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Preaching in the Revolutionary Era of Digital Technology and Social...
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Preaching in the Revolutionary Era of Digital Technology and Social Media: Homiletical-Theological Assessment and Strategic Suggestions

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Theologies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2023) | Viewed by 13703

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sunggu Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Theology, George Fox University, Newberg, OR 97132, USA
Interests: theological aesthetics; multicultural and emerging worship; Christian formation; Asian American Christianity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The focus of this Special Issue is the practice of preaching as it is developed and performed in today’s revolutionary context of digital technology and social media. In the 20th century, the Christian pulpit adopted and made good use of digital technology and social media, be it via television, radio, film, cassette, or CD-ROM. Now, the revolutionary nature of digital technology and social media in the 21st century demands an entirely new theological assessment, with methodological adoptive concerns in relation to the practice of preaching. Critical questions have been raised: What technologies do we have at our disposal, and what technologies can we use in connection with preaching? If any, do we have a fine homiletical theology of digital technology and social media? What are the best practices of preaching that can be conducted with current digital technology and social media platforms? What merits and harms have we found in those best practices? What new homiletical strategies are emerging in the current technological and social media context? What contributions or connections do we see from existing homiletical theories in the current context of preaching? Have we noticed any generational differences in practicing and listening to preaching in this novel context? In addition, in the same context, do we see any differences in practicing and listening to preaching in terms of gender, race, or global culture?

Authors may focus on various circumstances, forms and styles of technology-driven or social media preaching with the aforementioned emerging questions in mind: from livestreaming brick-and-mortar pulpit preaching, to streaming pre-recorded office preaching, to live Zoom or YouTube preaching, to VR (virtual reality) preaching. The two-fold aim of the volume is to complete a homiletical assessment of current preaching practices and to further develop useful homiletical theologies, theories and strategies. Each article can address either aim or both of them within the research parameters of his or her specific topic.

Prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors should initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, Dr. Sunggu A. Yang (syang@georgefox.edu) or to the Managing Section Editor (melody.shi@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Dr. Sunggu Yang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • homiletics
  • liturgics
  • preaching
  • worship
  • homiletical theory
  • social media

