The Church and New Media by Brandon Vogt
September 23, 2011 by OneBillionStories.com
Filed under Archive, Blog, Book Reviews, Media
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The Church and New Media
by Brandon Vogt
“The Church and New Media is the best kind of reading: timely, vivid, and rich in valuable information. For anyone seeking to understand and use today’s new technologies in advancing the Catholic Faith, this book is an unsurpassed resource.”
- Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia (FOLLOW ABC on FACEBOOK, click right)
Do I jump too far in stating that The Church and New Media by Brandon Vogt, shares many similarities with the Bible? How you ask? It comes together as a collection of personal stories from ‘digital continent’ missionaries, in a comprehensive library of ideas, guidelines, and inspiration for all Catholic online evangelization. If the biblical comparison is not enough, let me try baseball.
I love baseball, in fact, my mother’s roots hail from upstate New York. With those family roots, the venerable New York Yankees were at the top of my family’s docket for every summer trip to the Big Apple growing up! Although the Rocky Mountains are home, the men in pin stripes have always held an important place in my life. So no, these are no words of a band wagon fan; only a born and raised Yankee fanatic. I’ve read all the Yankee history books, so I know a good line up when I see one, historically and in the present.
Well, the late George Steinbrenner, and now his son Hank, have nothing on young Catholic ‘digital continent’ missionary Brandon Vogt! If anyone knows how to assemble a ‘murderer’s row’ line-up (not what you’re thinking), it’s Mr. Vogt. Published in August 2011, The Church and New Media is a spectacular collection of people’s Christ-centered online revolutions for the Catholic faith, located where the current vicar of Christ on earth calls the ‘digital continent.’ “ It falls, in particular, to young people, who have an almost spontaneous affinity for the new means of communication, to take on the responsibility for the evangelization of this “digital continent”.” This book builds a library of Bible-like proportions for the future of the Catholic Church’s mission upon the coming of age world-wide-web. And the lead off hitter is a must for any online missionary team, read on.
How can a book on evangelization from a Catholic world view not begin with a chapter by Fr. Robert Barron of Word on Fire? Fr. Robert Barron opens this book with the hard facts, ‘the largest religious group in the United States is Catholics,’ great, right? But then he drops the hammer immediately following with ‘
the second largest religious group in the United States is…. fallen away Catholics.’
After this accurate reporting, he shares good news immediately, similar to the gospel parables of Jesus’ time.What’s the good news? We Catholics of the present now have a ‘virtual Areopagus’ that St. Paul would have relished 2,000 years ago, the internet! Once a Catholic has been formed well in the faith says Thomas Peters, in the closing chapter, they then have the opportunity to share their story of faith with hundreds, thousands, even millions of readers, listeners, and viewers upon the ‘digital continent.‘ And indeed, that is good news for Catholics who know how the Church’s reputation receives a daily bashing from ‘pop’ media. (set up google alert for ‘pope’, you’ll get the picture real quick)
Who in this world loves truthful communication? Catholics revel in it, that is one reason faithful Catholics remain Catholic, they know truth when encountered. In the modern world, members of society often dig laboriously for truth. Why does OneBillionStories.com endorse The Church and New Media by Brandon Vogt? The author plants his morals, convictions, and daily mission within the wisdom of the Catholic faith. Just read his blog, www.thinveil.net, and you will experience a man who is on a mission to get to heaven, and bring as many people from the ‘digital continent’ with him.
Top to bottom this book is a necessary keepsake next to any Catholic’s personal computer or ipad. Keep it always on the ready to shed light on how Catholics are called to share their faith on the internet. Contributors such as Jennifer Fulwiler, former atheist turned Catholic in 2005 (www.conversiondiary.com), Mark Shea, Taylor Marshall, Matt Warner, and Lisa Hendey, to name a few, bring the best of online Catholic blogging right to your personal online revolution(s). Once again, check out author Brandon Vogt’s personal website www.thinveil.net and purchase the book at www.churchandnewmedia.com.
Till next time…
(Ready to comment on this blog? click on title and scroll down to the bottom.)
Well, the late George Steinbrenner, and now his son Hank, have nothing on young Catholic ‘digital continent’ missionary Brandon Vogt! If anyone knows how to assemble a ‘murderer’s row’ line-up (not what you’re thinking), it’s Mr. Vogt. Published in August 2011, The Church and New Media is a spectacular collection of people’s Christ-centered online revolutions for the Catholic faith, located where the current vicar of Christ on earth calls the ‘digital continent.’ “ It falls, in particular, to young people, who have an almost spontaneous affinity for the new means of communication, to take on the responsibility for the evangelization of this “digital continent”.” This book builds a library of Bible-like proportions for the future of the Catholic Church’s mission upon the coming of age world-wide-web. And the lead off hitter is a must for any online missionary team, read on.
How can a book on evangelization from a Catholic world view not begin with a chapter by Fr. Robert Barron of Word on Fire? Fr. Robert Barron opens this book with the hard facts, ‘the largest religious group in the United States is Catholics,’ great, right? But then he drops the hammer immediately following with ‘the second largest religious group in the United States is…. fallen away Catholics.’
After this accurate reporting, he shares good news immediately, similar to the gospel parables of Jesus’ time.What’s the good news? We Catholics of the present now have a ‘virtual Areopagus’ that St. Paul would have relished 2,000 years ago, the internet! Once a Catholic has been formed well in the faith says Thomas Peters, in the closing chapter, they then have the opportunity to share their story of faith with hundreds, thousands, even millions of readers, listeners, and viewers upon the ‘digital continent.‘ And indeed, that is good news for Catholics who know how the Church’s reputation receives a daily bashing from ‘pop’ media. (set up google alert for ‘pope’, you’ll get the picture real quick)
Who in this world loves truthful communication? Catholics revel in it, that is one reason faithful Catholics remain Catholic, they know truth when encountered. In the modern world, members of society often dig laboriously for truth. Why does OneBillionStories.com endorse The Church and New Media by Brandon Vogt? The author plants his morals, convictions, and daily mission within the wisdom of the Catholic faith. Just read his blog, www.thinveil.net, and you will experience a man who is on a mission to get to heaven, and bring as many people from the ‘digital continent’ with him.
Top to bottom this book is a necessary keepsake next to any Catholic’s personal computer or ipad. Keep it always on the ready to shed light on how Catholics are called to share their faith on the internet. Contributors such as Jennifer Fulwiler, former atheist turned Catholic in 2005 (www.conversiondiary.com), Mark Shea, Taylor Marshall, Matt Warner, and Lisa Hendey, to name a few, bring the best of online Catholic blogging right to your personal online revolution(s). Once again, check out author Brandon Vogt’s personal website www.thinveil.net and purchase the book at www.churchandnewmedia.com.
Till next time…
