As digital technology come to permeate every aspect of human society, including people’s religious and spiritual lives, a number of terms have been mentioned in theological discussions that may not sound familiar or whose meaning may not be immediately evident to the listener. These terms include “digital theology,” “theology in the digital age,” “cybertheology,” “theology of the internet,” and others. While none of them have received acceptance as the official term for what they aim to convey, they all point to an important reality that has garnered considerable interest: the nexus between theology and digital information and communication technologies (ICT). This chapter is not concerned so much with making a case for any particular terminology because a consensus will eventually come about in due time. The primary aim, however, is to reflect on some theological matters that are provoked (inspired) by the new digital milieu in which terms such as digital age and cyberspace, which once sounded like descriptions of futuristic and otherworldly phenomena, now reflect a real and pervasive reality in human life. Thus, Christian theology which deals with the deepest spiritual issues and aspirations of humanity cannot fail to consider the effects of digital technology on the important dimensions of human lives, particularly one’s relationship with God and with fellow human beings.
It must be stated at the outset
that the forthcoming reflections are but a modest effort to contribute to more
systematic studies in this area, which continues to be a relatively new topic
for investigations. However, in recent years, after the publication of Antonio
Spadaro’s book Cybertheology: Thinking Christianity in the Era of the Internet
(2014),[1]
there has been more interests in examining the intersection between theology
and the digital milieu. This is an improvement over the time when
Spadaro first set out to consider the topic. In his book, Spadaro himself
lamented about the lack of resources and having to stare “at a blank computer
screen with no idea about where to begin or what to write”[2]
when he was asked to give a theological speech about religiosity and the internet.
The Jesuit priest and writer found a wealth of information regarding the
pastoral dimension of the internet—its benefits and risks, its utilization as
an instrument of evangelization and so on—but systematic theological
reflections were few.[3]
Although there is admittedly more discussions about digital theology in
scholarly conversations and in academic journals in recent years, Heidi
Campbell observes that until now, there are still no books solely focused on
the topic of digital theology.[4]
It is also important to state the
reasons why there needs to be a so called cybertheology and what this term
fundamentally refers to. Although there is still no official definition of what
cybertheology or digital theology is, the reflections here can contribute to
the process of development of its final definition in the future. One of the
aims of this inquiry is also to discuss cybertheology with some references to
the Asian context. By situating the reflections in the Asian environment and
making the relevant connections, we will see that cybertheology takes on
various shapes depending on the particular context. Therefore, our task here is
threefold: (1) To discuss the necessity of developing a cybertheology and
exploring the possible nature of such a theology; (2) to reflect on human relationships
with God and neighbor from a cybertheological perspective; and (3) to briefly
situate this reflection in the Asian socio-religio-cultural context.
Chapter from the book: Religion and Society in the Digital Age (Moldova: Eliva Press, 2020).
For full article, email: leducsvd.arc@gmail.com
[1]
Antonio Spadaro, Cybertheology: Thinking Christianity in the Era of the Internet
(New York: Fordham University Press, 2014).
[2]
Spadaro, Cybertheology, viii.
[3]
Spadaro, Cybertheology, ix.
[4]
Heidi A. Campbell, “An
Introduction to Digital Ecclesiology: What Does a Conversation on Digital
Ecclesiology Look Like?” in Digital
Ecclesiology: A Global Conversation, ed. Heidi A. Campbell (Digital
Religion Publications, 2020), 6.
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