There's Really a 'There' There

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There's Really a 'There' There

We cannot create such moral bonds out of nothing; invariably, we must grow them in the soil of existing traditions and their extant friendships, such as parishes, congregations, and fellowships (p. 204)

The idea that online community exists in a "nothing space" is itself a sociological understatement at best. The "nothing" assessment is a judgement which has been pretty clear throughout the book. It seems that this value of "zero" that is given to the communal aspects of online interaction is forgetting or ignoring or denying many things: that even partial communication carries with it something of the person. Otherwise, we have no ground to stand on regarding the "inspiration" of Scripture, or in the value we place on good literature. We have long recognized literature as an art and that the author expresses him or her self in the writing. There is also a sociological flaw in the denial of a sense of "place" in an online context. Because Schultze does not allow himself to extend some of his own "prescence" into an online context (or does not seem to acknowledge that he has or that such a thing is possible or desirable), he is making judgements that are attacking "surface" issues. He seems to belittle the studies of "identity on the Internet" made by Sherry Turkle and Howard Rheingold, but having read these books (Life on the Screen and The Virtual Community), they give much more insightful coverage than for which Schultze gives them credit.

The Church needs their own research into the social and spiritual effects and influences of online relationship and online "persona". Schultze takes a simplistic view of such studies on "identity" to mean that "they pretend to be someobody they're not". It's much more complex than that.

These "moral bonds" and "virtuous living" set forth again and again throughout the book seems to beg the question: "How effective or faithful have the "traditions" been?" Schultze belittles the widespread posting of opinions: "Pseudo-experts are ready twenty four hours a day to tell us how we should think. Such asynchronous commentary never ceases, relentlessly diverting our attention to causes, opinions, scandals". Since when are "causes" a bad thing? Since when is "opinion" a bad thing? There are certainly a host of "opinions" in which we have little real interest. That's fine. Let them write, and read something else. But for us, the Church, the Theological Community in general, we DO value opinions, stories, concerns, and causes.

When we do this, we are not expressing or writing into "nothing"; but to an audience who have "looked us up", or have gone online and looked us up because they already know us offline, and wish to stay in touch; to continue the conversation, to receive updates, or to post reaction.

We need, in the Church, to somehow aim our online communication at "describing", through story, what the "Beloved Community" has to offer. We need to discover the language that beckons seekers after community to seek ALL of its forms, both ONLINE and OFFLINE. MOst of the proponents of ONLINE community are also advocates of seeking offline, face-to-face community. Howard Rheingold, before he was known as a guru of online community was editor of "Whole Earth Review". He has always been rooted in very "Earth-Bound", in the flesh communities. The Well, probably the most famous of all online communities, is an acronymn for "Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link". I was called into ministry long before the Web, before I had a computer. When I discovered Ecunet, and The Virtual Community , and having a College Major in Sociology, I found myself seeing visions of what the Church might do to set up "places" online.

When Dr. Schultze belittles notions of "online place" , I feel a great distance between us (between him and me). That bothers me because one who has done so much study of "media" needs to delve a little deeper into online culture. To do so does not mean to uncritically accept widespread online mores. Sherry Turkle and Howard Rheingold have not. They sound some of the same warnings around which Schultze has focused his book. But they do so as "participant observers", investing something of their own sense of sanctity of the person, and observing the effects. I get the sense that the readers of Habits... would not be well-disposed toward some of my own "vision for the Church on the Web"; that my hopes would be considered overly utopian.

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