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Digital Disciple
This time in our society is unlike any other. People communicate daily without ever having to speak face to face, news breaks around the world in a matter of seconds, and favorite TV shows can be viewed at our convenience. We are, simultaneously, a people
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2011
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89 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 18, 2011
Reverend Adam Thomas was one of the first in the Millennial generation to be ordained to the Episcopal priesthood. He writes a daily online devotional, devotiONEighty, and publishes a blog entitled WhereTheWind. Through these and other outlets, he maintains a voice in the virtual world on the need for and challenges of being authentic disciples of Jesus Christ in both the real world and in the digital environment. Thomas identifies both connection and communion as foundational to the Christian experience. He cautions that the virtual environment can provide the unaware with a false sense of intimacy. He distinguishes this from the Biblical concept of relationship and communion taught by Jesus during His earthly ministry. Thomas teaches how to move from superficial connection to authentic communion. He provides practical guidance in the real-world spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, Bible study and sacrificial living.
In addition to promoting the opportunities the internet provides for spiritual connection, Thomas cautions his readers to stay vigilant against some of the dangers inherent in the virtual world. For example, the knowledge-base online is virtually unlimited. There is a danger in relying on the ease of using internet search engines for knowledge-seeking in lieu of relying on memory and of personally developing and using critical thinking skills. With lack of practice, an individual's mental capacity for learning, understanding and critical thinking can be diminished. In speaking to digital disciples, Thomas expresses concern that an increased reliance on the wealth of online spiritual resources can result in the decline of time spent practicing spiritual disciplines offline. Rather than hiding scripture in one's heart, individuals are choosing to outsource that function to keyword searching on the internet. Rather than actually praying, the internet offers literally millions of pages to read about prayer. These practices can result in the decline of an individual's personal communion with God.
In Digital Disciple, Thomas brings that discourse to a book format. His writing is casual, his tone conversational, and his personality engaging. Yes, he expressly identifies himself as one of the youngest Episcopal priests but you will find no air of superiority or condescension. It is only given to validate his unique perspective on the subject matter. His intent in writing is to engage the local church body in an exchange of ideas on discipleship and what that might look like in today's world. Rev. Thomas broadens his audience via footnotes where he clarifies and defines colloquial terms that may not be familiar to older readers who are interested in reaching out to today's youth. His message is valid for the Church today. The topics discussed in Digital Disciple hold potential for small group discussions at the local level as well as for breakout sessions at youth pastor conferences.
NOTE: I requested and received a galley of this title from NetGalley but made no commitment to write a review.
In addition to promoting the opportunities the internet provides for spiritual connection, Thomas cautions his readers to stay vigilant against some of the dangers inherent in the virtual world. For example, the knowledge-base online is virtually unlimited. There is a danger in relying on the ease of using internet search engines for knowledge-seeking in lieu of relying on memory and of personally developing and using critical thinking skills. With lack of practice, an individual's mental capacity for learning, understanding and critical thinking can be diminished. In speaking to digital disciples, Thomas expresses concern that an increased reliance on the wealth of online spiritual resources can result in the decline of time spent practicing spiritual disciplines offline. Rather than hiding scripture in one's heart, individuals are choosing to outsource that function to keyword searching on the internet. Rather than actually praying, the internet offers literally millions of pages to read about prayer. These practices can result in the decline of an individual's personal communion with God.
In Digital Disciple, Thomas brings that discourse to a book format. His writing is casual, his tone conversational, and his personality engaging. Yes, he expressly identifies himself as one of the youngest Episcopal priests but you will find no air of superiority or condescension. It is only given to validate his unique perspective on the subject matter. His intent in writing is to engage the local church body in an exchange of ideas on discipleship and what that might look like in today's world. Rev. Thomas broadens his audience via footnotes where he clarifies and defines colloquial terms that may not be familiar to older readers who are interested in reaching out to today's youth. His message is valid for the Church today. The topics discussed in Digital Disciple hold potential for small group discussions at the local level as well as for breakout sessions at youth pastor conferences.
NOTE: I requested and received a galley of this title from NetGalley but made no commitment to write a review.
May 1, 2011
Description (source): We connect with people everyday around the world through websites, blogs, and a myriad of social networks. But do we really connect while we're isolated in the Internet bubble? In Digital Disciple, millennial, blogger, and Episcopal priest Adam Thomas explores this contradiction between connection and isolation through the perspective of one who's always known a world with the Internet. (publisher’s info)
Review source: ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley
Major ideas: Adam Thomas writes from the perspective of a digital native wondering what effect the internet (and related technologies) will have on his relationship with God. Mostly, Thomas sees a pretty bleak picture of separation, disembodiment, lack of mindfulness, and even addiction as he reflects on Tech (as he terms it) and the changes it has made in society. The solutions he offers, then, are for the most part suggestions about how to live without the internet.
Writing style: As I was reading, I was trying to figure out the audience for this book. Thomas includes definitions of really basic tech terms throughout (i.e. “google,” “facebook”); these make you think that the book might be geared for someone who knows nothing at all about the internet. But really, who is left in our society who doesn’t know what Google and Facebook are? There are a lot of books being written right now that deal with these ideas from a secular viewpoint (Lessig, Shirky, etc.); Thomas did not seem to have engaged with these authors much if at all. His few references were to the standard Christian authors like C.S. Lewis.
Take-aways: Because of my confusion about his audience (or perhaps because I was not his audience), I sometimes found myself frustrated that Thomas did not really grapple with some of the issues that he raises. In other words, I found the questions raised in the book to be pertinent and thought-provoking; the suggested solutions much less so. My take-aways from the book will be the questions: What might it mean to “do church” online? How will the internet change society, the church, and the individual believer? Does the disembodied self of the avatar deny the incarnation?
Wrap-up: I would recommend this book for the layperson who wonders about the difference between Millennial and non-Millennial believers, or about the ramifications of technology upon faith. I would not recommend the book for anyone doing scholarly work. 3/5*
Review source: ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley
Major ideas: Adam Thomas writes from the perspective of a digital native wondering what effect the internet (and related technologies) will have on his relationship with God. Mostly, Thomas sees a pretty bleak picture of separation, disembodiment, lack of mindfulness, and even addiction as he reflects on Tech (as he terms it) and the changes it has made in society. The solutions he offers, then, are for the most part suggestions about how to live without the internet.
Writing style: As I was reading, I was trying to figure out the audience for this book. Thomas includes definitions of really basic tech terms throughout (i.e. “google,” “facebook”); these make you think that the book might be geared for someone who knows nothing at all about the internet. But really, who is left in our society who doesn’t know what Google and Facebook are? There are a lot of books being written right now that deal with these ideas from a secular viewpoint (Lessig, Shirky, etc.); Thomas did not seem to have engaged with these authors much if at all. His few references were to the standard Christian authors like C.S. Lewis.
Take-aways: Because of my confusion about his audience (or perhaps because I was not his audience), I sometimes found myself frustrated that Thomas did not really grapple with some of the issues that he raises. In other words, I found the questions raised in the book to be pertinent and thought-provoking; the suggested solutions much less so. My take-aways from the book will be the questions: What might it mean to “do church” online? How will the internet change society, the church, and the individual believer? Does the disembodied self of the avatar deny the incarnation?
Wrap-up: I would recommend this book for the layperson who wonders about the difference between Millennial and non-Millennial believers, or about the ramifications of technology upon faith. I would not recommend the book for anyone doing scholarly work. 3/5*
July 12, 2011
It just so happened that I read this book directly after listening the "The Next Story" (Tim Challies) audiobook. There was a lot of overlap between the two but they come at the subject from completely different directions. Challies's book is a more scholarly take on the subject, and Digital Disciple is a lot lighter--I appreciated the change in tone going from one to the other. Adam has a very humorous style and I actually found myself looking forward to reading his end notes (yeah, really) which were more than just source references--they added a lot and I suppose even more so to those who are not already familiar with tech slang, and they just about always got an LOL from me, if not even a ROTFLOL.
The hidden gem of this book was the author's suggestions for going deeper in your Bible study. They are some great ideas to try out in your routine whether you are an internet addict or not--and coming from a died in the wool modern-day Protestant, it did make me appreciate some of the wisdom of my more liturgical brethren. I would have liked to see this part of the book suggest some ideas for augmenting Bible study with Tech--I know it can be done, but maybe that was his point. However, if God is truly waiting to meet with us through Tech as well as any other part of our life, the answer mustn't always be to turn off the Tech, but to further learn to integrate with it, and it seemed like Adam was going to build up to this but then backed off from it in the end; in other words, although a lot of the first part of the book is how God can use technology to "meet with" us, most of the suggestions near the end of the book were to take tech-sabbaticals and do Bible study the old fashioned way.
The hidden gem of this book was the author's suggestions for going deeper in your Bible study. They are some great ideas to try out in your routine whether you are an internet addict or not--and coming from a died in the wool modern-day Protestant, it did make me appreciate some of the wisdom of my more liturgical brethren. I would have liked to see this part of the book suggest some ideas for augmenting Bible study with Tech--I know it can be done, but maybe that was his point. However, if God is truly waiting to meet with us through Tech as well as any other part of our life, the answer mustn't always be to turn off the Tech, but to further learn to integrate with it, and it seemed like Adam was going to build up to this but then backed off from it in the end; in other words, although a lot of the first part of the book is how God can use technology to "meet with" us, most of the suggestions near the end of the book were to take tech-sabbaticals and do Bible study the old fashioned way.
March 30, 2022
This is fascinating to ponder in the midst of the pandemic as all of us have moved online to virtual meetings and gatherings and such in ways even Thomas didn't hint toward.
I am decidedly not the audience for this as a millennial myself, so there were a lot of moments in this book where I caught myself in the moment of "well, duh." But I appreciate Thomas's call to recognize that virtual community can be true community just as much as in-person gatherings and requires the same care toward respect and deliberate recognition of God's presence. He spends a lot of time reminding folks to walk away from "Tech" and remember the "real" world and experience it, which is a good thing in terms of bodily health but ignores the fact that there are some people who live with disability or in unsafe spaces where going for a walk by the river simply isn't an option.
The tone of this voice kept surprising me with its informality. I'm aware that Thomas wanted to seem approachable, but this felt more like a chat with a buddy transcribed into a book--even the footnotes are more asides than clarifications. I didn't need this to be a scholastic enterprise, but it felt a little *too* informal; especially given Thomas speaking on behalf of millennials, I can easily see an older person who is already hesitant picking this up and being like, "Oh, those disrespectful young people, never take anything seriously."
All in all, not a bad primer for those who don't spend a lot of time in the virtual world and are trying to understand how people can be faithful there, but it really wasn't anything new to me.
I am decidedly not the audience for this as a millennial myself, so there were a lot of moments in this book where I caught myself in the moment of "well, duh." But I appreciate Thomas's call to recognize that virtual community can be true community just as much as in-person gatherings and requires the same care toward respect and deliberate recognition of God's presence. He spends a lot of time reminding folks to walk away from "Tech" and remember the "real" world and experience it, which is a good thing in terms of bodily health but ignores the fact that there are some people who live with disability or in unsafe spaces where going for a walk by the river simply isn't an option.
The tone of this voice kept surprising me with its informality. I'm aware that Thomas wanted to seem approachable, but this felt more like a chat with a buddy transcribed into a book--even the footnotes are more asides than clarifications. I didn't need this to be a scholastic enterprise, but it felt a little *too* informal; especially given Thomas speaking on behalf of millennials, I can easily see an older person who is already hesitant picking this up and being like, "Oh, those disrespectful young people, never take anything seriously."
All in all, not a bad primer for those who don't spend a lot of time in the virtual world and are trying to understand how people can be faithful there, but it really wasn't anything new to me.
May 24, 2013
This isn't a book about how technology is evil, nor is it about how we can do everything through the internet. With careful thought, Adam takes us through reasons that the Tech (as he calls the internet-gaming-social networking world) has both good points and bad points, and how we should be careful to use it to reach out to others without actually isolating ourselves (or them). It's very well-balanced.
He makes the very real point that Jesus came in the flesh to show God's love in person; while the Tech allows us to keep in contact with people many miles away from us, an e-hug isn't as comforting to a friend as a real hug, nor do we really *know* people we haven't actually met, talked to, touched, eaten with.
He also shares ways we can ground ourselves, either through a Tech Sabbath or deliberately slowing down, suggesting two methods of prayer and Bible study which can easily be done in our world. And, if you want to get deeper into this, each chapter has thought-provoking questions for you to consider or to discuss as a group.
He makes the very real point that Jesus came in the flesh to show God's love in person; while the Tech allows us to keep in contact with people many miles away from us, an e-hug isn't as comforting to a friend as a real hug, nor do we really *know* people we haven't actually met, talked to, touched, eaten with.
He also shares ways we can ground ourselves, either through a Tech Sabbath or deliberately slowing down, suggesting two methods of prayer and Bible study which can easily be done in our world. And, if you want to get deeper into this, each chapter has thought-provoking questions for you to consider or to discuss as a group.
November 15, 2011
I have to say that this book is a great reflection on the point where technology and Christian discipleship intersect. There are many insights and observations that I have thought of before and others that are totally new. For those of us who work/live/play with technology on a daily basis, there is a lot to think about here (I think there are even things that would benefit a non-Christian reader). I have not worked my way through the accompanying study guide, but glanced through it and really liked some of the questions.
I also appreciated the fact that this was written by someone only a couple years older than myself--so much spiritual writing these days seems to be written by an older age group that reading something by a 28-29 year-old is quite motivating for me.
I also appreciated the fact that this was written by someone only a couple years older than myself--so much spiritual writing these days seems to be written by an older age group that reading something by a 28-29 year-old is quite motivating for me.
June 29, 2011
Short review: This is the first book on Technology and Christianity that I have read that is written by a digital native. Thomas is a very young Episcopal priest (25). What I like about the book is that his basic thesis is that God is with us, even in digital space. He is not naive about the dangers that go with digital space. He writes about those too, but overall it is a positive book focused on how we can embrace our understanding of God as a God of digital as well as physical space.
My longer review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/digital-disciple-tho...
My longer review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/digital-disciple-tho...
June 3, 2011
I gave this book a low rating not because of any major flaws, but more because, amidst a sea of books on the topic, this would be near the bottom of my recommendation list. Theologically, it skims the surface; analysis of digital technology is weak; and the footnotes seem written for an audience that will come nowhere near this book. Overall, the books seems to lack a clear center and seems to be oblivious to the already-existing literature on the subject.
October 31, 2011
Digital Disciple is an interesting read that encourages you to think about your influence for Christ in your digital/virtual life online. It's a quick read that only skims the surface of the good points it makes. Much of the book discusses the author's addiction to World of Warcraft, which I can't relate to, but the principles are applicable to many forms of social networking/media online including blogs and Facebook.
October 8, 2012
A new approach on Christianity by someone of my genaration. I believe this may be the way to captivate more "faithful", showing us his "down to earth" side.
Most of all I enjoyed reading about the experiences of a man that did so much of the very same things that I did, but is still able to build up his faith on a technological world.
Most of all I enjoyed reading about the experiences of a man that did so much of the very same things that I did, but is still able to build up his faith on a technological world.
July 4, 2013
This was a great read about the connection between a persons spiritual life and the technology that surrounds us on daily basis. Great for discussion and even exercises to help a person find balance in using technology and their faith. A must read for parents, pastors and those in the church working with technology and youth.
June 27, 2011
Interesting thoughts on how the Interwebs have changed our ways of communicating with others, thus changing our relationships, including our relationship with Jesus Christ. Much food for thought here.
March 15, 2013
Very interesting insights on how we can be digital disciples. We don't give up our Christianity online; in fact, we can use the web to increase our own faith and share it with others. I was especially interested in this because I write about my faith on my blog as well as on social networks.
May 23, 2011
This is a fantastic read. It asks a lot of good questions about being a disciple in the digital age.
May 30, 2011
Challenging thoughts for Christians in our digital world. Difficult things to think about. Tech can both isolate and connect people at the same time.
November 27, 2011
Good book about the struggles and opportunities that exist as a Christian in the information age.
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June 7, 2012... thoughts to consider ...
August 8, 2011
Unique way of looking at technology
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews