Links of the Day (03/31)

• Some fantastic tips on reading more and reading better given by a voracious reader.
• A short discussion on Scripture and liturgy between two of the more brilliant Catholic teachers, Fr. Robert Barron and Dr. Scott Hahn.
• Jon Acuff talks about the refreshing "comma of grace".
• A fascinating documentary on the History Channel titled "The Real Face of Jesus" features artists using modern, 3-D technology and the Shroud of Turin to produce a model of the face of Christ.
• Don Miller talks about "wounded healers", specifically alluding to Bishop Demond Tutu, one of the greatest proponents of reconciliation today.
• Dozens of fascinating, high quality pictures from Christians around the world celebrating Holy Week, including some great pictures from Jerusalem.

Spiritual Reading and Online Consumption

I've noted before that I read a lot of articles from the internet each day. There is so much good writing, so many fascinating stories, a vast amount of social commentary, and tons of rich resources posted around the internet each day. As a Catholic, I've found a wealth of theology, Church teachings, homilies, and other fresh media that all serve as sources of spiritual formation. I've learned more about the Saints online than I have offline, and have been introduced to spiritual practices on the internet than have had immense effects in my day-to-day life. To someone who is serious about studying--and ultimately living--the life of Christ, the internet is filled with gold.

Yet while much material is available to help us advance deeper in the spiritual life, it can do so only if it is found and ingested. I mentioned before that the main way I find and ingest items of worth is through an RSS reader. Even with tools like RSS readers, though, the full power of the internet has hardly begun to be harnessed in our world. We are currently in the midst of a technological revolution, akin to--and maybe beyond--the advent of the printing press. Never before in the history of the world has so much information been available so quickly and easily. The spiritual resources available online to Christians are historical, but so are the corresponding dangers, as well.

This mass availability of resources on the internet--both spiritual and not--leads to one of three reactions by each of us:

1. Over-consumption - Symptoms include "internet addiction" (a serious and growing problem in many Asian countries) and "information overload" (a great danger, and one I may write about at another time.)
2. Disengagement - A rejection or belittling of the many resources offered and, I would argue, an incomplete stewardship of one's own intellect and formation
3. Moderation - The fine balance found between the first two reactions, the level of which is unique to each person.

Each consumable resource in the world--be it alcohol, food, sex, etc.--can be reacted to by one of the above three reactions. The ideal reaction to every resource is "moderation", but the difficultly being that levels of "moderation" differ for each us. To determine a level of "moderation" for spiritual reading and online consumption requires discernment, wisdom, and intimacy with God, three areas towards which we are naturally tempted to react with "disengagement".

To grow in wisdom and deepen our spirituality through online reading, our level of "moderation" doesn't need to be high. I explained to a friend that the amount of theology, philosophy, history, social commentary, spiritual edification, and entertainment I read online in an hour-and-a-half would take a twentieth-century scholar a week to locate and consume. Though my level of "moderation" for online consumption has varied many times, currently I spend about an hour-and-a-half reading, commenting on, and thinking through items online. I've determined this to be a moderate amount for me, though I daily question myself, probing for signs of intellectual lust or technological laziness. The discernment, wisdom, and intimacy with God needed to determine the "moderate" level of devotion to spiritual reading and online consumption are not one-time events; they require constant exercise.

As one component of the "spiritual disciplines", "spiritual study" is one of many, and "internet reading" is only a sub-component of "spiritual study". We know that we're drifting into the undesirable reaction of "over-consumption" when other realms of life (family time, prayer, reading Scripture, community, etc.) begin to feel threatened or usurped.

Like I mentioned above, I've found that my current level of "moderation" is about an hour-and-a-half a day of online reading, six days a week. This, in my current state of life, is the limit of "proper use". Seeking, as C.S. Lewis encouraged, to have a "child-like heart and an adult mind", this level provides an adequate amount of online spiritual reading, social awareness, and entertainment for me. An hour-and-a-half each day may be too much for you, or it may even be too little. For you, fifteen daily minutes may be "over-consumption" while to another person one daily hour would be close to "disengagement." We're each wonderfully unique creations. Either way, the decision about how much time you allow yourself to spend online is an intensely spiritual one. As a follower of Jesus, how you spend your time is one of the greatest indicators of your spiritual life. How much--and what--you read (both online and offline) can be a main indicator of your spiritual vitality.

I love to read;  it is rarely a burden and most often a joy. And many other people don't like to read or don't know how to read well. Because of these realities, I recognize that I am to read for the sake of others. Selfish reading is the antithesis of our communal faith, especially when it comes to spiritual reading. I don't read spiritual literature solely to satisfy my own gluttonous appetite for wisdom, but to share what I've discovered in the great writings of others. Just as God never gives us money, gifts, or blessings solely for ourselves, He never gifts us with spiritual insights and wisdom solely for our own benefit. We are blessed to bless others, materially and spiritually. We are transformed to transform.

One of my priest friends, Fr. Ed, told me a story about a mentor of his who was a fellow lover of reading. His friend had a study filled, wall-to-wall, with thousands of books. You could hardly walk across the floor because the books were stacked, opened, and spread out all over the place, many of them half-read. Fr. Ed asked his mentor, "Do you read all of these books?". When his mentor confirmed that he did, Fr. Ed asked, "Why?", the mentor responded, "Ed, if I can find one word of encouragement for one person out of all of the books in this room, it will all have been worth it." That story demonstrates a main reason I consider online spiritual reading such a delightful duty.

Recognizing that most people won't--or can't--set aside an hour-and-a-half for online reading each day, I consider it a natural obligation to share and "point out" good stuff around the internet. Just as a seasoned African tour guide points out rare wonders in the vast savannas, I get excited to share with others great things I've come across.

A couple of months ago, I started "sharing" items through my RSS reader; you can check out many of the most interesting articles I've found on the right side of this blog. But, what I aim to do now is, on most weekdays, to post a short list of my favorite links from around the web. Many different blogs around the internet already do something like this, and I've found that I love exploring the links that different people offer. Each set of "favorite links" reflects the unique tastes of each compiler, meaning that the more compilers you read, the greater diversity of links you find as well.

I'm a young father and husband, a recently-converted Catholic, one who is passionate about social justice, and a voracious reader who works a day job as a mechanical engineer. You probably don't share every one of those character traits with me. So these links will be--like my "favorite blogs" list--completely subjective offerings. But, what I do hope is that they reveal writings to you that you wouldn't otherwise have discovered. I'm still having trouble navigating the treacherous waters between the shores of vanity (why should anyone care what links that I like?) and dutiful sharing (why wouldn't you share these great links with others?). The path isn't completely clear, but I think the ship should sail onward, regardless of the captain's fear of vanity.

I hope these links will allow you to discover new things, new writers, and new websites to sink more deeply into God. As you determine your level of "moderation" in regards to online spiritual reading, I hope these links provide rich material to aid your formation. If anything, I hope they better enable you to grasp the best parts of the internet's incredible resources and, as Lewis would say, help you go "further up, and further in" to our wondrous God.

(These words all refer to the consumption of online media, which is in many ways different than the production of online media. Writing blog posts, tweeting, or spending time on Facebook have their own discernment processes, dangers, and benefits. And of course playing video games online is a whole different beast.)

How to feed the world?

Here is a cool, creative video dealing with the groan-of-a-question, "How to feed the world?":


(From Denis van Waerebeke via Mark Shea)

Why Theology Matters

Joshua Harris has recently written book entitled "Dug Down Deep", which explains how he discovered the value in theology. He rightly recognizes that we all are theologians; we all have a theology. We all believe something about God--even the belief that God doesn't exist is itself a "theology". The question, of course, is where do we get our theology from? And, as the ultimate question, is our theology true? A video was created to promote Joshua's book--which I haven't read, so I don't necessarily recommend it--that illustrates the necessity of theology in a really creative way. Check out the cool video below:

(HT: Justin Taylor over at The Gospel Coalition)

The Church and New Media

Yesterday, my local newspaper--the Orlando Sentinel--featured a lengthy piece (on its front page!) on New Media and the Church, specifically the Catholic Church in Orlando. The newspaper must have been spying on my notes and thoughts over the past months, for I've been thinking about and studying the relationship between New Media and the Church a great deal lately.

Pope Benedict XVI talked a great deal at the latest World Communications Day about New Media (blogs, interactive websites, social networking sites, Youtube, etc.). He essentially told priests that, "It is not enough, today, to simply 'be online'. You need more." Today's 20-and-30-somethings (the Millennial generation and Generation X, respectively) spend the majority of their days connected to media; if that's where they are, then that is where the love of God must permeate.

