5 Things I Learned From My Internet Fast

My Google Reader groaned under the weight of 1,000+ unread articles. My Facebook and Twitter streams were bursting at the seams. Dozens of emails poured in each hour.

That was my life three months ago, and you probably know what it's like. Modern new media is certainly powerful, but it can also be very overwhelming. After years of engaging online I began to feel like this digital overload was more like a Digital Overlord, ruling my thoughts and demanding more and more time and energy.

So, following the example of Jen Fulwiler, I unplugged for a week. 

For seven days I cut myself off from email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and all other digital tethers. I still had to use the Internet for work, but it was few and far between, and unrelated to my primary vices of social media and blogs.

When the end of the week came, I was surprised at how easy it was. Sure, I fought urges to check-Facebook-real-quick, but it wasn't as torturous as I imagined. The break was somewhat leisurely and gave me some good time to reflect on my relationship to technology.

Here were the most important lessons I learned:

1. I don't need the Internet.
Days before unplugging, I was already getting cold feet. Not checking Facebook for an entire week? Not updating my Twitter account? What if I miss a must-read blog post or hilarious YouTube video?

My biggest fear was that I would miss some revolutionary insight on the Internet and therefore live an inferior life. Yet my greatest lesson during the fast was this:

I can live a vivacious, purposeful life without ever going online—I don't need the Internet.

Not terribly novel, I know, and I'm aware that millions of people for millions of years have proved this true, but for me it was a huge realization. Before the week I felt like Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and YouTube were a necessary part of my day. I would start to get frustrated and moody if I missed them for too long which meant to a certain extent, I was enslaved.

But slowly throughout the week I felt the slave-chains fall off. And by the end, I felt truly detached. I'm often amazed at how stepping away from something can allow you to see how tight its grip really is. I've seen it in my own life with food, drink, television, and now the Internet. When you step back and realize, "Internet, I don't need you", then you're free. And that's deeply liberating.


2. The Internet doesn't need me.
Besides addiction, another online vice I was trying to remedy was pride. It was tempting to think that if I took a week off from the Internet, the whole thing would fall apart. Without my insightful comments, witty banter, and compelling book reviews, I was sure that the FCC would decide that the Internet was no longer helpful and would just pull the plug.

That didn't happen. The Internet puttered through the week without a hitch, and in fact when I returned, I discovered that more than a few friends didn't even know I was gone.

Four hundred years after Copernicus, my own fasting experiment helped me re-discover his shocking insight: the (online) world doesn't revolve around me. It's good to know that some people depend on me--my wife, my kids, my coworkers. But to realize that I'm just "one blogger among many" was, again, very liberating.


3. My family is more fun than the Internet.
I already knew that my family was more important than the Internet. But my digital fast reminded me that they are also more fun. Before the fast, if I wanted a good laugh or some relaxing down time, I'd fire up my laptop.

Yet my offline week freed me up for better things like this (filmed during my fast):




4. I don't do what I love.
Jon Acuff recently wrote an awesome post where he asked the question, "what do I feel called to do, and why am I not doing it?" My time off caused me to reflect on that quandary, especially the first part: what is my calling? I wanted to find that place where, in the words of Frederick Buechner, "my deep gladness and the world's great hunger meet."

And here's what I found: my deep gladness involves my wife and my kids, reading and discussing good books, and reflecting on God and his Church. Notice what's not on the list--reading hundreds of blog posts, posting witty tweets, or browsing my Facebook news feed.

My Internet fast revealed the sobering reality that I rarely do what I love. Instead of sitting in a comfy chair at night to read a book for an hour, I scan through a hundred irrelevant blog posts. Instead of praying, I fire up Facebook. Instead of playing with my kids, I send text messages and watch YouTube videos.

If nothing else, the digital fast realigned my priorities. Now when I open my computer I think, "tomorrow, when I look back at this moment, would I have wished I was doing something else?"

Often, the answer is yes. And then my laptop slowly closes.


5. There's great conversation online.
Many people dismiss new media for being shallow and base. For instance, I can't tell you how many times I've heard something like, "Why would I care what someone ate for breakfast?" And I get that. I'm with you. I don't care what people had for breakfast, either.

