CyberGrace: The Search for God in the Digital World

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Is there something of the divine on the Internet? Conventional wisdom sees a division between the spiritual and the world of the machine. Yet the theological and philosophical theory called "emergence" suggests that the chasm between the two may be of our own creation. Using the writings of the eminent 20th-century theologian Teilhard de Chardin, Jennifer Cobb sees something more in how our technological complexity often produces something elegant and inspired. Rather than seeing creation as a one-time event, some theologians think that the creative power of God can be part of the evolutionary process. That creative power would then extend to the computer and cyberspace.

Cobb writes, "Nature has spawned us. We have spawned machines. Any line between these realms quickly becomes arbitrary." She encourages us to reject the sort of dualism between mind and body that has driven so much of Western thought, philosophy, and theology. "Real life," she states, "is never that tidy. As our days unfold, the contents of our boxes--mind, body, God--continually spill into one another, creating both personal confusion and a philosophical morass."

While investigating a wide range of questions that inform spirituality--such as "What is life?" and "Is there something other than us?"--Cobb writes with level-headed exuberance about her own experiences in finding the spiritual in computing. In her chapter on virtual ethics, she lays out a framework that can aid others in making that same connection. This is a unique and intelligent book for those who are concerned with the consequences of technology with regard to our humanity and our spirits. --Elizabeth Lewis

Book Description

Theologian and high-tech consultant Jennifer Cobb combines her expertise to create a new theory of the Divine in the Information Age.

As computers and artificial intelligence systems become more sophisticated, the question of whether we can find spiritual life in cyberspace is beginning to be asked. CyberGrace: The Search for God in the Digital World is a bold, thought-provoking, affirmative answer to one of the most intriguing inquiries of our time.

Until now, an unbridgeable schism has separated the world of the spirit and that of the machine. According to an increasingly compelling concept known as emergence, the gulf may be an imaginary one. Fifty years ago, Jesuit paleontologist Teilhard de Chardin combined his lifelong passions of God and science to predict the emergence of cyberspace, based on his studies of evolution. Using Teilhard's theories as a starting point, Jennifer Cobb asserts that as technical systems become more complex--with simple, predictable mechanisms coalescing into hierarchies of increasing organization--something elegant, inspired, and absolutely unpredictable simply and suddenly "emerges." Many observers today see this "hand of God" showing itself in disparate disciplines, from evolutionary theory to artificial intelligence--and especially in the furthest realms of cyberspace, where brute computation seems to give way to divine inspiration.

CyberGrace offers paradoxical evidence that our machines may be conduits to a deeper spirituality. With daily headlines announcing dizzying advances in science and information technology, many people wonder about their--and their children's--ability to lead lives imbued by a sense of the sacred. In the new world, where the search for spirituality may seem scattered and unfocused, Cobb brilliantly uses the most popular and prevalent phenomenon of our times--the computer--to find a world filled with meaning and love.

Customer Reviews:

Zen and the Art of Bootstrapping.......2001-12-21

Don't let the fact that she mis-spelled it
"Burners-Lee" detract from your enjoyment
of Cybergrace.

I'm a typical left-brained type, and bought
this book partly because I knew some of
the Deep Blue (chess machine) people when
they were at CMU. No theologian am I.

I discovered a well-written, concise, and
engrossing book, and have come to regard Cobb's
book as a little gem. In recent years I've
bought several copies for friends. The book
covered a wide range of topics which were
new to me, and really was a catalyst for
further exploration. The time was ripe for
me, when the book was first published.

Chapter 1 - Spiritual Evolution, creativity
in process

Chapter 2 - Emergence, Whitehead, John B. Cobb,
Process theology

Chapter 3 - Teilhard de Chardin, noosphere

Chapter 4 - Holons, Ken Wilber

Chapter 5 - Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research
(PEAR) laboratory, quantum consciousness

Chapter 6 - Complexity, emergent computation

Chapter 7 - Virtual Reality, Immersive technologies,
asceticism

Chapter 8 - Ethics, Spirit in Action

The God of Process in the Process World of Cyberspace.......2001-06-16

Jennifer Cobb explores a sense of encounter with the Divine in relation to cyberspace, which she concludes is essentially a world of processes -- and hence a perfect medium for finding the God of Process Theology.

The book has some superb reflections upon the nature of realities that can be found in a cyber dimension of the lives we live. This, in fact, is the great strength of this book. If the reader has a strong appreciation for Process thought, this is a book that will be of interest. Those who come to it with more of a traditional Incarnational theology (rooted in Christianity) may find some of her optimism about disembodied minds to be a bit disturbing -- a disembodied ANYTHING is a problem for Incarnational thinkers. Cobb heightens some of the problems inherent in Process thought and adds to them.

With all of the book's strengths and weaknesses, on balance I feel the book is very good and well worth the read. In fact, I recommend it.

