 [Larger view] | The Internet Church
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Average user rating:  | |
 Too much selling, and not enough application. | |
| I'd hoped for much more from this book. I found it to be focused too much on selling the idea of a web ministry to churches rather than teaching churches how to go about applying web ministries. The content of the book should've been the opposite, more application and result possibilities, which might've, ironically, better sold churches on the idea of a web ministry. | |
 Christ Goes Where the People Are | |
| Walter P. Wilson tackles the topic Internet evangelism, and being church in a digital society, with a strong sense of both the realties and possibilities for technology and a deep commitment to biblical teachings. Wilson begins by declaring that God is calling the Church to a new frontier for ministry. He sees rich potential for what can be done, if Christians are wise enough to make careful use of the Internet. After framing the topic in a sense of call, the author then introduces us to his perspective on what Internet, and digital technology in general, mean for us in terms of challenges to our ways of thinking about reality. His social analysis of the Internet is one of the greatest strengths of this book and that which I feel makes it stand out in relation to other books on the subject. The essence of Wilson's argument is that Christians need to be responsible about realizing that we must ceaselessly engage in processes of learning, sharpening our skills for proclaiming God's message in the world. Wilson is critical of the Church for having largely ignored the potentials of the entertainment sector of society in previous decades and challenges the Church to embrace the new possibilities for relevant ministry posed by new technology today. The greatest weakness of this book is a certain naiveté concerning the theological problems one encounters in treating media as being value neutral. This is a common mistake of some evangelical writers (not all). But, it is important to note a point that Wilson makes that I think speaks strongly to some of those objections. Namely, that the early Christians made use of a very elite, cutting edge communication technology of their day -- the written word (through which the Gospel has come to us). Thus, he gives a strong challenge to theological purists who reject Internet activity as being simply addressed to an elite segment of the population. That is how it may start, yes -- but how it can spread! The Internet Church is an optimistic call to enter upon the adventure of ministry in cyberspace. It is a prophetic work rooted in a strong sense of God's active role in our lives -- and of our response to God. This is a very good book, and I highly recommend it. | |
 The virtual challenge for Christians... | |
| The Internet Church is a book of motivation that does not provide step-by-step instructions but empowers all Christians to take on the capabilities of the Internet to reach the community locally and worldwide. The world is inevitably moving to digital media. The Internet Church righfully proports NOT sitting back and letting the Internet get away from us; rather, embracing the change and molding it the way we want our future communication to look--toward the Gospel Truth. The tools to achieve this are readily available. We are challenged to use them voraciously and intelligently. --MySermons.com |
