Communication Challenges of a ‘New Culture’
By Franz-Josef Eilers, SVD
[Father Eilers served, during a long career, as Executive Secretary of the Asian bishops’ Office of Social Communication (FABC) and Consultant to the Vatican Pontifical Council for Social Communication (PCCS)]
1. Historical Background
An overview of the history of humankind’s social communication shows some developments and shifts which determined the life of many generations. The first one was the move from oral culture to writing at the early stage of human history. Without writing no experiences and ideas could be preserved and passed on to later generations. Over centuries this writing and copying of texts hardly changed; with Christianity becoming public under Emperor Constantine, copying was done in monasteries which mostly maintained the libraries.
The second and most important step in the development of the means of communication came with the invention of movable letters for printing by Johannes Gutenberg. This was indeed a major shift, not only in communication technology but in the further development of human thinking, like in philosophy and theology. For the first time:
The same texts became easily available to everyone. The same form (and text) could be multiplied as many times as needed. Thus, from the single copied text suddenly many were available.
These texts were identical with the original and not altered or changed by any copying mistake by hand. Thus, for the first time in the history of the Church unified texts for liturgy became available which led, for example, to the unified missal of Pope Pius V. Earlier there were many local liturgies which could be unified with this printing method promoting the liturgy of the city of Rome for the universal Church.
The new printing method also paved the way for easy sharing new ideas in theology. It was this method which helped Martin Luther and his companions, in a special way, to spread the Reformation, without the Catholic Church realizing the ‘Copernical’ change in communication technology. This can be exemplified by a few data:
From an average of some 40 new book titles a year in 1500 (before the Reformation), this changed to 111 titles in 1519 (two years after the Reformation) and 498 in 1523, 418 of them of Protestant origin.
Luther’s “Sermon on Indulgence and Grace” was reprinted 12 times in 10 months from March 1518 onwards. The text had 25 editions within the first two years.
Luther’s discussions with Eck in 1518 sold 1,400 copies within a few days at the Frankfurt Trade Fair the same year.
With the printing invention a completely new profession was born, the printer. Printing and publishing became a business. It was no longer in the hands of the monasteries and monks; it was now run by professionals, to make money and to develop their business. It is indicative that the first printer in England, William Caxton, started his press 1476 in London at Fleet Street, the area of the clergy, who were the only ones who could read and write at that time.
It is mainly with the new method of printing that new developments in thinking in philosophy and theology spread. With the greater availability of books and printed material and a lower price through new techniques, slowly other groups of people had access to printed material. This was further promoted after the obligation for schooling--to learn to read and write-- was introduced by different countries after the French Revolution (1789). Newspapers and periodicals became available to ordinary people in addition to the “upper class.” Thus, the “market” grew larger, far beyond books.
In the further development of communication technologies, new means were added with Film (1895), Radio (1906) and Television (1940s). These developments add, with video and sound, to the communication possibilities. An important moment in the development of these possibilities is the invention of the transistor by Bell Laboratories (1947) which made Radio and even Television more easily available on small devices, without the need for complicated technology. Computers and Internet add to a further development toward Cyberspace and Virtual Reality which brings us, in the words of Pope John Paul II, into a “New Culture”.
1. Church Reactions
How did the Church, in the past, react to such communication developments? For the time after Gutenberg, it seems obvious the Church was not sufficiently aware of the many new possibilities. And when, finally, the Council of Trent tried to settle the issues raised by the Reformation, it was the Index of Forbidden Books which was initiated towards the end of the Council and promulgated two years later. While, on the one hand, the Church was using the new technical possibilities for liturgical books and theological publications, the overall attitude seems to have been rather negative as reflected in the Encyclical Christianae Republica of Clement XIII (1766) stressing the dangers of anti-Christian writings.
This changed with Pius XI’s Encyclical on film (Vigilanti Cura, 1936) and Pius XII’s on electronic media (Miranda Prorsus, 1957) as well as Vatican II’s Inter Mirifica (1963) and follow up documents like the Pastoral Instructions Communio et Progressio (1971) Aetatis Novae (1992). There seems to be, however, a paradigm shift with Pope John Paul II’s statement in his encyclical on Mission Redemptoris Missio (RM) about a “New Culture” which is shaped and determined by Communication. Here he points to a broader perspective and admits that “to some extent this ‘Areopagus’ has been neglected”. He demands that the Christian Message must be integrated “into the ‘New Culture’ created by modern communications”. He points to “new ways of communicating, with new languages, new techniques and a new psychology” (No. 37c) which refers, not just to one new medium to be added to existing ones, but, rather, to a new communication situation which affects all areas of life.
These new developments in communication technology led toward a “total” communication situation where our whole life becomes determined by the many communication possibilities and demands. Communication is instant, everywhere, anytime, and converging into one means, like the hand-held computer. This easily leads to a ‘domination’ by these means, even in our private lives, with almost no room any more for privacy, personal growth, and development, especially in young people. Children today are born with the “mouse”. This affects their personality development, including their spiritual growth. John Paul II talked about new ways of communication, new technologies, new psychology, and new languages (Redemptoris Missio, 37c). What are the challenges of such situations and developments for theological thinking but also for formation, spiritual life, and pastoral care? What are the new possibilities or hindrances for the proclamation of faith? How do such developments influence, or even determine, our Christian communities?
There are no ready-made and quick answers to these issues. They are “complex” as the Pope says in the same document. But it is also our obligation go deeper theologically into these issues and to respond to the “momentum”, so we do not, once again, miss opportunities the Church experienced in the early years of modern printing. We need a thorough research and study program for this new situation which is not yet done sufficiently--not in our teaching nor in our research programs. The political developments with Jihad and extreme religious movements should encourage us in addition, to go deeper and be more thorough in the formulation and vision of our formation and teaching programs.
2. “New Culture”
With new communication, there has always been the fear they would replace older media. But reality has shown that new media, like television against radio, have complemented, rather than substituted for, one another. With the new means coming up on the Internet and cyberspace we might expect something similar -- with one difference, however: We are living in a time of converging communication. All existing means converge more and more into one format like the computer. Newspapers are presented and read online, radio and television broadcasts come through the Internet and even full feature films can be watched on the Net without going to the cinema.
Further developments seem to indicate that soon all means of communication will be available on our handset and the programming choice will be left to the recipient. The recipient becomes her/his own editor and composes his/her own program schedule. It seems our communication will therefore rely more on program providers than radio or television stations or even newspapers. This has tremendous consequences for our communication structures including the different commercial or government entities. What do such developments mean for the Church and the Christian community, for theology and pastoral communication?
1. One consequence from such a development could be to concentrate more on persons than on hard- or software of communication means. Despite technical developments it will always be people who are to be responsible to determine the content and use of different communication means. This holds as well for the “production” side as for the recipients. On the one hand, we must encourage creativity and ideas in developing human and Christian “messages.” On the other hand, the recipients need to be able to use the offers of the communications “industry” in such a way that they support the growth of persons and human communities. For communication teaching and research at the university level, this means an activity in at least two directions: To enable program producers, not only in their use of technology but also in their way of determining and developing content and proper presentation. This would be somehow the ‘active’ dimension. At the same time, for receiving such communications and to apply them to their needs and possibilities, the recipients need a proper formation. Thus, the question for a pastoral minister would be: How can I best use the new opportunities for my pastoral ministry, my role as a shepherd to the people entrusted to me? How can Christ shine through all these new means in such a way that He is not only recognized but lived in a deeper and proper way? At the same time: How can I encourage people to a discriminate and responsible ‘use’ of all their new communication possibilities?
2. This “New Culture” further needs a more thorough study, concerning the different possibilities and consequences for the mission of theology and the Church. If all the consequences from the invention of Gutenberg would have been reflected and studied in those days and applied accordingly, historical developments like the Reformation and the many misunderstandings created those days could have been avoided. The renewal of the Church would not have needed a bold step like Luther’s who felt he would not be listened to sufficiently. He, in fact, had a just and genuine concern. In our present situation, questions like the following must be asked and answered as a first step on the theological and the human level:
How is a child who today is almost born with the “mouse” conditioned in his/her further growth and communication abilities?
How can such a child be disposed for spiritual and faith formation?
What kind of faith formation can be “transmitted” by the new technical means and which ones cannot?
What are the qualities needed for parents and teachers to really implant faith in a new technology-conditioned young person?
How can a living faith experience, with and beyond cyberspace, be shared and implanted into another person?
Can faith experience really be transmitted or shared in a new communication environment and with new communication means?
We are developing into a “total” communication environment; we will be able to communicate everywhere, anywhere at any time. What does this mean for our privacy, our time, and the uniqueness of the other person? What does this mean for our own and other religious communities?
How must we re-think and possibly re-write our communication ethics and moral theology in the light of latest communication developments?
How far does the “New Culture” help or hinder our mandate to share our faith with others beyond Church boundaries? (Evangelization and Re-evangelization?)
3. When John Paul II talks in RM about “new ways of communicating, new technologies, new psychology and new languages”. How far does this call for more interdisciplinary studies and approaches in our teaching, and developing, theology? We should go far beyond just updating teaching methodologies (using presentation software). How far are our students and scholars changed in their dispositions and abilities in comparison with former times? Which of these new technologies, new psychology, and languages are of special challenge to theological thinking, reflection and teaching?
When Pope John Paul II talks about a new Culture he not only means new media or new technologies. Culture is “a way of living” or Louis Luzbetak defines it as “different answers to the same basic human physical, social and ideational needs.” The Text in Redemptoris Missio seems to point exactly in this direction: not listing any media but rather the change and determination of modern culture trough the different new ways of communicating. No human culture can respond to basic physical and social needs without communicating. Communication enables human beings to relate to each other and to their respective physical and social environment.
The expression “Social Communication” -- as coined by the preparatory committee for Inter Mirifica of the Second Vatican Council -- seems to point in this direction. The commission felt expressions like ‘Mass Media” or ‘Media of Diffusion’ or ‘Audio-visual Means’ would not express enough what the Church is really concerned about. Therefore, the expression ‘Social Communication’ was proposed and accepted by the council (IM 1). This refers to all ways, means, and areas of communication within human society. It responds, in a special way, to the social needs of every community; it shapes and determines any cultural expression and especially this ‘New Culture’ of our times. For a deeper theological and pastoral understanding of these dimensions one might – as a second step in our considerations - concentrate on two perspectives: Communication Theology and the whole field of pastoral and evangelizing communication:
Communication Theology is not only concerned about a theological view of different ways and means of communicating (“Theology of Communication”) but rather sees the whole of theology under the perspective of communication:
The Trinitarian God communicates within himself, Father and Son in the Holy Spirit
This Trinitarian God communicates with his creatures in Revelation. For this he uses all ways and means of the cultures addressed: he speaks to Adam and Eva interpersonally, but also communicates through fire and brimstone, through Moses and the prophets, through natural and manmade happenings.
The high point of this communication is the Incarnation of the Word of God, Jesus Christ himself: “and the word becoming flesh” (Jn 1,1 cf. Hebr. 1,1).
The Church finally should be seen as the continuation of God’s communication into the here and now of every time.
With such a theological understanding and approach the instrumentality of communication becomes secondary. Rather the whole culture and life of the community are determined by different ways and means of communicating. This affects also in a special way the “New Culture” of John Paul II. In other words: Communication Theology helps to see that communication is rather an interactive dimension in a cultural context which is deeply rooted in the Trinitarian God. It is not just the use or even the efficient use of certain media or technical means. This cultural context, however, seems today not any more to be determined by ‘eternal values’ but rather by individualism, consumerism, relativism: everything is available to everybody at any time and at the wish of the individual. If the Church in the understanding of Communication Theology is really the continuation of the communicating Trinitarian God in his revelation and incarnation how to fulfill this mission in a New Culture today?
2. The concerns of Pastoral and Evangelizing Communication (cf. Eilers 2004) in a new culture are reflected in a double way: a) in the inner disposition needed, and b) in the realities of the New digital Culture and their consequences.
a) The communication of the ‘Shepherd’ is determined by knowing the ‘sheep’, the ‘sheep’ knowing him and the ‘shepherd’ giving his life for them (cf. Jn 10). Here it is not technologies and skills which are demanded but, rather, dispositions and attitudes which must be developed and determine our approach to the “New Culture” in which people of today live. This can be said, not only for communication within the Church (ad intra: Pastoral Communication), but also for communication outside the Church boundaries (ad extra (‘ad Gentes’): Evangelizing Communication). All this calls for a ‘communication culture’, or rather a ‘communicative Culture’, based on the inner disposition and spirituality of the participants and especially their ‘shepherds’. The “New Culture” is to become a culture where incarnation and revelation takes place in the here and now of our time so it really affects the lives and disposition of people.
b) Our Pastoral as well as our Evangelizing Communication is embedded in a New Culture which is determined by new technical developments. At the outset we must be clear about a new and unique situation with this “New Culture”. The Internet and new technologies are not only a further addition to the already-existing communications media, like it was in the past with Film, Radio and TV. They rather change our ways of thinking, of relating, of communication, in essential ways. They are not now mere instruments but rather a completely new way of living, as Bertrand Quellet told the participants of the World Congress of the Catholic Press in June 2007 in Sherbrooke, Canada. This is also reflected in the following ways which lead to important pastoral communication questions:
The digital revolution changes our way of thinking. We are not any more determined by logical thinking and a ‘hierarchical’ structure based on documents. We are more and more determined by a whole ‘market’ of ideas and thoughts which are more determined by emotions and experiences than logical thinking:
- What are the consequences of this for human behavior and moral theology?
- People are looking for experiences more than head-level thinking and presentations: What are the consequences for liturgical celebrations and Church services? Could this be one reason why our churches especially in the West are becoming empty?
The digital revolution promotes inter-activity. The recipient is not any more the passive person but becomes integral and active part of the communication process. S/he wants to be recognized as that:
- What are the consequences for catechesis, community life and the pastoral approach of the minister?
In the “New Culture” everything is available to anybody at any time. It means that the recipient becomes her/himself the communicator. S/he determines what is said, how, when, and where, and not any more the communicator (Sender). The recipient determines what to do. If the journalist still has a role to play it is more that of a guide, rather than a ‘gatekeeper’.
- What are the consequences for our pastoral communication?
In the “New Culture” the recipient decides what s/he wants and ‘needs’. It is fully up to the individual to decide when, where, and with whom, to communicate. With this we seem to be in danger of losing permanent values to individualism. Everything is measured according to my interest or ‘needs’. I determine and create the world around me – possibly independent from any common rules.
- How does such a growing individualism, even ‘egoism’, affect our Church life and the way we approach, and deal with, people?
- What does this mean for the formation of young people and how to prepare them for life and society?
- How can community develop and exist if the individual becomes itself the norm (“I want...”)? How can a ‘demanding’ God be part of such a life? Are there still permanent values, independent from the ones I create for myself?
- How does such a ‘click’ and ‘zap’ Culture change young people? Just a click on the Net gives what one wants and gives it instantly! And if it is not immediately available you go somewhere else.
The “New Culture” is characterized by fragmentation and segmentation. It is not any more the ‘great’ structure and vision of life from which one used to find direction because it is also reflected in the old and classical Church architecture. Our life becomes rather segmented and a collection of experiences which are juxtaposed and often not even related. The new digital world is not any more hierarchical. It is rather a network which should be developed and connected with each other. Earlier radio or TV stations were characterized by their transmitting towers and the churches by their church tower; with digital communication this has given way to a collection of millions of computers without any fixed center. The ‘global Village’ becomes a ‘global Network’. The former center seems to be lost.
- What does this mean for a hierarchically determined pastoral ministry?
- How to ‘proclaim’ and ‘implant’ in such a situation the ‘eternal truths’ of our faith?
- How to keep the center of Christian faith and community alive in such a situation?
- How far does such a reality foster or also distort the ‘equality’ of everybody and how does pastoral communication respond to this?
In the ‘New Culture” children become in their early age ‘computer freaks’ With two or three years they are already navigating with the ‘mouse’ on the computer screen:
- What are the psychological dispositions created this way at an early stage of personality development?
- What are the consequences for integrating and introducing such young people into faith and Christian community?
- How can the treasures of Christian faith be integrated and shared with people who might be incapable for this because they are so determined by such a “New Culture”?
- How can we still preserve and foster permanent Christian values and concerns?
- How can we maintain and even strengthen the ‘eternal truths’ of Christian faith?
The “New Culture” is determined by an incredible cultural diversity available more and more to everybody.
- How can such a diversity which is also reflected in the Catholic Church be ‘translated’ into our new situation with new technologies, new ways of communicating, new languages and a new psychology? (cf. John Paul II: Redemptoris Missio 37c).
- How can such diversity be integrated into a local culture and church but at the same time also be enriched in the process - also spiritually?
All these developments and considerations also call for a new and deeper ethical approach. This includes even changes in our language and how we deal with each other and respect our privacy. “What some five years ago nobody would write on an open postcard because it could be seen by everybody is today placed into the ‘blog’ of the Internet for everybody. And especially the young have no qualms about it…” (Bergmann)
- What does all this mean for our Christian action and our Christian responsibilities?
- Which are the main ethical concerns to be considered, developed, and clarified in a culture determined by Internet and digital design?
- Which values are we to develop and foster in a new generation growing up and driven by these converging means of communication?
Conclusion
The “New Culture”, with new ways of communicating, new technologies, a new language and new psychology demands a theological re-thinking of our communication approaches and activities. We should learn from history and dispose ourselves to embrace the “New Culture” in the spirit of Communication Theology and a genuine spirit-filled approach to modern pastoral and evangelizing communication. We should become aware of a new “Relativism” which is created and fostered by the modern converging communication culture.
And we should take up the challenge.
References
Bergmann, Christina:
- Die Zukunft hat begonnen. In: www.dw-world. de (27.06.2007)
Eilers, Franz-Josef:
- Communicating in Community. An Introduction to Social Communication. Third enlarged Edition. Manila (Logos) 2002
- Communicating in Ministry and Mission. An Introduction to Pastoral and Evangelizing Communication. Second Edition. Manila (Logos) 2004
FABC-OSC:
- Modern Communication Technologies: Challenges for the Church in Asia? Orientations and Recommendations. BISCOM II. Manila 1999
- Converging Communications for Ministry in Asia. Modern Technologies for the Church. Orientations and Recommendations. BISCOM VI. Manila 2007
Hamelink, Cees J.:
- The Ethics of Cyberspace. London (Sage) 2000
John Paul II:
- Redemptoris Missio. Encyclical Letter. Vatican 1990
- Internet: A new Forum for Proclaiming the Gospel. World Communication Day Message 2002
Luzbetak, Louis J.:
- The Church and Cultures. New perspectives in missiological Anthropology. Maryknoll 1988
Martini, Carlo M.:
- Communicating Christ to the World. The Pastoral Letters “Ephphata, Be Opened!”, “The Hem of His Garment’ and “Letters to a Family about TV”. Milan (Centro Ambrosiano) 1994. Philippine Edition Manila (Claretians)1996
Moon-su Park:
- Moral Implications of Cyberspace. Ethics in Internet. Unpublished Paper. Bishops’ Institute for Social Communication (BISCOM) VI. Bangkok 2007
Pontifical Council for Social Communication:
- Ethics in Internet. Vatican 2002
- Church and Internet. Vatican 2002
Quellet, Bertrand:
- Medias et religion a l’ere du zap et du clic: l’impact de la revolution numerique. Unpublished Paper. World Congress of the Catholic Press (UCIP) Sherbrooke, Canada 2007