Read this book........2001-04-06

This book is challenging in the good way. You may have more questions than answers by the time you've reached the last page, but these will be questions you'd never have thought to ask without having read Cobb's book. A great introduction to Tielhard de Chardin.

A Bit Far-Fetched.......1999-12-22

The first thing that we must note is that this book is no way intended to foster dialogue between Christianity and technology - it has very little to do with Christianity.

Combining emergent technologies and the spiritual evolution of both de Chardin and Cobb can be seen as only analogous, but Jennifer Cobb sets out to show how these evolutionary theories are not simply analogous, but point to the same metaphysical process in which we participate. Speculative at best, not very useful or enlightening in the end.

The chief problem is that of inserting both humanity and the technology we create into a radical panentheistic view which is also radically deterministic. If my actions are simply reflective of the divine unfolding of a metaphyisical creative energy, freedom of choice, the human will, is simply destroyed in the end. What she does is collapse the necessary divide that humanity has with its creations, its media, transporting human consciousness into a bizarre realm of ethical hierarchies that need caveats upon caveats to ensure the intelligibility of humankind. There is nothing here that requires moral obligation to the other for the sake of the other. If we were to look at ethics this way from her perspective the only way that I am able to serve the other for the sake of the other is if such an act forsters my own creative potential and richness of experience. Such an admittedly relativistic ethics that intentionally pulls us away from the categorical imperative leaves us with more ambiguity than calrity, more painful questions than answers. And let us not forget about the whole Christian expression of divine love in the revelation of God's own self in Christ on the cross - this act could not have happened at all. The point being is that in her ethics there is an extreme danger of relegating our ethics into an obscure situational relativism in which it is impossible for one to give of one's self for the sake of the other alone. So if you are out there trying to serve your fellow human being out of a free moral obligation, you ought to stop if you are not enhancing your richness of experience.

All of that aside, what in the world does it have to do with cyberspace? Divinizing a communications medium has nothing to do with enriching religious experience and fostering ethical obligation but divorces us from it. Talk to any pastor about his or her calling and how it would look without necessary physical contact with the parishoner in pain. You will no doubt get a very practical criticism as have I. Cyberspace promotes extreme individualism and ego-centrism if it is not looked at as a creation of human invention. Just as Whitehead thought, with his pal Bertrand Russell, that they had finally discovered the pure set of axiomatic truths in mathematics, so he envisioned a world of absolute and radical determinism. Godel exposed his flaw of a self-referential system that can in no way prove its own truth. Truth, while reflected in human experience, must come from outside of human experience to be Truth. Thus, Cobb's theo-technologism undermines itself in the end. She carelessly notes some of the dangers of computerization in the end, but fails to take them seriously and so, we ought not take this book very seriously either.

For a much better anaylsis of philosophy and technology let me suggest "The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality" by Michael Heim. For a far more comprehensive and honest look at cyberspace let me suggest "Cyberpower: The Culture and Politics of Cyberspace and the Internet" by Tim Jordan. To find out why I feel this book is so unfounded read "Technopoly" by Neil Postman.

A modern version of Augustine's The City of God.......1999-06-04

If you have always yearned to read The City of God by Augustine, but have not had the time or patience, then Cybergrace, by Jennifer Cobb may be your best substitute. Ms. Cobb is well versed in both philosophy and current technology. She draws on this extensive knowledge to create an understanding of "God" and spirit which rises high above the "Master of the Universe" image which resulted from modernism. Just as Augustine's City made his contemporaries feel at home, Cobb's place leaves us with a sense of purpose and wonder. If only for a moment, we are able to put aside our skepticism and distrust for the unseen world and enter into a place that is clearly our promised land. Although it would be helpful to read The Divine Mileau by Tielhard de Chardin as a prelude to Cybergrace, it is not necessary. Cobb delivers her message in a style that would have met with the approval of Thomas Acquinas. It is crisp, to the point, understandable and easily refutated if one so desires. Like Augustine, Cobb fails to deal with the question of evil. So when the glow begins to depleat, fear returns and we must return to the world of violence, death and who knows what on the other side.

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Virtually sacred...
fluffy and speculative, but with an agenda I like
Religion Electronically Transmogrified
Excellent read, brilliant analysis
god now

Give Me That Online Religion
Brenda E. Brasher
Manufacturer: Rutgers University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0813534364

Book Description

First paperback edition—with a new preface

Named one of the ten best books in religion in 2001 by the Christian Science Monitor

As the Internet and the World Wide Web break down barriers of time and space, religion enjoys an ever-increasing accessibility on a global scale. Inevitably, people online have sought out encounters with the otherworldly, launching religion into cyberspace. In this compelling book, Brenda E. Brasher explores the meaning of electronic faith and the future of traditional religion.

Operating online allows long-established religious communities to reach hearts and minds as never before. Yet more startling is the ease by which anyone with Internet access can create new circles of faith.

