The Electronic Bible
By Frances Forde Plude
The emergence of a culture built around electronic texts will profoundly shape new understandings of the Bible, literacy, narrative, truth, reality, and roles of ‘author’ and reader.’ Entirely new ways of processing information will appear…We might…discover that the Bible and communities of faith built around it have been ‘multimedia’ for a long, long time. - Ronald W. Roschke
As we continue to think about faith communities and scripture in our electronic culture, I am going “on the road” for a seven-month sabbatical. I will begin by living for 4-6 weeks in each of the two communication capitals of the world: Hollywood and New York City. I want to see up close how these cultural icons function and how they impact theology and religious institutions.
During my New York City visit I plan to meet with staff at the American Bible Society’s Research Center for Scripture and Media. I want to learn about how they are “translating” Bible stories for our electronic age. Suzanne explains more about this below. A thorough analysis of this extraordinary project can be found in the book: From One Medium to Another – Communicating the Bible Through Multimedia, edited by Paul Soukup and Robert Hodgson.
We are challenged today in our communication/theology environments to re-think media and religion. As Paul Soukup explains in the above book, we have thought of communication and messages as “magic bullets.” Evangelization meant firing off messages through varied channels. However, as I have often mentioned before, we have underestimated the participative role of audiences.
All Communication is Interactive
We now know that all communication is interactive. As Ronald Roschke notes in the book mentioned above: “A book sitting as an object on a shelf does not do anything. It is only really a book when you begin to pick it up and read it and relate to it; then is serves as communication.”
By Suzanne Nelson
In a study of Australian Aborigines, they cheered during a Rambo movie as he freed prisoners of war. They identified with Rambo because so many of their own relatives were unjustly imprisoned. Contrast this interpretation with Ronald Reagan’s. Rambo was one of his favorite movies because it showed the courage of Americans. In his paper writings, Adan Medrano notes “meaning is constructed by the user of media according to his or her age, gender, race, class, and personal history.”
This reality can cause anxiety for parish workers charged with the duty of ‘handing on the word.’ Many new forms of media have been developed since Vatican II, but even at that time the Decree on Mass Media, #13, urged all the members of churches to make a concerted effort to ensure that media are utilized in the service of the Gospel. The directive is even more appropriate in today’s high-tech world.
Vatican II Communicated About Revelation
Using media responsibly to preach the Word has always been, and still is, a great challenge and a graced privilege. Because of the nature of Scripture we are not alone in the task. I recently reread the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation and came across some of my favorite paragraphs, putting things in perspective.
Through revelation, God addresses us as friends, lives among us, and invites us to share God’s company. Revelation unfolds through words and deeds; the words proclaim the deeds and the deeds confirm and illuminate the words. The most intimate truth revealed about God and human salvation is Christ who is both the mediator and the sum total of revelation. (#2)
Christ revealed God to us through oral preaching and deeds, which were then set down in writing as Scripture and handed on through the apostles and their successors. Thus, Tradition and Scripture make up the word of God for us. They are bound together and communicate with one another. (#9)
There is a growth in insight into the realities and words that are being passed on. This comes about through the contemplation and study of believers who ponder these things in their hearts. (#8)
We should not be surprised, therefore, that the Bible is still being ‘translated’ into new media. Today’s written form of the word began as oral preaching. It first took the form of hand lettered manuscripts. Only during the last 500 years has it become known in its printed form as the “Bible.”
The American Bible Society Electronic Bible
The American Bible Society (ABS) had a think tank of Catholic and Protestant biblical scholars translating the Bible for our electronic culture. Four research sub-projects were underway: 1) a survey of modern thinking and decision making processes; 2) an exploration of learning styles and multiple intelligence theory; 3) a study of the implications of global and social issues of technology and pluralism on bible study; and 4) a documentation of the needs of Christian educators with regard to Bible study.
At the ABS research site you can find samples of a translation of several Bible stories into new media. At the site you will also find articles related to this research. Some topics: theory of translation; building bridges between theology and media studies; and symbolism and the life course project – a special research project underway in Colorado.
Remember that meaning is constructed by the user; how are the people “translating” the Bible into their lives in your faith community? When, where, and how do they see, hear, smell, touch and taste it? What nourishes and guides their contemplation of the word?
“Sacred Space” is one media form of praying with Scripture. You can find many more ideas online. Try it. Then post these sources in your bulletin or on your own church website. You will be helping communicate the Bible to our electronic culture.