Preface To The Volume The Bible And The Technology Of The Word, Jose Palakeel, Ed. In India
By Frances Forde Plude
It is one sign of our times that traditional forms of literacy such as reading and writing are declining while new forms of literacy, (called by Ong) “secondary orality”, are emerging. This new literacy results, in part, from that permanent fixture in…homes, the television (set), and, in part, from the increasing portability and ubiquity of computers, popular music, and electronic games. – From One Medium to Another, Soukup and Hodgson, editors, Sheed and Ward, p. 3.
Reviewing the themes and concepts in this Palakeel volume, I was reminded of an earlier symposium of the American Bible Society on “Communicating the Bible Through Multimedia.” I have quoted from this volume above. That volume and this one, help us to conceptualize biblical storytelling in a digital, interactive culture – where media audiences are more and more in control of the ‘text’. And where there is a cacophony of media ‘noise’ competing for our attention. What happens when an electronic ‘feedback loop’ allows personalization and individualized learning in biblical storytelling? Isn’t it possible that the Bible can be even more compelling if we can enter a biblical ‘virtual reality?’
Computer technology enhances non-linear storytelling of the Bible – with memory traces and content links – so we can more easily track biblical themes and favorite passages. The random-access capacity of the computer (with nodes and links) allows us to move through the Bible in our own personal way. When enhanced by visuals, this brings the Bible to life in the ‘language’ of our century. For young people, especially, raised in a multimedia environment, the Bible can be ‘born again.’
This is the challenge and the excitement of this volume of essays! These ideas are especially important for pastoral-ministry training – in seminaries and in diocesan lay ministry programs. These training programs, unfortunately, have rarely taken time to reflect upon the impact of our digital culture on our religious institutions and in the sharing of God’s Word to humanity globally.
Imagine how delighted I was when I traveled to India, to discover that here was a systematic and enjoyable curriculum introducing communication concepts into seminary training.
This program – developed by Jose Palakeel, the editor of this volume – will be expanded further when the IMPACT Centre will be built in Kochi, the financial and ecclesiastical capital of Kerala, India. IMPACT represents Initiatives for Missionary Pastoral Animation and Communication Theology. The Centre will answer the need for a new vision and strategy in the communication culture of churches, helping them adapt to the digital culture of this century.
It is a blessing that we have new communication tools and theories. This volume, and the IMPACT Centre, will spread the ‘good news’ of this new communication environment and its impact on our faith. This is, surely, what Jesus would do!