Geekpriest: Confessions of a New Media Pioneer

by Roderick Vonhögen

In this engrossing collection of stories and anecdotes, Fr. Roderick shares how he became a “new media missionary.” Focusing on the importance of personal connection (an essential ingredient of new media), he uncovers the exciting possibilities of using all forms of media to successfully accomplish the mission Jesus gave to evangelize the world. Each chapter contains illustrations of using new media as a way to reach out to others. Some Fr. Roderick’s stories introduce a young, secularized generation to an experience of God at work in his Church and in individual lives. Instead of presenting dry theories and principles, this book reveals those principles through experiences of one of today’s leading Catholic new media entrepreneurs.

The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Social Media, Audiobook

164 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2013

About the author

Fr. Roderick is a Catholic priest from the Archdiocese of Utrecht in the Netherlands.

He received a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Theology at the Katholieke Theologische Universiteit (Catholic University of Theology) of Utrecht. His thesis was on Hans Urs von Balthasar. He was ordained a priest in 1996 and conducted PhD research at the Thomas Institute in Utrecht between 1996 and 1999.

He writes: "I became fascinated by the possibilities of new media when I started blogging about Star Wars in 1996 and quickly reached a world wide audience of tens of thousands of people that I would have never met if I hadn’t joined their niche."

He studied social communications in Rome and founded the Star Quest Production Network (SQPN.com), a Catholic non-profit organization that uses new media to reach out.

Reviews

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Roderick came recommended to be by a friend who is a recent convert, but this book completely blew me away. Father Roderick's faith, his passion for new media and his commitment to living for Christ Jesus is inspiring. A few times I found myself unable to put the book down, even though I should have and saying to myself just one more section. This book is filled with stories, personal struggles, and a plethora of geekdom knowledge and experience. I highlighted over thirty passages in a book of just 164 pages. I have already recommended it to a few friends.

Going back and writing about his time in secondary school, attending an event with the pope in the Netherlands he states: "When the pope lifted the consecrated Host to show it to the crowd, it suddenly dawned on me that this had to be the secret of John Paul II's strength and calmness. It was God's own love, offered to us in the Body and Blood of Christ. Now I understood why the pope was unfazed by all the criticism around him: He was filled with God's love, even for those who attacked him so aggressively." And meeting the pope and writing about all the opposition to his visit even by Catholics Father goes on to say "John Paul II became the most influential superhero in my life. But if I truly wanted to follow his example, I would need to take a few more steps." He was changes but he knew that was not enough he knew he needed to grow he says "First of all, I thought, if God truly exists, if everything I hear in church is not just a metaphor or a fairy tale but reality, then I must get in touch with God. I knew that the best way to do that was to pray. But how on earth did that work?" And so began the journey that he is still on today. He struggles and strives to know Christ and to make him known. You could almost say that Father Roderick's motto is "With abundant grace comes great responsibility." And again later while he was a seminarian he had the opportunity to meet the pope and the man who would become pope he says "Looking back, it still feels surreal that, as a young seminarian, I had the chance to personally meet John Paul II and the man who would succeed him in 2005 as Pope Benedict XVI. We all need role models to inspire us, and these two men of God became my role models for life." And what Role models they were and how they helped to shape not only his call to the priesthood but his call to using the web as a ministry.

Father Roderick has a Superhero Checklist, this section was incredibly powerful, drawing from the comic book world he make parrallel's to spiritual development and finding our personal vocation:

Superhero Checklist
Seek Solitude
Study and Read
Discover Your Strengths
Acknowledge your weaknesses.
Be Humble
Listen to your friends
Expect trouble
Do not be Afraid
Be faithful and persevere.

This whole section I read over a few times on being humble he writes "It's an attitude Jesus himself asks of his followers on multiple occasions. Life is not about honor and prestige; it is about becoming a servant to others, about humility in all you do because everything you are and the talents you have received have been given to you as a gift. Finding your calling in life ultimately comes down to finding the answer to the question: "How can I help?"" and in the section on be not afraid he says "Jesus kept saying to his friends and followers, "Fear not!" The essence of faith is abandoning fear and beginning to trust again: trusting yourself, trusting others, trusting God." Even if we can only learn to live these two we will have a much greater and better impact on our world. In summarizing this chapter Father says "Discerning your calling in life is one of the most important things you can do to find true happiness. Happiness ultimately never depends on material possessions, or even on success in life. It stems from the inner knowledge that you are who God wants you to be, that you are doing what he wants you to do." We can all learn from the examples in Father Roderick's life and the examples he draws from the stories that have shaped the world, Tolkine, Star Wars, and many more are the tools he uses to draw out the truth of the faith.