I've been aiming to bring a stronger emphasis on New Media to my local church, but I was advised first to seek out the Diocese's policies regarding such efforts. So, much to my chagrin, the Sentinel actually lists out some of the Diocese of Orlando's policies on New Media, which were finalized a few months ago. The policies, unfortunately, have some flaws that really discourage me. They say "No" to blogs, "No" to Facebook pages or groups with comments, and "No" to the ability for people to share links/comments (outside of 'administrators'). These are rather strict policies, even when compared to other Dioceses, as far as I know. They're essentially saying "No" both to the "social" and "networking" part of "social networking". When the Sentinel asked the Diocese policy-maker why their New Media policies are so strict, she essentially said, "Because those are our policies."

The Internet is changing drastically, and most people between 20 and 40 are riding the wave. Ten years ago, the norm was what is now called "Web 1.0". This was a one-way communication of information (go to this site, Google this fact, find out this church's Mass times, etc.). However, as a facet of "New Media", "Web 2.0" is two-way dialogue. This is what people in my generation crave; interaction with authors, bloggers, and online communities. People don't just want to read information, they want to comment on it, dialogue about it, and share with others what they've learned/discovered. People don't want to just read a blog from the church or its pastor (though even that would be better than what most church communities offer); they want to respond, comment, question, and dialogue. They want videos, links, stories, and creative websites that express the artistry, beauty, and social life of God himself. In short, they crave community.

I surely understand the content concerns of the Diocese, but creative solutions should be proposed--and I have some ideas--instead of muzzling the whole thing.

If the Church is serious about attracting drifting young adults back to Jesus and his Church, they need to meet them where they are at; and they are on the "digital continent"--as Pope Benedict XVI describes it--of the "Web 2.0" world.

Jesus says, "Cast out into the deep!". We need to do more than splash around in the shallows of the online world.

(So, there's my rant. I'm reading a couple of things that have contributed to these stirrings on young-adults and New Media in the Church. I will review them soon!)

"After You Believe" - Review

I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite writers is C.S. Lewis. The combination of his logic, wit, and imagination were practically unparelled in the twentieth century, with G.K. Chesterton as one of his few equals. Since Lewis stopped writing upon his death, however, there has existed a constant search in the world of spiritual literature to tap the “next C.S. Lewis”. As a follower of basketball, it’s similar to the persistent hunt to determine the “next Michael Jordan”, though maybe to a lesser degree.

A man that many today have considered to be “the next C.S. Lewis” has finished a new book that I’ve recently read. His name is N.T. (Tom) Wright, and he is currently the Anglican Bishop of Durham in England. Looking at Bishop Wright’s literary style along with his bibliography will yield immediate similarities to Lewis. Bishop Wright’s cheeky English words, conciseness of thought and logic, and use of imagination all mirror Lewis’, while some of his book subjects also reflect those of Lewis’—many have hailed Bishop Wright’s “Simply Christian” as a modern echo of Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”. Or, it could just be that they both are English, taught at Oxford, and write about God.

For some time I had been anxiously awaiting Bishop Wright’s new book, “After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters” (HarperOne, 320 pages, $24.99). This new book is the third in a trilogy from Bishop Wright. I’ve read the first book, the previously-mentioned “Simply Christian”, in which Wright pointed out clearly the basic beliefs of Christianity, specifically through modern lens such as “story” and “beauty”. I have browsed through the second book of the trilogy, “Surprised By Hope”, and discovered a fascinating vision of Heaven and Resurrection, along with the reality that both begin here and now. In addition to these two works, Wright has also written some dense works of theology, particularly the three works in his "Christian Origins and the Question of God" series. As an eloquent, smart, and outspoken Anglican, though, he has been drawn into much critique and debate, especially by other Protestants regarding his understanding of justification (how we are made right with God).

However, "Simply Christian" and “Surprised By Hope” were written in a much lighter style than the Bishop's other works; each had a great balance of theology and practicality. And forming a pseudo-trilogy, these first two books pointed to a third one. After we understand the basic tenants of the Christian faith (“Simply Christian”) and gain a full understanding of the New Heaven and New Earth (“Surprised By Hope”), the question that begs to be answered next is, “how, then, should we live?”

Bishop Wright begins answering this question in “After You Believe” by detailing two different people. The first understands the Christian life as one that is full of “freedom”, meaning that he should be spontaneous in his actions, confident that Christianity leads to a life of no rules or laws; he should simply do “what feels right” and always be “authentic”. The second person is one who is constrained by many laws and rules that she has deduced from the Scriptures; she believes that certain things, such as divorce regulations, are painted clearly in the Bible and should be obeyed whether or not one “feels” like it. Though both claim to begin with “the Bible” and the words of Jesus, both ultimately reach different conclusions. So, Bishop Wright asks why this is; does there exist a definite, determinable understanding of “virtue” (right-living) or are we each bound by our own feelings and consciences to tell us how to live?

As a Catholic, I understand the Church to stand in this role. The Magisterium of the Catholic Church seeks to define morals and ethics for the people of the Church, and Her authority stems from the apostles of Jesus themselves. Bishop Wright, as an Anglican, doesn’t quite recognize this type of authority, so he of course finds himself probing questions that I believe to already be answered. However, as a former Protestant, I can assuredly say that this book speaks directly into some of the main conundrums in the Protestant church: who defines what “virtue” is, and what is it? (I will say that for a Catholic, the answer to these questions that Bishop Wright centers his book around can be given immediately by the Church, and you will find a fuller Catholic explanation of this answer in other books.)

I imagined that “After You Believe” would be written in a similar style to its preceding books, but with the different subject of practical Christian living. I quickly found I was wrong on both fronts. Each of the first two books was written in a light, conversational tone with understandable chunks of theology. They were easy enough to read and comprehend for the armchair-theologian. “After You Believe”, however, is extremely dense and deals with the philosophy and theology behind the idea of “virtue”. Bishop Wright spends little time on the practicalities of virtue itself, instead using hundreds of pages to analyze the history and theological understanding of the purpose of our existence and the theology of virtue. He rightly believes that the question of “how to live” can’t be answered if the question “why are we here?” isn’t answered first. So, he spends many chapters analyzing this.

As undoubtedly one of the sharpest theologians today, one of Bishop Wright's specialties is his understanding of the letters of Paul. In “After You Believe”, Bishop Wright draws heavily from these Pauline letters to explain that our purpose on this planet—the ultimate source of the “how, then, should we live?” question—is to be “priests and rulers”. Now, again speaking as a Catholic, it should be noted that Bishop Wright isn’t referring to our “priestly” roles in the liturgical sense, but in the sense that we are all called to sacrifice and participate in Temple-like worship, even while we are on earth. Our call to be “rulers” stems back to our call in Genesis to “subdue” the Earth and to our destiny in Revelation when we will be co-rulers with God over all of Creation.

Bishop Wright explains that these are things that we are to be doing now, not simply when we are Resurrected, and in Heaven. And the reason we are to do them now is because the way we live these roles in this life—the way we live lives of “virtue”—is an “anticipation”, or a “foreshadowing” of the way we will live for all of eternity. We don't live lives of virtue to "gain" heaven or because we are to follow pointless moral commands, but because they prepare us to begin living now the way that we will be living forever.

Even though I consider myself to be fairly well-read in the realm of theology, this book was a struggle to get through. I thought much of the material was repetitive, and—maybe due to my own fault—felt deceived by the publisher’s description of the book. I thought this was going to be a lighter, imaginative stroll through the world of Christian living, but was instead greeted with a heavy tome, which included a thick comparison of the Aristotelian and Pauline visions of the purpose of life.

On the other hand, after finishing and chewing on the Bishop’s thoughts, I’ve come to see his contributions to the field of Christian living to be wise: instead of focusing on the practicalities of lived virtue, Wright centers on the underlying purposes and foundation of virtue itself. He sees that once we become “transformed by the renewal of our minds”, as Paul says, then we will innately know how to act in certain spontaneous situations. In essence, once you embrace your "purpose" which is to live as a "priest and a ruler", then you don't worry about specific virtues for specific situations; virtuous actions flow naturally out of a transformed heart and mind.

If you are searching for clear, practical explanations of how to live virtuously, there may be better books (two I recommend are Dallas Willard’s “Renovation of the Heart” and Andy Stanley’s “It Came From Within”, which I briefly reviewed here). If, on the other hand, you are looking for a heady theological explanation of virtue and its philosophical foundation, “After You Believe” is the book for you.

(If you would like to browse through a wealth of writings, lectures, audio, and video of Bishop N.T. Wright, go here. Also a day after I finished this review, Bishop Wright wrote an article discussing C.S. Lewis' role as his mentor.)