American Society for Church Growth - Book Review
Give Me That Online Religion
The author puts an underlying theme and optimism up front when she says, "Online religion is the most portentous development for the future of religion to come out of the twentieth century." Furthermore, "using a computer for online religious activity could become the dominant form of religion and religious experience in [the twenty-first century]."
If you look for how your congregation can use cyberspace to advance its ministry, the book doesn't really address that. Rather, Brasher looks more at the social and cultural implications of online religion, and sets a framework for a deeper discussion of its implications, challenges, and opportunities. Brasher believes that religion will find its place online alongside commerce and communications. Her main point remains that "religious statement in cyberspace should be a protected and supported use of the virtual domain."
The author is assistant professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio.
Reviewed by Ronald E. Keener, a churchman and writer living in Gilbert, Arizona, who follows the changing religious scene nationally.
This review was originally published in Strategies for Today's Leader.