and the power of the internet to allow marginal voices an option to participate and be heard
•  Stephen Timms MP (Vice Chair: Labour Party) spoke of the empowering nature of the internet and impact the internet could have on engaging change – he argues that faith provided the values which needed to influence our engagement with the internet and our politics
•  Professor Lorne E Dawson (University of Waterloo) spoke of the background to sociological study of the internet and the dangers and opportunities associated with community development through the net and of his own research with diaspora communities

From both of the morning panels, the message was loud and clear that there were only a few people across the world doing academic research on internet and faith related issues.  We all know of a few PhD projects but most people are concerned with other issues within theology.  We need people to explore this issue now.  (More on this and the role CODEC could play below!)

 After lunch and networking time…

Keynote speech:

• Sister Catherine Wybourne (@digitalnun, Holy Trinity Monastery) spoke about the online ministry of Holy Trinity Monastery including the various blogs (e.g. ibenedictines.org) which they run.  She shared some of her wariness about aspects of the web; her passion for Twitter and the success of online retreats.  She also shared the way in which she thinks different levels of engagement with the internet mirror Benedictine practices of admission into community.  The whole session was wonderful and deserves a listen!
•  The session was moderated by Professor Joanildo Burity.

Panel 3:

• Religious Authority and the Growth of Online Extremism: How has the internet destabilised traditional structures of authority? Has the internet facilitated the creation of new lines of authority in their place? Who has the power?
• Professor Lorne Dawson moderated the panel
• Rev Canon Robin Morrison, (Bishop's Adviser for Church and Society in Wales) spoke of the need for conversation and dialogue across religious boundaries as the way to engage with extremism in contemporary culture
•  Joshua Fouts (@josholalia) spoke about his own pioneering research in Second Life concerning engaging with extremism and providing opportunities for dialogue and the power of the internet to open up religious expression (see his co-authored Carnegie report: “Digital Diplomacy”)
• Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan – unable to attend due to illness
• Dr Gary Bunt (University of Wales Trinity Saint David) is doing some archival observation of Islamic websites and explored what is out there and how religious authority is often associated with technological capital in today’s web-based world.  Gary also explored the phenomenon of e-jihad.

Of course, what isn’t listed here is all the interactivity between the speakers and among the audience.  We had a meal the night before and spent some time discussing research and the internet amongst a few of the academics.  We had time to discuss things in the speakers room.  People asked a lot of questions and could have asked a lot more!  We debated where we went from here…

Some of the sessions went better than others.  So the last panel had a pretty torrid time when it came to questions in that the whole area of misrepresentation of Islam was raised by some passionate members of the audience.  Some of us thought there was a problem with the subject area given to the panel or the selection of people on the panel.  But Lorne Dawson said in conversation later how even on panels where people speak about lots of different extremism, usually the question time ended up focusing on Islamic extremism because this is the issue currently running so strong.  You can see on the twitter feeds (#faith1point0) how this came out in the actual discussion – listen to the audio – was it a car crash?

We spoke as well about some possible future steps.  One of the issues was that there was no time to actually discuss the issues being raised.  The academics wanted more time to discuss and negotiate with one another, to interact with what different people were saying.  So, I will be making a proposal to a few people for the next step sometime: Faith 2.1: A Colloquium on Religion and the Internet.

The conversation must go on!  As Sister Catherine Wybourne said on her blog this morning when reflecting on the Conference:

There was, I think, a tremendous affirmation of the importance of real, face-to-face encounter alongside online or virtual meetings. As I travelled back, I could not help thinking that the internet has unleashed a power we haven’t yet truly understood. Like printing, it enables us to communicate more quickly and cheaply than ever before. Like nuclear fission, it can generate both heat and light. It is an energy, a force, and we are privileged to be shapers of what it will become and how it will be used. Perhaps we need another conference, not about how the internet can serve religion, but how religion can serve the internet to ensure that its power is used for good and peaceful purposes.

However, I think the biggest thing I learnt from the day was the strategic possibility and strategic frustations for CODEC.  There are so few people engaged across the world in research linking theology and the internet - and a lot of what is happening is more sociological than theological.  We were trying to rack our brains for who is working in the field.  We came up with a relatively short list (not for public or private viewing!!!  In fact, it was just one of those things you do after a glass of wine or two...). That list needs to be expanded further into the key non-traditional academics and practitioners making headway in the field and there are plenty, indeed CODEC has been instrumental in drawing those kind of people together through CNMAC, research seminars, social media lunches, etc. 

However, it is more clear to me than ever that CODEC is strategically placed to do something important in terms of research into the digital world and theology. We have partnerships to form, academic liaisons to make, conferences to hold, research students to encourage, books to write... 

Of course, the issue comes back again to two connected issues:

• time for writing up what we are already doing - all the projects up and down the land
• funding - we are chasing our tail too much to be properly productive either in project development or writing up

O for the opportunity to share the vision with any potential funders! 

Pete Phillips

 Director of Research, CODEC