Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe. Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education. IVP Academic, 2018. See here to purchase the book.
The Lowes both work at Liberty University. Stephen is graduate chair
of doctoral programs and teaches Christian education. Mary also
teaches and is associate dean for online programs.
The essential argument of this book is that Christians online can
create a nurturing environment for each other, one that encourages
believers, fosters sanctification, and fulfills the “one another”
commands in the New Testament.
Here are some thoughts about this book:
A. The book effectively argues that Christians can find community
online. And why not? I fail to understand the view that people can
only know each other and be authentic friends in person. Online
relationships can actually be deeper than relationships in person, since
people may find that they can share more information about themselves,
their thoughts, and their feelings online.
B. The book made an interesting point about how students’ online
comments were stylistically and substantially better than the papers
that they wrote.
C. The book made a lot of the usual arguments about the importance
of Christian community: you cannot grow alone, the New Testament was
directed to groups, there are many “one another” commands in Scripture,
you need to love others. The book illustrated this eloquently with
beautiful imagery, as when it talked about no one in the ecosystem
thriving alone but needing nutrients from others in the ecosystem.
Broken relationships can hinder that, the book argued, which is why
reconciliation is important. The book provided examples of how mutual
edification can take place, both online and offline. People can pray
for each other. They can work together on service projects. They can
worship with each other. Plus, holiness is contagious. Being around other Christians can encourage one to practice holiness, to love and to serve.
D. My struggle with the book is that it tended to present a rosy
picture of Christian community, both online and offline. Online
communities can be cliquish, and people online can be nasty to each
other. Resentments and unfriending can easily arrive, and remain.
Indeed, lots of relationships can be fostered online, but many can be
destroyed. Then there is the reality that not everybody is good at
making friends online, coming up with things to say that can generate a
lot of likes. To its credit, this book addressed some of this. It
occasionally acknowledged the negative experiences that people have
online. It pointed to the Corinthian community in the New Testament as
an example of a dysfunctional community. It stated that even those on
the social margins online can benefit, as they have online networks that
can assist them in finding employment. The book was also compassionate
towards those who struggle to be articulate in offline, traditional
classrooms, showing how some of them thrive in online settings. Still,
the book could have been less rosy, acknowledging more the negative
aspects of online communities, and perhaps offering suggestions as to
how Christians can navigate their way through those.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My review is honest.