What many people miss, however, is the rich discussions all across the Internet, from comment boxes, to Twitter chats, to Google+ hangouts, and more. I really undervalued this until I disconnected.

Sure, you'll run into some that are vulgar, vitriolic, and filled with mindless spam. Plenty of others, though, are brilliant. I realized that one of my favorite parts of the Internet is finding intelligent people from all sorts of backgrounds to discuss real, important ideas--things like faith, art, morals, and culture. Offline, it's much more difficult to have meaningful discussions with groups of people.


So there are some things I learned in my week off. How about you? Have you ever intentionally disconnected from the Internet? If so, what did you learn? If not, have you considered doing it?

My Visit to Word on Fire

Last week I had the extreme privilege of meeting one my great heroes, Fr. Robert Barron. He and his Word on Fire staff invited me to Chicago to deliver a couple talks on new media and the New Evangelization.

Three phenomenal evangelists and me

As you can imagine, the whole day was a blast. There was a lot of great conversation before and after my talks, I got to check out Fr. Barron's library (an occasion of sin for this bibliophile), and I loved meeting face-to-face with many online friends—especially the erudite Fr. Steve Grunow and the wonderful Rozann Carter.

Fr. Steve and Rozann are the primary contributors to the Word on Fire blog, which is one of my daily must-reads. And today they're recapping my visit with pictures and links:

Last week, Brandon Vogt came up to Chicago from Florida to present a Day of Reflection for the Word on Fire staff. The author of The Church and New Media and an emerging expert in the use of digital media for the New Evangelization, Brandon offered his keen insight into the innerworkings of the "virtual Areopagus."

Here, Rozann Carter re-caps the event, connecting you to loads of free information so that you can incorporate Brandon's research into your efforts at spreading the Gospel.

Read the rest from Word on Fire.

Weekly Giveaway (02/24)

"Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others." - St. Augustine

Because I've built up a large collection of duplicate books and resources, each week I'm giving away one or more of these items, absolutely free, no strings attached.

You can enter anytime during the week for this week's giveaway, with a new one beginning each Friday. Check out a list of the past giveaways, go here.

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Eastertide: Prayers for Lent Through Easter from The Divine Hours
by Phyllis Tickle

Today's giveaway is perfect for Lent. Phyllis Tickle's Eastertide (Paperback, Galilee Trade, 255 pages) contains Morning, Mid-Day, and Evening prayers for each day during this season, all in the form of the Divine Office. If you've never heard of the Divine Office (also known as the Liturgy of the Hours), or have been too intimidated to approach it, this is a helpful doorway into the practice. From Amazon:

"In her acclaimed trilogy, The Divine Hours, Phyllis Tickle introduced modern Christians to the time-honored practice of "praying the hours." In this exquisite new volume, she provides a vibrant program of prayer dedicated to the anticipation of Christ’s resurrection.

Beginning with Ash Wednesday and moving through Lent and on to Easter Sunday, Eastertide provides the daily prayers that bring practitioners into the full spirit of this season. Each day is filled with psalms, readings from the Bible, and hymns of praise and worship, just as they appear in the larger volume, The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime. Newcomers to this beloved tradition will find that Eastertide is the perfect introduction to joining the ancients in the tradition of fixed-hour prayer."

In order to win this week's giveaway, leave a comment below answering this question:

Have you ever prayed the Divine Office?

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The winning comments will be randomly selected on Friday morning using a random number generator, and the giveaway will be sent out, free-of-charge, shortly thereafter to the three winners.
In the future I'll be giving away many more books and resources--sometimes multiple items per giveaway. So check back next Friday!

Update: The drawing is closed for the week of Friday, February 24. Congratulations to Andy O. for winning this week! Check your e-mail for instructions on receiving the book. If you don't see an e-mail from me, check your spam box--apparently e-mails with "giveaway" in the subject line often end up there.

Learning from a Spunky, In-Your-Face Saint

Today we continue our regular series here at The Thin Veil called "Learning from the Saints". Our guide is saint-expert Bert Ghezzi, a dear friend of mine and the author of numerous books including Voices of the Saints, Saints at Heart, and Adventures In Daily Prayer.

His newest book is Discover Christ: Developing a Personal Relationship with Jesus. You can learn more about Bert and his work at www.BertGhezzi.com.

Today, Bert shares the intriguing story of St. Polycarp, an early saint with great courage and spunk whose feast day is today.

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In the second century, Polycarp was the revered elder statesman of the Church in the East. He was a second-generation apostle who had personal contact with the Twelve. According to tradition, he was appointed bishop of Smyra by St. John himself.

For more than half a century, Polycarp devoted himself to teaching sound doctrine and opposing heresy. Once on a visit to Rome he had snubbed the heretic, Marcion. "Don't you know who I am, Polycarp?" Marcion asked. "Oh, yes," said the saint, "I know the firstborn of Satan when I see him."

At mid-century, governors began to require Christians to worship the emperor, yet many chose death instead of blasphemy. Mobs packed the amphitheater in Smyrna to watch as faithful Christians, refusing to worship other gods, were forced to fight wild animals. One day when a Christian youth encouraged the beasts to devour him, the crowd went berserk. They began to chant, "We want Polycarp! We want Polycarp!"

Polycarp was in hiding on a farm outside of town. But a search party forced a servant to betray him. When the police arrived to arrest him, Polycarp surprised his captors by feeding them and then asking for time to pray. Once done with food and prayer, they took him to the amphitheater.

Here is the account as told in The Martyrdom of Polycarp, a circular letter the Smyrnean church distributed after his death:

"A great shout arose when the people heard that it was Polycarp who had been arrested. As he was brought before him, the governor asked him: 'Are you Polycarp?' and when he admitted he was, the governor tried to persuade him to recant, saying: 'Have respect for your age...; swear by the Genius of the emperor. Recant. Say, 'Away with the atheists!'

(Editors note: It might sounds strange to modern ears, but Christians were actually considered atheists in the first-century world, due to their refusal to worship the multiple Greek and Roman gods. Polycarp here was being asked to deny all Christians by saying, 'Away with the atheists!' As we see, he turned the tables on the crowd by deeming *them* the true atheists.)

"Polycarp, with a sober countenance, looked at all the mob of lawless pagans who were in the arena, and shaking his fist at them, groaned, looked up to heaven, and said: 'Away with these atheists!'

"The governor persisted and said: 'Swear and I will let you go. Curse Christ!'

"But Polycarp answered: 'For eighty-six years I have been his servant and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme against my king and savior?'"

The governor continued to press Polycarp, but he did not flinch at the threat of the wild animals or of being burnt alive. Polycarp must have raised an eyebrow at the latter warning, as a few days before he had dreamt that he would die by fire. When the governor announced that Polycarp had declared himself a Christian, the frenzied mob gathered wood for his pyre.

Polycarp submitted peacefully to his death, even asking not to be nailed to the centerpole. He prayed briefly and the fire was lit. Witnesses later reported that something miraculous happened to the flames, which:

"bellying out like a ship's sail in the wind, formed into the shape of a vault and thus surrounded the martyr's body as with a wall. And he was within it not as burning flesh but rather as bread being baked or like gold and silver being purified in a smelting furnace."

Since the fire was not consuming Polycarp, the governor had one of his men plunge a dagger into him. The death of the bishop climaxed and ended the persecution. And the report of his martyrdom engendered faith and courage throughout the still very young Christian church.

For more about St. Polycarp check out Dr. Kenneth Howell's excellent translation of the works of Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp of Smyrna.

(Image credits: Full of Grace and Truth)

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Read more from Bert at his website, www.BertGhezzi.com, or check out his many books on Amazon.

Interview with Marc Barnes - BadCatholic, Buffoonery, Beauty, and Books

Today I have the supreme pleasure of interviewing Marc Barnes. Known online as the BadCatholic, Marc is one of the best Catholic writers today. He's incredibly prolific, writing on everything from the lunacy of the HHS mandate, to the bad idea of contraception, to praying badly. Yet his Chestertonian wit and Tolkienian wonder belie his youth: he's only 18.

If you haven't read BadCatholic, stop what you're doing right now and subscribe via RSS or Facebook. Then, once you've done that, sit back and enjoy our interview!

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Q: Chesterton popped paradoxes well into his sixties. Tolkien was 62 when he finished The Lord of the Rings. Your writing has drawn comparisons to both men, yet jaws drop when people discover that you're only 18. How has your age been a blessing and a curse?

My age allows me to address topics in a way that the EWTN world refuses to. It allows me to manipulate powers unfairly granted to teenagers and denied to adults—sarcasm, exaggeration, provocation, and, above all, humor. The virtue of humor is that which will make a man listen, no matter how much he disagrees. (The only time you're given the license to call another man's mother fat is when you can make him laugh while doing it.)

Laughter is the great disarmer. No man will listen to you telling him that contraception is sinful, but if it comes as a joke, his heart will be more open to the fact than a year of preaching could ever achieve. The end result of using this style is that I don't really have to moderate myself; I'm given the leeway to write as I actually think as a teenager.

Which is the problem. Being 18, I fall to valuing style over content and cheap humor over real philosophy. I make wide assumptions, crude caricatures, and I have a general lack of sensitivity to the complexity of my readers.

Plus there's the fact that—and this has more to do with character than age—I'm a hypocrite. Writing is easy, living is hard, and I haven't written a post yet without a twinge of self-ridicule: "Yeah, you tell those people to develop a strong prayer life, to stop sinning, to transform lust into love, and to live out the call of Christ. Just keep telling 'em."

Also, I suppress an average of six curse words per blog post. And being 18 allows my critics/opponents/flaming heretics an easy way out of an actual argument—"Oh, but he's young: he'll learn the truth about life when he's older."


Q: Many people, me included, have likened your style to everyone from Chesterton to Tolkien, Flannery O'Conner to Walker Percy. Can you talk about how these and others have influenced your writing?

Such comparisons are well-intentioned insults to great writers. I do not know whether their influence comes across in my work—after all, it takes an onlooker to tell you that you have your mother's eyes—but I do know they've moved my writing away from pretentious disaster. A more fitting way to say "Mr. Barnes sounds like Mr. Chesterton" would be "Mr. Chesterton prevents Mr. Barnes from sounding like crap." But I'll tell you what I've learned from each you've mentioned.

Walker Percy taught me that you just as easily prove God's existence by showing those who fail to live up to his commands as showing those who don't. He demands that I be comfortable living in the ruins (the world's gone all to hell, but I will not be saddened) and he introduced me to the existentialism of Kierkegaard, for which I simultaneously hate and love him.

Ms. O'Connor taught me that sometimes putting it grotesquely is putting it best.

Chesterton taught me that if you're not having a fantastic time arguing, debating, thinking and writing, you should be doing something else. And not to fear paradox. And he made me Catholic.

Tolkien taught me that being Catholic is a battle and a romance.


Q: On your blog, you write a lot on what John Allen Jr. calls 'the pelvic issues'--abortion, contraception, marriage, and pornography. How can Catholics battle the so-called 'culture of death', which stands against true life and love?

Catholics are in the remarkable situation of being the only group of people with the desire to separate sex—in all its transcendent beauty—from the murder of infants, the sterilization of our brothers and sisters, the utter objectification of men and women, and the freaky-weird passion with which the world wants to get involved with everyone's sex lives.

This makes Catholics awesome. We are promoting the good—that sex is sexy—while the world promotes the bad. We stand for the positive argument—that babies deserve life—and not the negative—that sometimes things are so tough you just have to murder. The moment we get negative or defensive is the moment we've lost the battle. For why on Earth should a man defending Goodness, Truth and Beauty be anything but shining, affirmative and joyful?


Q: Another favorite topic of yours is Beauty. Fyodor Dostoyevsky once said that "beauty will save the world." Why is beauty so important and how can we harness its power?

It's very simple, actually. There are three Transcendentals, three infinite goals that man naturally strives for. He strives for Goodness (that which he should obey), Truth (that which he should believe), and Beauty (that which he should admire.)

To the Christian worldview, these three Transcendentals, in their perfection, are God Himself. God is goodness, truth and beauty. (This, by the way, implies that goodness=truth=beauty (Keats was right!) but I digress.)

In their imperfect form—that is, in all man's pitiful attempts to be Good, to know Truth, and to reach Beauty—God is pointed to. They are each images of God. Now our culture got rid of the Good with the introduction of moral relativism—it has been limited to the self, to the I Am The Arbiter of My Own Morality. It got rid of Truth with the public school system—my truth is not your truth, and I promise that statement is true. So we're left with Beauty as the our last hope to avoid damning ourselves to a delightfully vague and relative Hell.

Beauty, though many deny it, still strikes man rudely and objectively. Beauty has the flavor of dogma. Beauty will save the world, because it's the last Objective Infinite we admit to, and thus the last icon pointing to God.


Q: As a fellow book lover, what would you recommend as your top three must-read books?

Actually, Brandon, the one you sent me, Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl by N.D. Wilson, was absolutely excellent. Then Lancelot by Walker Percy, then Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor.

But you must know I thought of 17 more to tell everyone about, like John C. Wright's Golden Age Trilogy. And The Diary of a Country Priest by Bernanos.


Q: Last question: Suppose the Pope invites you to St. Peter's Basilica. He ushers you to the central balcony, and gives you one minute to address the watching world. What do you say?

First, "Let's hear it for the guy before me!"

and then:

"Write this down! Tiny.cc/badc."

and then:

"Alright everyone, we're gonna pray that I get to Heaven! Ready? Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known, etc."

and then:

"Bye!"

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For more imaginative brilliance, be sure to follow Marc through his BadCatholic blog at Patheos. There you'll find articles like The Glory of Being Shut Up, Priests and Pokemon, and On Being Made for Infinity. You can also connect with Marc on Facebook and Twitter.

If you liked this interview, check out my other discussions with people like Fr. Robert Barron, Christopher West, Bishop Christopher Coyne, Dr. Michael Barber, and Lisa Hendey.

And be sure you don't miss future interviews by subscribing to The Thin Veil via RSS or email.

What do you think about Marc's writing? What's your favorite BadCatholic post?

(Image Credit: Session Magazine)

How to be a better parent? Hang up the phone.

Following my article on hanging up your cell phone, I talked with Sean Herriott on Relevant Radio's "Morning Air". We exchanged a ton of tips and advice on how to free yourself from cell phone slavery. So if you want to be more present to your family in this digital age, listen in:

How to Be a Better Parent
02/08/2012 – "Morning Air" with Sean Herriott

Download the mp3 (23 minutes)

"The Way" - Review and Giveaway

Today marks the DVD release of The Way, a fantastic new film starring Martin Sheen and his son, Emilio Estevez (he of Mighty Ducks fame and glory). The film follows Tom (Sheen), an American doctor, whose son Daniel (Estevez) dies in a freak storm while hiking the Camino de Santiago. The Camino, popularly known as he Way of St. James, is a medieval pilgrimage route beginning in France and ending at the Compostella de Santiago in Spain, a cathedral said to hold the remains of St. James the Apostle.

After learning of his son's death, Tom travels to France to collect Daniel's remains. Yet while holding the cremated ashes in his hands, he makes a spur of the moment choice: he's going to hike the Camino. In order to honor Daniel's journey, and to finish what he started, Tom sets out on the Way.

He begins as a hardened, irascible mourner, frustrated with the world and angry at God. But the months-long pilgrimage heals both wounds. He connects with a number of charming characters: a jolly, drug-dealing Dutchman, a jaded Canadian chain-smoker, and a frustrated travel journalist looking for a good story. Each companion helps Tom grapple with death and discover the true joys of life: friendship, love, and the chase for God.

