New media and religious practice

We were very fortunate to have Heidi Campbell stop by last month at Luther and share some of her most recent research with us. I’m fascinated by what she’s learning through careful empirical observation. Far from the fears of “logging on, plugging in and dropping out” that seem so pervasive in some religious communities, she’s finding that “people who use new technologies are actually more engaged civically, politically, in their local communities. The internet and digital culture provides a supplement, not a substitute for community engagement.” This is a finding that is being replicated by numerous studies, including the MacArthur Foundation programs, and it has huge relevance for our work in faith communities: