Internet church

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The terms internet church, online church, cyberchurch, and digital church refer to a wide variety of ways that Christian religious groups can use the internet to facilitate their religious activities, particularly prayer, discussion, preaching and worship services. [1] The internet has become a site for religious experience which has raised questions related to ecclesiology. [2]

Contents

Some Christian denominations insist that an online gathering is not a real substitute for meeting in person, for example, the Roman Catholic Pontifical Council for Social Communications declared in 2002 that "the virtual reality of cyberspace cannot substitute for real interpersonal community, the incarnational reality of the sacraments and the liturgy, or the immediate and direct proclamation of the gospel", while acknowledging that the internet can still "enrich the religious lives of users". [3]

History

Internet-based Christian communities, better known as "online churches" or "internet churches", began gaining popularity in the early 2000s. Since then, they have prospered dramatically in response to institutional investment, the rise of more sophisticated social media and the emergence of free-access virtual worlds. [4] As online communication became more popular and home computers became less expensive, computer-meditated communication expanded, causing religion to flourish on the Internet. [5]

In the beginning of the internet, many ministries began posting informational and sermon-like messages to visitors. Through the years this method of teaching has evolved in the form of video, audio podcasts and blogs. A 1996 study recommended that church organizations quickly establish their presence in cyberspace, or they would lose touch with many of their parishioners and risk losing the ability to advise them in an era of technological growth. They were essentially urged to establish an electronic presence before it was too late. Had they not made their presence known, the influence of the Church could have been lost to unofficial religious groups. [5]

Many of today's internet churches are descendants of brick-and-mortar churches, offering members an alternative to the traditional physical meetings within a church building. [6] [7] Some, such as the Church of Fools, offer church experiences through entirely 3D virtual reality environments. [2]

Internet churches now exist all around the world; however, they are still criticized for their lack of "human connection". [8] The Methodist Church in the UK affirmed at its 2023 Conference "the possibility of predominantly online churches", subject to further discernment "in respect of online communion". [9]

Overview

Internet church is a gathering of religious believers facilitated through the use of online video stream, audio stream and/or written messages whose primary purpose is to allow the meeting of a church body of parishioners using the internet.

It includes different aspects of Christian community online, especially by those who view this phenomenon as a subset of emerging church, the developing expressions of the faith in relation to culture change. A cyberchurch is a ministry that exists primarily as a private website, an interactive space on a public website or social networking site.

An internet church describes an institution that that have all or a majority of its members meet, connect or congregate, and teaches and practices its religious beliefs, entirely or primarily through online methods. Though there are hundreds of churches which have live broadcasts (and/or rebroadcasts) online (including nearly all megachurches), most would not be classified as internet churches as they also meet in a physical location, and generally use online services as a supplement, primarily to benefit 1) members who due to health or other reasons cannot attend actual services, 2) people living in areas where a church of their denomination or preference does not exist or is too far away to attend, or 3) to introduce prospective members to the church (i.e. a family moving to a new location and wanting to check out churches nearby).

Internet church campuses are the same thing as a traditional church campus, except online. An online churchgoer can attend a Bible study, donate, attend live services, and watch past services, attend conferences, and more. [10]

Members keep in contact with pastors and ministers and collaborate with other believers through web communication tools provided. In some cases members communicate by phone with ministers. [11]

As Internet usage continues to thrive, Christians are using websites, blogs, social networking sites, media services, chatrooms, discussion boards, and other electronic means to provide social connection, education, and enrichment of their faith.

Online church can also offer convenience to those who are too isolated or unable to attend an in-person church service.

Online churches

The word cyberchurch was used by web-developer Tim Bednar's paper "We Know More Than Our Pastors" which detailed the blogging movement's influence on the experience of faith. [12] Religious pollster and author George Barna used the term in his book Revolution to describe "the range of spiritual experiences delivered through the Internet". [13] Barna sees Cyberchurch as one of the future "macro-expressions" (large scale forms) of church in the future; one that will soon account for one-third of American spirituality, together with other "revolutionary" forms of church. [13]

Social networking sites

Christians, like many Internet users, are increasingly using social networking sites like Facebook. These sites incorporate much of the technology of blogging but forge more concrete connections between users, allowing them to "message" each other within the system, connect officially as "friends", rate and rank each other, etc. These connections may or may not materialize in the real world, but many people now consider on-line relationships a significant part of their lives, increasing the potential influence of a Christian presence in these environments. Criticism of Christian use of these sites has grown, however, due to prevalence of questionable content and issues of safety. [14] As a result, several Christian alternatives for social networking have been developed. [15] On the other hand, some advocate a missional stance, using social networking sites and networking components of other Internet mediums like blogging, chat, and instant messaging to proselytize new converts and spread the Gospel. [16]

There has been some speculation and experimentation with the idea of starting churches within such "virtual environments". LifeChurch.tv is at the forefront of developing a platform to support the Online "Church Online" Campus offering their platform to other churches. For instance, a quick google search will reveal their platform is being utilized at East Lake Church in Chula Vista, CA The Ridge Community Church in Milwaukee, WI and Seacoast Church in Charleston, South Carolina. True, LifeChurch does not limit themselves and has also used other platforms to plant a cyberchurch within the Facebook community using an "Internet Campus" technology. [17] Likewise, churches are beginning to appear in the Second Life virtual world where people can attend as avatars and worship together. [18] Many of these churches retain elements that can be found in traditional churchgoing, such as sermons (e.g., Internet Chapel). However, they also attempt to adapt to the unique social norms of digital media; users attending these churches are often referred to by their online usernames and there are sometimes chat sessions before, after, and even during services. [4]

On-line multimedia

Podcasting, streaming audio and video, media downloads, and self-broadcasting websites have made it possible to share the sights and sounds of belief. While religious recordings of different types have certainly existed before, it is the Internet's ability to make these files public for millions of users that has led to the growth and influence of this component of cyberchurch. [19] Now there are millions of audio sermons, conference and seminar recordings, home videos, documentaries, faith-themed films and more accessible on the World Wide Web.

Tech-savvy bloggers can use multimedia to create audioblogs and videoblogs that present experiences, opinions, dialogs, stories, and teachings, creating a more live feel to the blogging experience. Many prominent thinkers, authors, and leaders have blogs that present a podcast or streaming audio of speeches, lectures, or sermons. Video sharing sites like YouTube and Google Video allow anyone with a web camera to post video alongside professional religious movie producers and make it available to millions of users. This allows believers to share ideas about faith in new and creative ways. One example is a church in Orange County, California, where you can share prayers via a web forum before even having met another person. [20] Most of these sites allow people to embed video hosted remotely onto their blog or website, powering video-based communication across the Internet. Christian-specific sites have also recently sprung up to provide faith-based video sharing services.

In more recent years, internet church has taken yet another step forward with the creation of applications. In 2018, celebrity pastor Judah Smith created what is essentially church via an app. This app included forums and the ability to pray for others.

Impact of internet church

The communication revolution and the rise of online church has effected the perceptions of the Church, as well as had an impact on their structures and modes of functioning. The constant availability of images and ideas, and their rapid transmission across the world, have profound consequences, both positive and negative. [21] This can effect perception and transmission of values, world views, ideologies, and religious beliefs.

One problem in particular is the digital divide. The digital divide creates two groups, the rich and the poor, on the basis of access, or lack of access, to new information and communication technology. [21]

Another concern is the idea that the wide range of choices available on the Internet may encourage a "consumer approach" to matters of faith. Data suggests that some visitors to religious websites pick and choose elements of customized religions to suit their personal tastes, which is recognized as a problem in the Church. There is also the concern that many churches believe the Internet can not replace in-person worship among a community. [21] Critics believe that virtual worship separates followers from spiritual essentials found in brick-and-mortar Christian churches. [22]

Other religions

All major and most minor Christian denominations are presented through online churches. However, most Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions are as well. In each case, unofficial expressions of these religions as well as individuals wanting to communicate their personal religious and spiritual beliefs have appeared on the medium. [5] The trend has become even more prominent as individuals can now create their own sites much easier than in the past.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blog</span> Discussion or informational site published on the internet

A blog is an informational website consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order so that the most recent post appears first, at the top of the web page. In the 2000s, blogs were often the work of a single individual, occasionally of a small group, and often covered a single subject or topic. In the 2010s, "multi-author blogs" (MABs) emerged, featuring the writing of multiple authors and sometimes professionally edited. MABs from newspapers, other media outlets, universities, think tanks, advocacy groups, and similar institutions account for an increasing quantity of blog traffic. The rise of Twitter and other "microblogging" systems helps integrate MABs and single-author blogs into the news media. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

An internet relationship is a relationship between people who have met online, and in many cases know each other only via the Internet. Online relationships are similar in many ways to pen pal relationships. This relationship can be romantic, platonic, or even based on business affairs. An internet relationship is generally sustained for a certain amount of time before being titled a relationship, just as in-person relationships. The major difference here is that an internet relationship is sustained via computer or online service, and the individuals in the relationship may or may not ever meet each other in person. Otherwise, the term is quite broad and can include relationships based upon text, video, audio, or even virtual character. This relationship can be between people in different regions, different countries, different sides of the world, or even people who reside in the same area but do not communicate in person.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual community</span> Social network of individuals who interact through specific social media

A virtual community is a social work of individuals who connect through specific social media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals. Some of the most pervasive virtual communities are online communities operating under social networking services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Online community</span> Virtual community that exists online

An online community, also called an internet community or web community, is a community whose members interact with each other primarily via the Internet. Members of the community usually share common interests. For many, online communities may feel like home, consisting of a "family of invisible friends". Additionally, these "friends" can be connected through gaming communities and gaming companies. Those who wish to be a part of an online community usually have to become a member via a specific site and thereby gain access to specific content or links.

Social software, also known as social apps or social platform includes communications and interactive tools that are often based on the Internet. Communication tools typically handle capturing, storing and presenting communication, usually written but increasingly including audio and video as well. Interactive tools handle mediated interactions between a pair or group of users. They focus on establishing and maintaining a connection among users, facilitating the mechanics of conversation and talk. Social software generally refers to software that makes collaborative behaviour, the organisation and moulding of communities, self-expression, social interaction and feedback possible for individuals. Another element of the existing definition of social software is that it allows for the structured mediation of opinion between people, in a centralized or self-regulating manner. The most improved area for social software is that Web 2.0 applications can all promote co-operation between people and the creation of online communities more than ever before. The opportunities offered by social software are instant connections and opportunities to learn. An additional defining feature of social software is that apart from interaction and collaboration, it aggregates the collective behaviour of its users, allowing not only crowds to learn from an individual but individuals to learn from the crowds as well. Hence, the interactions enabled by social software can be one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many.

New media are communication technologies that enable or enhance interaction between users as well as interaction between users and content. In the middle of the 1990s, the phrase "new media" became widely used as part of a sales pitch for the influx of interactive CD-ROMs for entertainment and education. The new media technologies, sometimes known as Web 2.0, include a wide range of web-related communication tools such as blogs, wikis, online social networking, virtual worlds, and other social media platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual world</span> Large-scale, interactive computer-simulated environment

A virtual world is a computer-simulated environment which may be populated by many simultaneous users who can create a personal avatar and independently explore the virtual world, participate in its activities, and communicate with others. These avatars can be textual, graphical representations, or live video avatars with auditory and touch sensations. Virtual worlds are closely related to mirror worlds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avatar (computing)</span> Graphical representation of a user or a users alter ego or character

In computing, an avatar is a graphical representation of a user, the user's character, or persona. Avatars can be two-dimensional icons in Internet forums and other online communities, where they are also known as profile pictures, userpics, or formerly picons. Alternatively, an avatar can take the form of a three-dimensional model, as used in online worlds and video games, or an imaginary character with no graphical appearance, as in text-based games or worlds such as MUDs.

The social web is a set of social relations that link people through the World Wide Web. The social web encompasses how websites and software are designed and developed in order to support and foster social interaction. These online social interactions form the basis of much online activity including online shopping, education, gaming and social networking services. The social aspect of Web 2.0 communication has been to facilitate interaction between people with similar tastes. These tastes vary depending on who the target audience is, and what they are looking for. For individuals working in the public relation department, the job is consistently changing and the impact is coming from the social web. The influence held by the social network is large and ever changing.

Religions are represented on the Internet in many ways. There are sites which attempt to cover all religions, traditions, and faiths, such as Patheos, Religious Tolerance, and Beliefnet. There are also sites that are specific to a religious tradition. Many sites are discussion groups, others host theological debates, and some provide advice concerning religious doctrine. Some sites aim to provide a religious experience facilitating prayer, meditation, or virtual pilgrimages. People also leverage search engines to investigate aspects of religion. Some religious websites are translated into several languages. For example, JW.ORG features content in over 1,000 languages.

Internet identity (IID), also online identity, online personality, online persona or internet persona, is a social identity that an Internet user establishes in online communities and websites. It may also be an actively constructed presentation of oneself. Although some people choose to use their real names online, some Internet users prefer to be anonymous, identifying themselves by means of pseudonyms, which reveal varying amounts of personally identifiable information. An online identity may even be determined by a user's relationship to a certain social group they are a part of online. Some can be deceptive about their identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social networking service</span> Online platform that facilitates the building of relations

A social networking service (SNS), or social networking site, is a type of online social media platform which people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career content, interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections.

Content creation or content creative is the act of producing and sharing information or media content for specific audiences, particularly in digital contexts. According to Dictionary.com, content refers to "something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing or any of various arts" for self-expression, distribution, marketing and/or publication. Content creation encompasses various activities including maintaining and updating web sites, blogging, article writing, photography, videography, online commentary, social media accounts, and editing and distribution of digital media. In a survey conducted by Pew, content creation was defined as "the material people contribute to the online world".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salem Web Network</span>

Salem Web Network is a Christian website company, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia with offices in Dallas and Nashville. The company is owned and operated by Salem Communications.

SciVee was a science video sharing website where researchers could upload, view and share science video clips and connect them to scientific literature, posters and slides from 2007 to 2015. The SciVee website is partnered with three groups: The Public Library of Science (PLoS), a publisher of a series of open access (OA) journals who have added content to the website, the National Science Foundation (NSF), who provided seed funding to start the website, and the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), who houses SciVee's video servers and data for the website. The University of California, San Diego–based service uses Adobe Flash technology to display video combined with documents and imagery via SciVee's patent pending rich web applications or "virtual studio" WYSIWYG to combine, or "synchronize" them with a published scientific article from a scientific journal or poster from a scientific conference poster session. Any video synchronized with a published scientific article is called a "pubcast," while a video that is synchronized with a scientific conference session poster is called a "postercast." Science videos that are not synchronized with a scientific article or poster can be uploaded and linked with supplementary files.

Mobile blogging is a method of publishing to a website or blog from a mobile phone or other handheld device. A moblog helps habitual bloggers to post write-ups directly from their phones even when on the move. Mobile blogging has been made possible by technological convergence, as bloggers have been able to write, record and upload different media all from a single, mobile device. At the height of its growth in 2006, mobile blogging experienced 70,000 blog creations a day and 29,100 blog posts an hour. Between 2006 and 2010, blogging among teens declined from 28% to 14%, while blogging among adults over 30 increased from 7% to 11%. However, the growing number of multi-platform blogging apps has increased mobile blogging popularity in recent years creating a brand new market that many celebrities, regular bloggers and specialists are utilizing to widen their social reach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sociology of the Internet</span>

The sociology of the Internet involves the application of sociological or social psychological theory and method to the Internet as a source of information and communication. The overlapping field of digital sociology focuses on understanding the use of digital media as part of everyday life, and how these various technologies contribute to patterns of human behavior, social relationships, and concepts of the self. Sociologists are concerned with the social implications of the technology; new social networks, virtual communities and ways of interaction that have arisen, as well as issues related to cyber crime.

Online participation is used to describe the interaction between users and online communities on the web. Online communities often involve members to provide content to the website or contribute in some way. Examples of such include wikis, blogs, online multiplayer games, and other types of social platforms. Online participation is currently a heavily researched field. It provides insight into fields such as web design, online marketing, crowdsourcing, and many areas of psychology. Some subcategories that fall under online participation are: commitment to online communities, coordination and interaction, and member recruitment.

Health blogs are niche blogs that cover health topics, events and/or related content of the health industry and the general community.

Networked feminism is a phenomenon that can be described as the online mobilization and coordination of feminists in response to sexist, misogynistic, racist, and other discriminatory acts against minority groups. This phenomenon covers all possible definitions of what feminist movements may entail, as there have been multiple waves of feminist movements and there is no central authority to control what the term "feminism" claims to be. While one may hold a different opinion from another on the definition of "feminism", all those who believe in these movements and ideologies share the same goal of dismantling the current patriarchal social structure, where men hold primary power and higher social privileges above all others.

References

  1. ↑ Brandon Buckner, "Redeeming The Internet", Collide Magazine (accessed April 1, 2011)
  2. 1 2 Hutchings, Tim (December 2007). "Creating Church Online: A Case-Study Approach to Religious Experience". Studies in World Christianity. 13 (3): 243–260. doi:10.3366/swc.2007.13.3.243. ISSN   1354-9901. S2CID   143952797.
  3. ↑ Catholic Church. Pontificium Consilium de Communicationibus Socialibus. (2002). Ethics in communications. Città del Vaticano: Libreria editrice vaticana. ISBN   8820972786. OCLC   50798819.
  4. 1 2 Hutchings, Tim (3 September 2010). "Contemporary Religious Community and the Online Church". Information, Communication & Society. 14 (8): 1118–1135. doi:10.1080/1369118X.2011.591410. S2CID   144386321.
  5. 1 2 3 Dawson & Cowan, Lorne & Douglas (2004). Religion Online: Finding Faith on the Internet. New York, NY: Routledge.
  6. ↑ Nils Smith, "Faith groups should embrace — not fear — social media" San Antonio Express (Accessed August 16, 2010)
  7. ↑ "OMGod: The World's first online church". 3 News . August 5, 2010. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  8. ↑ Gordon MacDonald "Who Stole My Church?: What to Do When the Church You Love Tries to Enter the 21st Century" (Thomas Nelson Inc, 2008, ISBN   0-7852-2601-X, 9780785226017)
  9. ↑ Methodist Church of Great Britain, Conference Business Digest: A report for local churches about the business of the 2023 Methodist Conference, accessed 11 July 2023
  10. ↑ "What's an Internet Church Campus?". The iChurch Method. 12 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Jonathan Wynne-Jones, "Church minister to tweet Holy Communion to the faithful" Telegraph (Accessed August 16, 2010)
  12. ↑ Tim Bednar, "We Know More Than Our Pastors: Why Bloggers Are the Vanguard of the Participatory Church" PDF (Accessed September 5, 2007)
  13. 1 2 George Barna, "Revolution" (Tyndale House, 2005, ISBN   1-4143-1016-1 )
  14. ↑ John Kuhn, "Should Myspace be Yourspace? Archived 2007-09-09 at the Wayback Machine " Breakaway http://www.breakawaymag.com (Accessed September 5, 2007)
  15. ↑ see Ditty Talk Archived 2007-09-06 at the Wayback Machine , Your Christian Space Archived 2018-06-24 at the Wayback Machine , Xianz, MyPraize, Faith Freaks, Christ Union
  16. ↑ Andrew Careaga, "Embracing the cyberchurch" Next-Wave http://www.next-wave.org (Accessed September 5, 2007); Kevin D. Hendricks, "How Your Church Can Use MySpace Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine " Church Marketing Sucks http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com (Accessed September 5, 2007); and Rev. Arne H. Fjeldstad, D. Min, "Communicating the Gospel on the Internet" Communicating Christ on the Internet http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/1541/ (Accessed September 5, 2007)
  17. ↑ Bobby Gruenewald, "Facebook Church Archived 2008-01-05 at the Wayback Machine " Swerve http://swerve.lifechurch.tv (Accessed September 5, 2007)
  18. ↑ Theodore Wright, "CyberChurch in Second Life" Dokimos.org http://www.dokimos.org (Accessed September 5, 2007)
  19. ↑ Andrew Jones, "Linking to Cyberchurch Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine " Relevant Magazine (Accessed September 5, 2007)
  20. ↑ Turner, Laura (15 December 2018). "Opinion | Internet Church Isn't Really Church". The New York Times.
  21. 1 2 3 Stala, Józef (2011). "Internet—Church—Communication" (PDF).{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  22. ↑ Hammock, Anne (15 November 2009). "Online churches draw believers, critics". CNN.

Sources

  1. ↑ Cyberchurch, a 1997 book by the well-known Futurist Patrick Dixon, explored ways in which churches and individual believers were embracing web-based technologies, and correctly anticipated rapid developments over the following decade, including widespread use of video and community forums, especially by larger traditional churches who have developed global influence as a result.
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