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 209 KiB  
Article
Resolution and Remote Real Presence: How Does Preaching Relate to the Eucharist in Remote Worship?
by Timothy Andrew Leitzke
Religions 2023, 14(7), 905; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14070905 - 13 Jul 2023
Viewed by 631
Abstract
Liturgical renewal has emphasized the partnership of preaching and Eucharist. What does this partnership look like in the new reality of remote preaching and worship? The church has largely ignored this partnership in conversations about remote worship. Official statements treat preaching as necessary [...] Read more.
Liturgical renewal has emphasized the partnership of preaching and Eucharist. What does this partnership look like in the new reality of remote preaching and worship? The church has largely ignored this partnership in conversations about remote worship. Official statements treat preaching as necessary while discouraging or forbidding remote celebrations of the Eucharist. The work of pre-pandemic theologians to foster this partnership suggests that not only is remote Eucharist possible, but it is preferable to holding remote worship without Eucharist. This article makes that claim, emphasizing preaching and Eucharist as two pieces of a single liturgical action. In doing so, it breaks with theologians who emphasized the partnership between preaching and Eucharist before the pandemic but have opposed remote Eucharist once it was being practiced widely. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in the Revolutionary Era of Digital Technology and Social Media: Homiletical-Theological Assessment and Strategic Suggestions)
13 pages, 247 KiB  
Article
The Digital Media Sermon: Definitions, Evaluations, Considerations
by Rob O’Lynn
Religions 2023, 14(6), 736; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14060736 - 01 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1929
Abstract
The question driving this particular paper is how to understand the place of the sermon on the digital frontier. In hopes of accomplishing this rather abstract task, this essay will begin with an analysis of the concept of digital rhetoric as articulated by [...] Read more.
The question driving this particular paper is how to understand the place of the sermon on the digital frontier. In hopes of accomplishing this rather abstract task, this essay will begin with an analysis of the concept of digital rhetoric as articulated by Richard Lanham, Douglas Eyman, and Angela Haas. Next, this paper will review the dissertation literature published since 2013 that address preaching and technology. Then, this essay will address the “best practices” research on preaching and technology from Tripp Hudgins, MichaelChan, Sunggu Yang, Casey Sigmon, and Joshua Schatzle published since 2019 to see what influence the dissertation research is having on functional conversations. Finally, a proposal for capturing the concept of “digital homiletics” will be articulated based on John McClure’s idea of theological invention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in the Revolutionary Era of Digital Technology and Social Media: Homiletical-Theological Assessment and Strategic Suggestions)
17 pages, 296 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Paradox of (Im)Perfection: An Actor-Network Approach to Digitally Mediated Preaching
by Frida Mannerfelt and Tone Stangeland Kaufman
Religions 2023, 14(6), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14060707 - 26 May 2023
Viewed by 1410
Abstract
This paper adds to the growing body of literature on digitally mediated preaching by using actor–network theory (ANT) in conjunction with Amanda Lagerkvist’s work on digital media as theoretical lenses to describe and discuss what we term “the paradox of (im)perfection”. This paradox [...] Read more.
This paper adds to the growing body of literature on digitally mediated preaching by using actor–network theory (ANT) in conjunction with Amanda Lagerkvist’s work on digital media as theoretical lenses to describe and discuss what we term “the paradox of (im)perfection”. This paradox refers to the tension between an ideal of perfection and an ideal of imperfection (or vulnerability) as experienced by church practitioners who were “thrown” online abruptly and unexpectedly due to the pandemic. In our analysis we show how human and non-human actors interact (and act on each other) in ways that assemble their networks towards a mode of visibility and perfection, or towards a mode of authenticity, intimacy, and imperfection. In the former mode, preachers and church practitioners find themselves competing in “a mimetic visibility contest” that is characterized by an ontology of numbers (likes, follower counts, retweets, etc.) and a subsequent ethos of quantification. In the latter mode, an ethos of care affords the opportunity for spiritual intimacy, even among “anonymous” online individuals. Drawing on Deanna A. Thompson’s and Amanda Lagerkvist’s work, we argue that the latter mode enacts “a cruciform media ethics” in which the embodied worshiping community interacting online can be understood as “the virtual body of the suffering Christ”. Here, digital media is enacting as “caring media” rather than “metric media”. While the paper introduces message-oriented, media-oriented, and ontology-oriented approaches as helpful for the study of digitally mediated preaching, it ultimately argues for the superior virtues of ANT as a non-dichotomous approach—overcoming both the message/media and the virtual/real divides which are often inherent to other approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in the Revolutionary Era of Digital Technology and Social Media: Homiletical-Theological Assessment and Strategic Suggestions)
12 pages, 551 KiB  
Article
The Courage to Preach in the Digital Age
by Casey T. Sigmon
Religions 2023, 14(4), 551; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14040551 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1574
Abstract
This article is an invitation to truly postmodern conversational approaches to preaching beyond a monological modern mass media sermon dressed up in conversational style. This involves proposing a new who and how for preaching in the digital age, resulting in a New (Media) [...] Read more.
This article is an invitation to truly postmodern conversational approaches to preaching beyond a monological modern mass media sermon dressed up in conversational style. This involves proposing a new who and how for preaching in the digital age, resulting in a New (Media) homiletic. Engaging with Parker J. Palmer’s The Courage to Teach, this article first explores issues with the traditional top-down model for preaching solidified during the age of mass media technoculture. Next this article names some stumbling blocks to dialogical preaching in a mainline Protestant US context. Then this article explores what difference the implementation of Palmer’s Community of Truth model could make for preaching in this digital age. The technoculture of social media allows for and expects preachers to be more conversational in the who and how of sermon delivery, preparation, and feedback. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in the Revolutionary Era of Digital Technology and Social Media: Homiletical-Theological Assessment and Strategic Suggestions)
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11 pages, 295 KiB  
Article
Being There Even When You Are Not: Presence in Distance Preaching
by Tim Sensing
Religions 2023, 14(3), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14030347 - 06 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1338
Abstract
Listening to sermons through digital media is not new. However, the pandemic pressed many preachers into a medium in unexpected ways. The need for immediate solutions did not allow time for preachers to reflect on what was happening theologically. This paper explores theological [...] Read more.
Listening to sermons through digital media is not new. However, the pandemic pressed many preachers into a medium in unexpected ways. The need for immediate solutions did not allow time for preachers to reflect on what was happening theologically. This paper explores theological presence. The question of how one creates connection and presence when no one is even in the same room, city, or country is not a new one. The rhetorical concern of being “present while absent” shows up in the writings of ancient rhetoricians, opening the door for theological conversation. Recognizing there are ways to employ rhetorical techniques for non-virtuous ends, the pandemic also exposed that some virtuous attempts also failed the ecclesial need to build relationships online. Digital platforms and social media give churches and ministers opportunities to hold space for developing relationships and witnessing the Gospel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in the Revolutionary Era of Digital Technology and Social Media: Homiletical-Theological Assessment and Strategic Suggestions)
12 pages, 223 KiB  
Article
Symbol Preaching in the Digital Age: From Symbol Recognition to Symbol Interpretation in Facebook Ads
by Pierre Martin Hegy
Religions 2023, 14(2), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020229 - 08 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1227
Abstract
The thesis of this paper is that in the digital age we are moving away from words and concepts characteristic of the print age, towards the use of images and symbols. I distinguish between objective symbols as in mathematics, and cultural symbols as [...] Read more.
The thesis of this paper is that in the digital age we are moving away from words and concepts characteristic of the print age, towards the use of images and symbols. I distinguish between objective symbols as in mathematics, and cultural symbols as in poetry and religion. Students must learn to move from recognizing the objective rules of language to internalizing the norms of culture, according to the analogy of learning. Ricoeur’s theory of interpretation explains the passage from recognition to interpretation in the cultural sciences. This passage is not only cognitive but also implies the discovery of an experiential dimension, as in poetry and worship. This theory is applied to the findings from religious ads on Facebook. By creating new audiences by trial and error, the number of viewers increased from 1 K to up to 100 K. The analysis revealed that viewers showed little interest in informational and moralistic ads, but favored symbolic presentations of the Passion, the Resurrection, the Transfiguration, the Eucharist, the origin of evil, etc. The conclusion offers guidelines: the need to advertise, to adapt to audiences, to get feedback, and to preach through symbols rather than concepts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in the Revolutionary Era of Digital Technology and Social Media: Homiletical-Theological Assessment and Strategic Suggestions)
20 pages, 1831 KiB  
Article
Co-Preaching: The Effects of Religious Digital Creatives’ Engagement in the Preaching Event
by Frida Mannerfelt
Religions 2022, 13(12), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13121135 - 23 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1557
Abstract
The preaching event is a complex process of communication and interpretation. The aim of this study is to describe and discuss how the preaching event is affected when it is digitally mediated and involves so-called “religious digital creatives” (RDCs). This is achieved through [...] Read more.
The preaching event is a complex process of communication and interpretation. The aim of this study is to describe and discuss how the preaching event is affected when it is digitally mediated and involves so-called “religious digital creatives” (RDCs). This is achieved through a case study of the preaching event at two Church of Sweden (CoS) congregations that offered pre-recorded, digitally mediated worship services. The research questions guiding the study were: “When and how do the RDCs engage in the preaching event?” and “How can the effects of this engagement be understood in the light of homiletical theory drawing on the works of Mikhail Bakhtin?” The study found that RDCs engaged in the verbalization phase of the preaching event in several ways—including visualization, direction, editing, enhancement, and contextualization of the sermon—and thus contributed significantly to the preaching event. Furthermore, the RDCs exhibited notable relational authority—an authority based on negotiation, interdependence, and interaction. Employing homiletical theory that draws on Mikhail Bakhtin’s work, I argue that the RDCs in this case study are best understood as co-preachers who contribute to expanding the polyphony of the preaching event. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in the Revolutionary Era of Digital Technology and Social Media: Homiletical-Theological Assessment and Strategic Suggestions)
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16 pages, 343 KiB  
Article
E-Word? McLuhan, Baudrillard, and Verisimilitude in Preaching
by Michael P. Knowles
Religions 2022, 13(12), 1131; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13121131 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2582
Abstract
Electronic communication of the Christian message—online preaching—raises distinct theological challenges. Notwithstanding the undeniable convenience and unlimited geographical reach of “virtual church”, electronic media have the potential to separate preacher from congregants, congregants from one another, and—potentially of greatest concern—the church from God, even [...] Read more.
Electronic communication of the Christian message—online preaching—raises distinct theological challenges. Notwithstanding the undeniable convenience and unlimited geographical reach of “virtual church”, electronic media have the potential to separate preacher from congregants, congregants from one another, and—potentially of greatest concern—the church from God, even while appearing to accomplish the opposite. Communication theorist Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980) argues provocatively that virtual representation is at the cost of authentic human identity (in which case it is inimical to community), while French sociologist and philosopher Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007) warns of substituting representation for reality, especially in matters of theology and the identity of God. The paradigm of Jesus’ Incarnation, by contrast, mandates un-mediated divine-human and human-to-human communication, requiring engagement between persons themselves rather than their avatars or provisional simulacra. With respect to electronically mediated communication itself, acknowledging divine initiative in the formation of identity (as a feature of soteriology) and of understanding (under the category of revelation) countermands the more dehumanizing and anti-theological influences that McLuhan and Baudrillard both identify, encouraging direct engagement with God in the person of the Holy Spirit rather than resorting to technological mediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in the Revolutionary Era of Digital Technology and Social Media: Homiletical-Theological Assessment and Strategic Suggestions)
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