Bringing religion online also narrows the gap between pop culture and the sacred. Electronic shrines and kitschy personal Web "altars" idolize living celebrities, just as they honor the memory of religious martyrs. Looking ahead, Brasher envisions a world in which cyber-concepts and -technologies challenge conventional notions about the human condition, while still attempting to realize age-old religious ideals such as transcendence and eternal life.

As the Internet continues its rapid absorption of culture, Give Me That Online Religion offers pause for thought about spirituality in the cyber-age. Religion's move to the online world does not mean technology's triumph over faith. Rather, Brasher argues, it assures religion's place in the wired universe, meeting the spiritual demands of Internet generations to come.

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The future of online religion is now! Give Me That Online Religion explores the ever-converging worlds of the Internet and traditional religion. Brenda Brasher, an expert in online religion, illustrates the general movement of spirituality and ritual into cyberspace (via personal home pages or official Web sites) that mirrors the shift of commerce and communications to a global scale. Far from undermining religion's relevance, this trend has the potential of reinvigorating the practice and understanding of faith-sustaining and reshaping interest in the transcendent well into the future.

Customer Reviews:

Virtually sacred..........2004-02-29

The author of this book, Brenda Brasher, got her Master of Divinity degree from my seminary prior to getting her doctorate at the University of Southern California. Brasher's earlier book, `Godly Women: Fundamentalism and Female Power', showed that she likes to push the envelope and go into subjects that are not without controversy. `Give Me That Online Religion' is another book like this - the whole idea of culture and society on the internet is riddled with controversial aspects. Far from being simply a new technology or a new and faster method of communication, the internet is transforming the very idea of communication in ways not thought of by even the most prophetic of observers and science fiction imaginations.

Brasher sees the realm of cyberspace as being the ultimate diaspora (she entitles one of her early chapters with this phrase) - people need no longer rely on physical proximity or geographic groupings for their associations; like the Jews of old, the community can be far flung and multicultural while maintaining certain key ties - one primary difference now being that the people involved in these virtual communities may never actually meet another person of their religious persuasion.

The ideas of authenticity (of communication, of individual truthfulness, and of actual spirituality) come to the forefront of much of Brasher's discussion, as questions about the validity of persons online and the reality of experiences that exist primarily or solely in virtual space are exposed. At what point does the virtue become a vice? While the internet is an incredible tool for the dissemination of information as has been available never before, it is also true that the number of questionable sites (ranging from the mildly prurient to the bizarre and violent) seems to multiply at an even faster rate. This same trend holds true in religion, in which there is sometimes no reality at all behind the words on the website. What kinds of values are being expressed and exposed?

Brasher compares the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Mother Teresa as a case study, comparing their media presence - particularly on the internet - against their actual lives and the grounding each had in certain communities and `real' life. Brasher locates the websites of celebrities such as these as pilgrimage sites similar to the old saintly sites of earlier times; they become important continuations of a celebrity's seeming power and influence.

Brasher speculates on some of the influences and trends for congregational life - that pastors and theologians grounded in an education influenced by agrian culture and pastoral concerns might find a difficult time in relating the modern technological-cultural issues to their communities. This is not to say that pastors and theologians are not technically savvy - many will have the latest computers with fast-speed internet access, palm pilots, cell phones and the like, but still not be able to adapt the changing trends these bring in society together with their more traditionally-based theological training.

Brasher ends by looking at the apocalyptic element online, not only with situations like the Heaven's Gate tragedy, but also the more general ministry portals run by evangelical and fundamentalist preachers such as Jack Van Impe, whose focus for ministry online (as well as in other media) seems to start with the prophetic apocalyptic message. She examines the potential and the pitfalls for future use of the internet in the religious field mystically, institutionally, and socially.

This is a fascinating text for any person in the twenty-first century, given that no matter where one is, the influence of the internet will be felt, and two so pervasive things like religion and the internet cannot help but be influenced by each other, one hopes for the better of both.

fluffy and speculative, but with an agenda I like.......2001-08-13

I agree with almost all of what Dr. Brasher has to say about the potential of online religion. That being said, however, this book (which makes at least some attempt at being academic, with footnotes and a chapter contextualizing technology and religion historically) fails to delve very deeply into specifics. Unsupported generalizations are rife, and anecdotes (accounts of individuals' experiences with religion on the Internet) are related without any evidence to suggest how widespread these kinds of experiences are. Overall, the book fails to look at enough specific Internet resources in enough detail to justify Brasher's sweeping claims for the future importance of online religion. Her speculation on the character and potential cultural effects of online religion are certainly interesting, but they make up the bulk of the work. As a result, _Give Me That Online Religion_ is an interesting personal vision, but a very weak piece of scholarship.

I originally faulted this book for lacking any reference to major Internet religion hubs such as Beliefnet, but Dr. Brasher has since informed me that the book went to press before Beliefnet came online. I still think, however, that a print directory of religion-related websites with brief descriptions would have been an excellent addition to the book. Even though the directory would have been outdated after a year, such a listing would have provided specific information about the context in which Brasher was writing and given her argument additional weight. Brasher does, however, provide a directory on her website, which is listed in the back of the book.

Religion Electronically Transmogrified.......2001-07-06

How will we do religion twenty, a hundred years from now? Will buildings still be important? Or, perhaps, will there be e-religion that people practice at home, just as they e-shop rather than going to the mall? According to Brenda E. Brasher, we already have e-religion, as shown in her book _Give Me That Online Religion_ (Jossey-Bass). A funny, imaginative work, it is also a serious look at how online religion has gotten its start in what humans will surely look back on as the most primitive days of the internet. Brasher teaches religion and philosophy, and for more than a decade has been taking a look at various religious websites. She has had her work cut out for her; there are more than a million sites of diverse religious affiliation, drawing believers as well as those simply curious. Perhaps this is just the internet way of distributing tracts, but Dr. Brasher says no: "online religion is the most portentous development for the future of religion to come out of the twentieth century" and "could become the dominant form of religious experience in the next century."

Those familiar with basic traditional religions will find that they have moved onto the Web without much change; perhaps the literal Bible, apocalyptic ones are over-represented, just as they are on TV. There are others in this book that any reader will find strange. Some sites are direct offshoots of IRL (In Real Life) religious practice, like online prayer chains and chat rooms where people can go for a more-or-less directed Sunday school. The site of EvilPeople, Inc., invites people to click on a button in order to sell their souls. (A soul was recently put up for sale on e-Bay.) There are memorials to many dead people; there are 8,000 Brasher has counted devoted to Princess Diana alone. There are strange and comic religious sites. Brasher never mentions the surrealistic site of the Church of the Subgenius ("The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!") or the subversively comic realism of the Landover Baptist Church ("Where the Worthy Worship and the Unsaved Are Not Welcome.") She does explain that much of the religion on the web is suffused with over-the-top humor. There are what she calls "Celebrity Altars," devoted to some sort of worship of someone famous, and she gives extensive quotes from the site "Dudes of the Keanic Circle," devoted to finding, among other things, the esoteric meanings of the films of Keanu Reeves. Keanu as Christ-figure is very weird, and so is another site that holds Keanu as the Antichrist, confusingly enough. The Transhumanists are interested in the typical religious goal of eternal life, but intend to do so by uploading their brains onto the `net (undoubtedly Windows is merely withholding this software until their legal problems are worked out). There are many strange religions in this book. There are some not so strange, as the cyber-seder, and the woman who was drawn to convert to Judaism because of it.

Brasher does a good job of explaining how chat rooms and Web sites work, for those who don't know much about the `net. She draws instructive parallels about previous shifts in media within religion; who is to say that the Web will not, as the years go by, have as much effect as Luther's use of the new technology of the printing press? She is an advocate for watching with curiosity the way religion branches in cyberspace, and for its protection in the face of commercialization. She is right to point out that those who grow up on the web may find the agrarian and pastoral images of inherited religion less credible than they find futuristic fiction. We are just at the beginning, but she has given us a start on a way to thinking about what might come.

Excellent read, brilliant analysis.......2001-03-21

Brenda Brasher's "Give Me That Online Religion" is a must-read book, a superbly written, insight-packed exploration of what happens when ancient faith fuses with tomorrow's technology. One of our most adept guides to modern religion, Brasher provides the first serious look at how the Internet is transforming spirituality -- and gazes into the always-intriguing, sometimes-frightening future of global religion in the brave new era of cyberspace.

-- Gershom Gorenberg, senior editor and columnist, The Jerusalem Report

god now.......2001-03-16

this book is of interest to both people interested in religious behaviuor and those studying the web phenomenon. brasher surveys how both traditional amd new religious movements have used the internet to further thier interests and causes. religion on the net now is not contained by time or place and is accessible to any and under no obligations. cult and other credes are descibed too from lady di, elvis to mother theresa. alternatively all means of approaching religion are noted such as sending messages to god, requesting absolution or placing a note at the wetsern wall.religion is one of the main areas of activity on the internet and new sites are opeining by the minute with the most up to date tools.this fascinating book also raises ethical questions as how to avoid abuse and encouraging criminal and other actions. she suggests that standards and codes of practice be considered. what is also remarkeable is the fact that in this modern day and age, religious practice is on the increase and many relgious institutions are using the web effectively and via this new medium able to attract new followers. the book is both learned and highly readable suitable both for scholars and the genral public. i enjoyed reading it immensly and am now a fan of this author.

Christians in a .com World: Getting Connected Without Being Consumed (Focal Point Series)

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Book Review: Christians in a .com World
If you're a web newbie - this book is for you!
Great Summary!