There is an amazing section in the book called The Disney examination of conscience. It was an excellent little piece of advice. I will be honest and say that I love the sacrament of reconciliation and I love the liturgy. Even when I have attended mass in languages I did not understand I have always felt the presence of God in service. Father Roderick states: "Liturgy is, in many ways, a ritualized form of storytelling as well. Every time we leave the worries of our daily lives and enter a church or a cathedral, we are transported to another world, a place where stories, songs, images, colors, and rituals all lead us to discover the hidden mystery of our world: the love of God that transcends liturgy itself and becomes something that can change the way we live in the present and give direction to the future." That is what makes mass so amazing.

Quoting from one of his teachers on using new media as a tool for the Catholic church he says "Our Church has the most beautiful message in the world, but who is going to notice it if we do such a lousy job presenting our message in the media?" I must admit I am a little late to the pod cast party. Only really having started to listen to some of them in the last 6 months. I was always the blog or book guy. But some of the Catholic podcasts I have discovered are amazing and going back and listening to old series by Father Roderick or those he mentions gives a lot of great food for the spirit and the mind.

Father Roderick has a section on his physical transformation called From Couch Potato to Marathon Runner. Highlighting how he made some changes and then started podcasting on that as well. He also found the healthier he got his body the healthier his spirit became. He says "At the same time, I had noticed how much my new running passion had started to positively affect my spiritual life and my working discipline. What if I were to record a podcast about these topics- something about the connection between body, mind, and soul, about how to get physically healthy, but also about how to maintain a healthy spiritual life? The series Health and Holiness was born." He says "The show had two overarching goals: a reflection on how to live a healthy and balanced life, and a question that was perhaps even more important: how to live a holy life." And again he has a list:

Runner's Tips for Wannabe Saints
Running a marathon begins with running the first mile.
You'll never finish if you don't set a goal.
Progress is made by training and constantly pushing your boundaries.
Be sure you have the right equipment.
Follow a training schedule.
Seek advice from other runners.
Don't overdo it.
Don't give up too quickly.
Stay hydrated and pay attention to what you eat.
Enjoy the process!

This was another section of the book that I read through a few times. There are so many gems of advice in this section! But a few of my picks are "In the same way, holiness begins with the resolution to become holy. You have to take the first step. Start reserving time in your life to live with God. Make it a firm appointment in your agenda if you are busy." And "Your spiritual progress can also benefit from good advice. Find a spiritual director, and share your journey with friends, either in your local community or perhaps even via the Internet. Sharing your spiritual struggles and progress can help others, and it will benefit you, too. And don't forget the saints! They have shown that it is possible to live a holy life. Read about their lives and take advantage of their experience!" He also declares "Your spiritual life requires a similar balance. Develop reasonable habits. Don't expect to pray for hours every day, or to be constantly, 100 percent focused on God and ready to receive the most beautiful mystical experiences. You might disappoint yourself if you can't keep it up. Take small steps first, and let the Holy Spirit guide the process." One of the most important to me is "In your spiritual life, good nutrition and hydration are just as important. Here I'm not just referring to the prayer books you take with you to the chapel. We are constantly consuming information and entertainment, but just like junk food can have nefarious consequences for our health, so can junk media. Without becoming overly scrupulous, ask yourself whether or not a book, a movie, a video game, or other forms of entertainment are really enriching your life. Good content can enrich your spiritual life; trash media can hamper it. Be picky- it's for your own good!" With advice like that how could you not give this book a try?

The final list is the book is:

Seven Things Pope Francis Taught Me
1. It's Not About You
2. Be Humble
3. Don't forget the poor.
4. Never despair.
5. Don't pursue what you don't need.
6. Protect others in friendship.
7. Reach out to the world and reach for the sky.

So to end the same was he does in the book what are you waiting for!

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.

(Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: A Year of Reading Intention - Catholic Reading!)

[Barbara Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with stories, both personal and mission-related, from this well-loved, admired and pioneering new media Catholic priest. Fr. Roderick shares his passion and commitment to bringing the Church into the next age of media. Besides, who doesn't want to read a book by a priest who proudly calls himself a geek and fights evil with a lightsaber?

[Sherry C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Fr. Roderick and have listened to his podcast for years. I was introduced to him by my husband, a non Catholic who started listening to his Daily Breakfast. This book was a good read about how Fr. Roderick got into new media and I love his personal stories about this journey. He is spot on n that The Church needs to reach people where they are and have a presence to be a source for those to interact with a priest in a casual way and feel free to ask questions.

I like a lot of the same things he does in movies and books, and I really enjoy and appreciate his perspectives. I highly recommend this book.

[Naomi Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: I'm a regular contributor to SQPN, have briefly met Fr. Roderick at the Catholic New Media Celebration in Boston, and sent him a Star Wars toy last year. (He's also a friend on Goodreads, though he doesn't have an author page.) But I paid the Amazon price for all three versions of this book: Print, Kindle, and Audible, and I'm freely reviewing this book on my own initiative without compensation.

This enjoyable, fast-reading book is part memoir, part handbook to evangelization. The narrative moves from Denver, to Holland, to Vatican City, and many places in between, as Fr. Roderick discovers his vocation to the priesthood and his ministry to reach out to the world.


There are a number of priests who post their homilies to the web, or podcast them, and that's right and good. But Fr. Roderick does something different. He fulfills the command to "be in the world but not of it," by examining popular culture and uncovering the spiritual dimensions, questions, and longings that are hidden there. And he shares his own life and struggles with a forthright honesty and humor such that you don't have to be Catholic to relate to him -- just human. (Well, maybe just a carbon-based lifeform!)

An example of that kind of relating culture to the faith without dumbing it down is his "Disney Examination of Conscience," in which the vices and virtues of characters from movies and folktales provide a means of self-examination. (I'd LOVE to see this published as a separate booklet!)

My only quibble with the book is that the chapters are as much thematic as they are chronological, so the narrative skips about in time quite a bit. I suspect Fr. Roderick modestly thought that only his current listeners and friends would buy the book, so we would already know (for example) who Greg Willits is, or that his trip to Ethiopia came after his founding of the Star Quest Production Network, although these events are presented out of sequence in the book. I hope there will be a later biography that will place more of Fr. Roderick's story in its true chronology and social context.

But even if you have never heard of him before, don't care much about priests or the Church, and can only relate to the "Geek" half of "Geekpriest," this book is well worth your time. The principles of communication he presents are useful for anyone with a story to tell, and his successes and setbacks can give us hope by showing that one man with enthusiasm and perseverance can accomplish much.

[Jeremy Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid listener of Fr. Roderick's podcasts, I was very excited about reading this book covering Catholicism and new media mastery with interesting discussions of symbolism of the varied themes and ethics/morality found in Star Wars, Spider-man, Disney (I'm actually going to revisit Pinocchio as a result of reading this book), Harry Potter (never read Harry Potter but seeing the Catholic symbolism reflected in it makes me curious), and the Lord of the Rings. The varied chapters and themes give the book widespread appeal: I kept finding myself identifying with Fr. Roderick on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, being a runner, being Catholic, trying to master social media, being labeled as a "geek", etc. As a marathoner, I really enjoyed the chapter on "Health and Holiness" (same title as one of Fr. Roderick's podcasts) and his own personal journey to train for a marathon and lose weight/eat right. The chapters on Fr. Roderick's experiences in being in Rome for Blessed John Paul II's death and Benedict XVI's election, as well as the papal conclave and Pope Francis' election, as well as a chapter on Pope Francis were very meaningful (his podcasts from this events are also wonderful!). I had trouble separating myself from the "Star Quest Production Network-leading the way" audio that plays at the end of every Fr. Roderick's podcasts-for some reason I would hear this in my head at the end of every chapter. There is some Latin and Italian (and some French but the French is translated) in the book but the meaning was pretty decipherable. It's a good book, I'd recommend trying to read it a chapter at a time-it is the type of book that will cause you to stop reading, reflect, and think about some of the questions that Fr. Roderick poses to readers. A quick read but a wonderful adventure. Really enjoyed Fr. Roderick's description of how he felt called to be a priest and his personal encounter with Pope John Paul II in particular. I really appreciated all the helpful social media recommendations from a social media master. And I really love the underlying premise of the book that yes, it's okay to be a geek. Wonderful book! Loved it!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

As told by this self-described "simple priest from the Netherlands", the autobiographical "Geekpriest" is anything but simple or boring. Father Roderick Vonhogen relates in a very up-to-date fashion (as recently as the election of Pope Francis) the foundational moments in his life that led him to become a well-known evangelist for new media in the Catholic Church. Who else can say that they taught the Vatican about podcasting! He deftly interweaves surprising parallels between the world of comics and science fiction--the "geek" part--and Christian spirituality. The style is breezy but not amateur. The heart of the book is in the description of how he became aware of the calling to the priesthood. These sections ("Origin Stories" and "Superhero Checklist") are appropriate not just for someone with a religious bent but for anyone who feels they are drifting a bit and not sure what they want to do in life. Therefore, although "Geekpriest" is entertaining for any age, I think it should be especially attractive to teens and twenty-somethings. The Force is strong with this one.

[Ariadna Quijano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's a very personal and friendly approach to Catholic New Media from the very best, as well as a very cool look into Fr. Roderick's personal feelings. I felt just like he was talking to me. His style of writing is very appealing to me, maybe partly because that's also the way I write. He doesn't try to impress you; he just talks to you in a refreshing way. I loved the tips he gives, both if you're a communicator or if you're just a regular person --in my case, a Catholic-- trying to do better. I loved the feeling of being with him at the election of two Popes, and a the passing of Blessed Jean Paul II.

This is a great, great book. I highly recommend it.

[Julia Lenhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Roderick is the first podcaster I ever listened to. I was very excited to read his book. I was expecting a sort of biography and got so much more. This book is an upbeat inspiring read. He tell stories of how he became a priest and how he has been present in the media and learned along the way and lessons learned. It is clearly written. I don't think you need to be a person of faith to appreciate this book but you may need to know the sci fi to appreciate it. I love the way he told his story. I re-read several passages because I enjoyed them so much. It is not a difficult read, but a fun read.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many of the reviewers, I've been a fan of Fr. Roderick for years. I went for the audiobook because I enjoy listening to him and appreciate the personal nature of the book. I enjoyed the book overall and I thought it got better as it went along. He introduced several interesting Ideas about connections between superheroes and priests, etc, that I would never have thought of. This is certainly a must read for any of Fr. Roderick's thousands of listeners and enjoyable for anyone interested in superheroes, fairy tales, Star Wars, and the Hobbit.

[Thomas Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A veritable smorgasboard of Father Roderick's adventures in new media. From his time at the first Star Wars celebration to his podcasting during the search for a new pope, the book offers a glimpse into his work habits. The adventures offer a lesson into how our spiritual guides like Father Roderick can use new media to watch out for his flock. I would have liked to have seen a longer story with more examples of his usage of new media like podcasting.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been listening to Fr. Roderick's podcasts for several years now, so was looking forward to reading his new book, which is part autobiography/part new-media "how to." This is a enjoyable fast read written by a priest who knows more about Star Wars, Harry Potter, J.R.R. Tolkien, and computers than I ever hope to.

[Marilynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved listening to the audio version of this book. After years of listening to Father Roderick's podcasts, I thought I knew his story but he had so much more to tell. 2013 was an incredibly busy year and I look forward to another book!

[John Dommeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished it in a couple of days and thoroughly enjoyed it. Father Roderick tells in his own way how new media can enrich our Catholic faith. Being a deacon and a geek myself I could relate very easily to his story.

[Kristine Rier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific read, especially for those wondering how Catholicism is relevant in today's world. I read this for a one book, one community event at the high school where I teach and I look to incorporate the themes and connections laid out by Fr. Vonhogen.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

the audio book was the better choice for me because I'm used to listening to Fr on my iPod during my commutes. I was able to listen at 2x speed and read it in a week.

[Naomi Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... because these are in fact the same book, as far as I can tell.

[Ciara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very good. It explained how the Catholic faith can be shown and used in different ways such as Movies and Social Media

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fr. Roderick does a great job with this book. Each chapter tells a story then incorporates practical ways on how to reach out to those around us and sharing our Catholic faith. Great read!

[Pastor Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, a great book for teaching peopel not just about new media ministry, but ministry in general.

Love the applciation - and some great quotes. Love the informal and personal nature of it.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review of this book is here: "Revenge of the Nerds" http://readingcatholic.com/revenge-of...