Christians in a .com World: Getting Connected Without Being Consumed (Focal Point Series)
Christopher L. Stamper
Manufacturer: Crossway Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1581342187

Book Description

In the Internet we are facing the biggest information revolution since the printing press. This technology presents new challenges to our culture as a whole, making it essential that we as Christians be "plugged in." And while millions are online, you, like many, may be simultaneously uneasy about where this new medium is leading us.

Noted culture critic Gene Veith and Chris Stamper, a leading voice in modern technology, want to help you understand the significance cyberculture has for us as Christians. The authors tackle the current controversies, including censorship, the possible demise of print, and how it all ties into postmodernism. As they challenge the myths, probe the weaknesses, and reveal the possibilities of this new and continually developing medium, you will become an informed and discerning traveler on the information highway. One who understands the cultural and worldview implications of the Internet and who knows how to be wired to it but not entangled by it.

Customer Reviews:

Book Review: Christians in a .com World.......2005-08-14

By Joshua Sowin

Like it or not, we live in a ".com" world. Everything has a .com-companies, clubs, churches, families-even individuals. Everything "real" seems to require a "virtual" counterpart. Those who do not have a virtual counterpart-for instance, a company-are curtly told to "get with it," and indeed, if they do not, their opportunities and resources to compete are quickly surpassed.

This creates a question for the thoughtful person, namely, how can we live in this virtual and image-saturated culture without being consumed by it? And that happens to be one of the reasons I read this book, as its subtitle suggests: "Getting Connected Without Being Consumed."

The book begins with a general introduction and an excellent historical overview of computers and the Internet. It separates this history into three chapters-the history of computers, networking, and the world wide web. I have read a number of brief histories on computers and the Internet, but this one tops them all. Concise and well-researched, the overview presented should be simple enough for the "uninitiated" to understand and informative enough for the "geeks" to enjoy.

Unfortunately, I did not find the rest of the book as impressive as the historical overview. Perhaps this was due to recently reading Mr. Veith's Reading Between the Lines, and thinking this work would be on par with that excellent book. If I did not have that expectation in mind, my impression of this book might have been quite different.

I believe most of my hopes were dashed on the high-tech rocks of technophilia. Veith and Stamper see through much of the hype of the Internet, but not all of it. Although the authors warn against technophilia, the book sometimes struck me as being exactly that. Consider the following excerpts (emphasis mine):

"No system for finding the best product at the best price has ever existed before in human history. Such a free economy is working exactly the way Adam Smith thought it would." (p. 10)

"Electronic publishing gives anyone a press. The competition for attention will be fierce. The book world will converge with the Web world. When the dust settles, what remains may not be one industry dominated by a handful of Manhattan-based monoliths but a true marketplace of ideas." (p. 92)

"On the whole [the Internet] should be good for Christians. The great theologians of the past-many of whom are now unavailable and out of print-can be rediscovered. Christian debate and discourse will not longer have to be filtered through the demands of commercialism. The Church, which often drifts wherever the culture leads, may be able to pull itself back together and recover its own identity as the people of God." (p. 152)

"A virtual community is still a kind of community. Modernism fragmented human relationships and undermined communal values, but the Internet, to a certain extent, can put some of them back together." (pp. 170-1)

Perhaps this is being too nitpicky. Scattered throughout the history and hype are many warnings and cautions, most of which people desperately need to hear and follow. For instance, the authors mention how the Internet "obscures the normal status markers, hierarchies, and authorities.... favors short bullets of information.... [and has much] information available [that is] brief, undeveloped, and ephemeral" (p. 137). However, although the bad is pointed out, the authors seem to believe that the good side will win. I question their conclusion.

There are also several inaccuracies in the book, two of which I will point out. The book asserts, "search engines do not discriminate about which sites are reliable-they list them all" (p. 137), which is an understandably incorrect misconception. First of all, search engines discriminate by the way they sort sites by pseudo-relevance. Second, they do not list sites that have requested not to be listed (personally or through a file on their website). Lastly, if you are in another country, search engines can (and do) discriminate against certain sites. For instance, MSN China recently blocked sites that contained words like "democracy" and "freedom."

The authors' explanation of Internet anonymity is also inaccurate. The authors state that, "ironically, though the Internet promises anonymity, this, like so much of cyberspace, is an illusion." That is correct, but not for the reason the authors identify:

"It provides a virtual anonymity that seems real but is not. The fact is, nearly everything ever done on a computer can be traced and found somewhere on the hard drive. Cookies leave their trail of electronic crumbs." (p. 143)

The problem is that anyone with basic computer knowledge can easily delete the history, cache, and cookies. The Internet lacks anonymity because of your ISP (Internet Service Provider). They have logs of everything you have accessed. You also have a unique IP address that accessed sites store in their logs along with a listing of every page (and image) you access. That is what gives the Internet its lack of anonymity, not cookies.

The authors correctly point out that the Internet is predominately centered around typography. Since Christianity is a religion of the Word, they argue, it only makes sense for Christians to latch on to this medium. However, the authors fail to realize (or at least fail to write about) why the Internet has been largely text-based: bandwidth limitations. More and more households are getting broadband, and as this happens, the Internet will become based less on text and more on imagery. We have already seen this effect through widespread use of Flash animations/videos, but it will only get worse. The Internet will become the new TV, only with more interactivity. CNN has recently provided free live streaming video through their website. This trend will continue, and people will end up watching TV (or something similar) through the Internet.

Overall, I think Christians in a .com World is a good book that Christians interested in technology should read. The historical overview is worth the price of the book by itself. However, if you are looking to know how to "get connected without being consumed" you will have to either draw your own conclusions or look to a different book.

If you're a web newbie - this book is for you!.......2001-06-22

I finished _Christians in a .com World_ this week. The first part would be good for anyone not familiar with the net or who was vaguely familiar. I'm glad I read it, though I found it pretty dull, because it helped to put a historical context around some events and information that I already knew. The last part was good, though. It discussed how Christians could use the web for good and to re-introduce Christ and theology into modern culture and conversation. It also discussed how Christians should not use the web and reminded us that we should avoid temptations on the web as we do in our everyday - that we should set boundaries that police ourselves and our children. In other words - use discernment.

So, for you web-savvy folk who aren't interested too much in what e-mail is, the history of the computer, thoughts about community on the web (both the positives, the pitfalls, and the posibility of solitude), and the history of the web, I recommend that you definitely skip to Chapter 5 and read the discussions on the good and bad of the net and that you possibly skip all the way to the concluding section of Christianity Online. It seems a shame that a discussion of Christians in a .com World has to wait until the very last 32 pages to speak on that topic.

My final thoughts? Excellent tool for someone who knows little to nothing about computers or the web, kind of dull for someone who does.

Great Summary!.......2001-06-01

Mr. Veith and Mr. Stamper do an excellent job of summarizing the cyber age and how it affects the Christian. If you haven't read their work in WORLD Magazine or other volumes, you are in for a real treat, as well as a strong challenge on the use of this developing technology for the cause of Christ.

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Groothuis offers a thought provoking look at the Internet.

The Soul in Cyberspace
Douglas Groothuis
Manufacturer: Baker Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0801057604

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Groothuis offers a thought provoking look at the Internet........1999-07-02

In our desire for having more information available to us immediately, we have jumped on the Internet bandwagon without taking time to evaluate it. Groothuis, a professor of philosophy, offers an excellent and insightful look at the world of cyberspace. Drawing from the philosophy of Pascal, the Bible, and other material, he examines the nature of leisure and its implications related to the Internet and associated technologies.

He is critical of the hypertext concept and argues that the ability to instantly jump from document to document is not necessarily a good thing. We end up seeing so much information in so many different contexts that it no longer is a learning process, but simply an exercise in clicking and skimming.

Among the specific issues Groothuis examines include the impact of "cybersex"; video games; chat rooms; e-mail; online distance education; and the nature of leisure. Unlike many Internet books which are obsolete before they even go to print, this book will leave you thinking about technology and how you use the Internet.

Groothuis is far from being anti-technology. After all, he admits to writing his book on computer and he maintains his own web site. His emphasis is more on the philosophical implications of technology and how we can think critically about it. He's concerned that online activities (MUDs, for example) and personas (such as Avatars) are getting in the way of real life. As a result, he argues, we are losing a sense of community and face to face interaction. When online, people tend to be bolder - they send "flame" e-mail and say things they would never say to someone in person. They can also pretend to be someone they are not. Groothuis does not condemn leisure activities, but challenges the reader to return to reality.

He also questions the perpetual increase and advances in personal computer technology and how they can negatively affect people. A desire to have the latest technological toy or upgrade to whatever piece of hardware is the latest rage, is not healthy, he argues.

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The possibility that the Internet can be more than just a purveyor of information is staring us right in the face. Seasoned religion writer Jeff Zaleski tweaks the minds of today's leading cyberspeculators and Web-literate religious adepts to map out its possibilities for religion and spirituality. Crackling conversations ensue, and the reader is treated to a smorgasbord of futuristic brainstorming, mystical revelations, and practical functionality, some of which is already in place. A list of key religious Web sites and background information on technical terms add to the richness of Zaleski's inquiry.

Book Description

A Catholic bishop silenced by the Vatican creates a vitural diocese to spread his message through cyberspace. Orthodox Jews and conservative Christians flock to the Internet to connect the most traditional of believers with the newest of technologies. Technopagans conduct a cyber-ritual to welcome the pagan god into cyberspace, and Buddhists seek enlightenment in electronic sanghas. Artificial intelligences and life forms flourish online, undermining age-old ideas of what is sacred. Cyberspace is redefining religionand reshaping how the world prays, worships and believes.

In this groundbreaking book, acclaimed spirituality and cyberspace writer Jeff Zaleski charts the radical impact of technology upon belief. Exploring the profound challenges and promises cyberspace holds for religion, and examining the new Digital Crusades that are sending people of every faith surging through the online universe, Zaleski draws a stunning portrait of spirituality in the electronic age.

Online, on the Net, on the Web, religions both ancient and new have discovered the power of cyberspace to transform worship, ministry, communities of faith and our ideas of the sacred. Believers, theologians, spiritual teachers and philosophers are struggling to understand the radical effect of cyberspace on religion. The Soul of Cyberspace, in a pioneering journey through religion's newest, strangest and most exhilarating frontier, reveals the new technological face of religion and explores the fascinating challenges posed by our colonization of cyberspace.

Taking readers on a tour of electronic faithto web sites established by Baptists and Buddhists, Mormons and Muslims, to virtual congregrations and Internet chaplaincies, cybermissionaries and virtual monasteriesZaleski introduces us to the trailblazing believers and the cautious faithful of cyberspace. He explores the profound questions raised by the new electronic faith: Will cyberchurches make ministers obsolete? Will communities of church, temple and mosque vanish? Can religious rituals take place on PC screens, and can sacred space be found in the midst of cyberspace's distractions and noise? Can we locate divinityeven electronic deitiesin the folds of cyberspace? In conversations with the new metaphysicians and critics of cyberspaceJohn Perry Barlow, Jaron Lanier, Mark Pesce and othersZaleski reveals fresh insights into spirituality, worship and the sacred.

Customer Reviews:

Exciting, provocative exploration of spirituality on the Net.......1997-10-04

This is a searching, deeply informative book that is by far the best I've seen yet on spirituality, religion and the Internet. Zaleski is a good and lively writer who makes his exploration of online spirituality fun and exciting to read. He does two things in the book. He gives an overview of what's going on spiritually online--what the various major religions and more homegrown spiritual groups are doing online, and what they hope to accomplish. What makes this aspect of the book so strong is that rather than just discuss Web and Usenet sites, Zaleski went out and talked to the men and women who are pioneering the spiritual use of cyberspace, from Zen Webmasters to Pagan programmers. The book also provides what seems to me to be a thorough and very provocative discussion of the implications of digital spirituality--what it means to try to transpose spiritual and religious work into a virtual, bodyless realm. He also considers at length the ramifications of artificial life and artificial intelligence. Here too, Zaleski includes conversations with some high profile digital pioneers, including Mark Pesce, who created HTML, and Tom Ray, the creator of the artificial life experiment Tierra. This is a book that tackles the very most imporant religious, spiritual, and philosophic questions raised by cyberspace, and I recommend it very highly.

Mildly interesting but certainly not deep........1997-10-01

A comparitive survey of what differing religious groups (from Zen to Hasadic Jewish to Catholic to New Age and more) are doing to create a presence in Cyberspace, mostly the world-wide web.

Not truly revelatory in either spirituality or the implications of cyberspace, but some of those interviewed have thoughtful comments on how they see the role of their work.

This book is far from scholarly, and sometimes seems hurried into publication. It's closer to a series of brief interviews, combined with the author's reactions, than an organized exposition. There seems more strength in the cyber/philosophy side than in any religious area, mostly thanks to some thoughtful insights from one techno-philosopher. This makes it slightly deeper in technological consideration than spiritual, but neither area is treated rigorously nor with depth.

Powerful insight on what makes the Internet pulsate........1997-08-27

Jeff Zaleski takes you behind the scenes of the screen and shows how the Internet is filled with idealists who care for others. If you want to understand the power that sits at your fingertips, you must read this book. It's your chance to change the world to a better place. All you need is the resolve to care for others and share your G-d given talents with millions of people who are searching for meaning in life.

E-religion: A Critical Appraisal of Religious Discourse on the World Wide Web

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E-religion: A Critical Appraisal of Religious Discourse on the World Wide Web
Anastasia Karaflogka
Manufacturer: Equinox Publishing (UK)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Product Description

Religion in cyberspace has only recently begun to be examined in a systematic way. One of the main aims of this book is to help those studying religion in Information Communication Technologies to develop a basic understanding of the field's ontology, by incorporating web epistemology and theory. By focusing attention on the Web site as the main object of study and by presenting the hidden socio-economic and political aspects that govern the Web's structure and operation, it offers a methodological apparatus for investigating cyberreligious discourse.

thelordismyshepherd.com: Seeking God in Cyberspace

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A great journey to share
A Soulful Look at the World Through the Web Portal
New Paradigm for God
A must read for those on a spiritual search on the internet

thelordismyshepherd.com: Seeking God in Cyberspace
Joshua Hammerman
Manufacturer: Simcha Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Theology | Judaism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1558748210

Book Description

thelordismyshepherd.com opens a new and necessary dialogue on the soul of cyberspace. It will change the way people think about their computers, about God, about the future and about the interconnected destiny of humanity in this ever-shrinking world. The author, a noted rabbi and journalist, alternates between analytic and experiential approaches to the subject, escorting the reader on a multi-dimensional quest for spiritual and intellectual growth - a "virtual pilgrimage" if you will. A pilgrimage that travels tens of thousands of miles in a matters of instants, from Jerusalem to Mecca, to Chartres, even to Kosovo, and provides a new means of utilizing the vast power of technology to connect us to God and to transcend the artificial boundaries that separate us.

Customer Reviews:

A great journey to share.......2000-10-18

I applaud Rabbi Hammerman for taking us with him on his spiritual odyssey in the virtual world. His writing is lovely and engaging and keeps us wide-eyed throughout his exploration of many of the world's sacred sites. The coverage of religious sites is balanced and the experience is heartfelt. I recommend this book highly for spiritual seekers and for beginners and experts on the superhighway. Timely,insighful and extremely well-written. Bravo Rabbi!

A Soulful Look at the World Through the Web Portal.......2000-09-05

To me, this book is as much a travelogue of the inner life of a very thoughtful rabbi as it is a travelogue of the virtual world of the web. In his book, Rabbi Hammerman reflects soulfully on what he sees. His choices of sites to visit are provocative and reflect his own courage and convictions. For example, his second visit, one made with great respect, is a moslem site. Rabbi Hammerman uses the various stops in his journey to document progress in a journey of his soul. He struggles with some of what he sees. What he sees brings up theological questions he passionately considers. This isn't the travelogue of a young, exploring rabbi. It is the travelogue, from my view point, of a rabbi who has already traveled far and has, as a result, both open questions and profoundly deep convictions. The rabbi brings both gravitas and playfulness. The book uses this virtual tour of the sacred sites in the virtual world to bring up and discuss the sacred questions in our interconnected consciousness. It is a gem.

New Paradigm for God.......2000-09-03

I loved this book! I found it was less about where to find God (on the internet) than how to look at God. Rabbi Hammerman suggests a new paradigm for God, not as a shepherd leading a flock, but as a weaver of a web, and the web itself. The internet, he suggests, is not only a metaphor for his God paradigm, but also evidence itslelf of God. Fasinating! It is very clear from reading this that Rabbi Hammerman has been touched by an encounter with holiness, sitting in front of his computer-not in the sanctuary of his synagogue. While not everyone may be able to replicate his revelation, the computer is there for us, accessible and always available, we only need to turn it on and tune in.

A must read for those on a spiritual search on the internet.......2000-08-17

What a special book. Rabbi Hammerman has a wonderful style and takes you on a journey around the world in the privacy of your own home. If you are looking for God in cyberspace, look no further. This book will take you places and show you how to find a deeper meaning from within your computer. Anyone who has a computer or access to one should have this book. It's a small investment for a priceless experience!

Average customer rating:

77 Talks/Cyberspace Kids
Chris Chesterton , and David T. Ward
Manufacturer: Monarch Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Special Needs | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

No ficción | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

Book Description

This book helps teachers and leaders reach tweens by using technologies and icons to bridge the historical gap between the Bible times and the modern day.

Christian Cyberspace Companion: A Guide to the Internet and Christian Online Resources

Average customer rating:

EXCELLENT EXPLANATION OF INTERNET & ALL ITS ASPECTS
A great book for Christians learning about the Internet.

Christian Cyberspace Companion: A Guide to the Internet and Christian Online Resources
Jason D. Baker
Manufacturer: Baker Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Culture | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0801052483

Customer Reviews:

EXCELLENT EXPLANATION OF INTERNET & ALL ITS ASPECTS.......1998-01-04

Best review of basic Internet technology I've found in simple English (non-technical) for neophytes, plus an index of all the Christ-related Web-sites known to exist at publication time,along with a minute explanation of each. First edition was up-to-date at the time of its 1995 publication time, and the 2nd edition in early 1997 is still amazingly current (dropping lots of out-of-date listings to add new ones), but will probably require annual revisions to keep current, due to the amazing recent Internet growth!

A great book for Christians learning about the Internet........1996-06-18

The thing that impressed me about this book was the fact that the author does not talk over your head. He starts off giving a brief history of the Internet. Then explains the differance between on-line services and internet service providers. It is quite basic but some parts get fairly in depth. Besides that, it answers questions that Christians are asking today like, "Should my kids be on the Internet?" He discusses things from pornography to morality. One more good thing......he concludes with many pages full of recommended Christian websites. This came in very handy and I'm sure it will continue to. Overall, I think this book is an excellent choice for Christians to read if they are thinking about getting on the net or even if they already do

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