I really enjoyed the film. It was equally stirring, funny, and inspiring. What I liked most, however, is how sharply it represents modern man's search for God. Archbishop Timothy Dolan summed this up when he recently spoke to Cardinals and bishops in Rome:

"A movie popular at home now is The Way, starring a popular actor, Martin Sheen. Perhaps you have seen it. He plays a grieving father whose estranged son dies while walking the Camino di Santiago di Campostella in Spain. The father decides, in his grief, to complete the pilgrimage in place of his dead son.

He is an icon of a secular man: self-satisfied, dismissive of God and religion, calling himself a "former Catholic," cynical about faith...but yet unable to deny within him an irrepressible interest in the transcendent, a thirst for something--no, Someone--more, which grows on the Way.

Yes, to borrow the report of the apostles to Jesus from last Sunday’s gospel, "All the people are looking for you!" And they still are."

Dolan nails it. Almost every secularist today is haunted by some deep longing for More, and that reality is what makes The Way so profound. Tom knows that something lies even beyond death--even beyond the piercing sorrows and fleeting joys of this world. His journey to Spain is iconic of man's journey toward God, and I think the movie will lead others down that same path.

My only critique is the strange decision to have Tom sprinkle his son's ashes at different markers along the journey. And at the end, he wildly flails the remaining ashes in the wind like confetti. With his deep reverence throughout the trip, it seemed a bit odd to treat his son's remains so casually.

Other than that, this is one of those rare films that is deep and artistically compelling. If you missed it in theaters, be sure to check out the DVD.

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Which brings me to this exciting news: I have 3 copies of The Way DVD to giveaway. On Friday morning I'll use a random generator to select three winners, so you have a few days to enter. Unlike our normal giveaways, you can actually receive up to three different entries in this drawing. You get one entry each by:

- Commenting. Leave a comment on this post explaining why you want to see this film.

- Facebook. Link to this giveaway post on Facebook and tag @BrandonVogt and The Way Facebook page.

- Twitter. Link to this giveaway post on Twitter and tag @BrandonVogt1 and @TheWayTheMovie.

I'll list the three winners on Friday morning.

Also, tonight at 8:00pm ET Emilio Estevez will be hosting a live Twitter fan chat where you can ask questions about the film. To participate simply follow the hashtag #TheWayChat and tag your questions with Emilio’s Twitter handle (@EmilioTheWay).

I'm assuming Mighty Duck questions are fair game--bonus points if you tweet "Quack. Quack. Quack. @EmilioTheWay #TheWayChat"

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Update: After 31 comments,18 tweets, and two Facebook shares, I used a random generator to choose three winners. Congratulations to Stuart D, Kaitlin R, and Tracey C for winning a copy of "The Way"!

Check your e-mail for instructions on receiving the book. If you don't see an e-mail from me, check your spam box--apparently e-mails with "giveaway" in the subject line often end up there.

Weekly Giveaway (02/17)

"Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others." - St. Augustine

Because I've built up a large collection of duplicate books and resources, each week I'm giving away one or more of these items, absolutely free, no strings attached.

You can enter anytime during the week for this week's giveaway, with a new one beginning each Friday. Check out a list of the past giveaways, go here.

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Seek First the Kingdom: Challenging the Culture By Living Our Faith
by Cardinal Donald Wuerl

Today's giveaway is another timely book in light of the HHS mandate. Earlier this week I reviewed Seek First the Kingdom (Our Sunday Visitor, hardcover, 190 pages) and said this:

"Seek First the Kingdom isn’t a voting guide for specific political issues, but it does explore topics like religious liberty, the role of individual conscience, and the need for true Catholic identity. Wuerl handles these controversial topics with the grace and care expected of a renowned pastor and theologian and encourages more than laments.

With the political season in full swing, and the issue of 'religious liberty' in the spotlight, Seek First the Kingdom couldn't be more timely. By reading it you'll learn how to live your faith in the public sphere and thereby transform the culture."

In order to win this week's giveaway, leave a comment below answering this question:

What is one way that Christians can go public with their faith?

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The winning comments will be randomly selected on Friday morning using a random number generator, and the giveaway will be sent out, free-of-charge, shortly thereafter to the three winners.

In the future I'll be giving away many more books and resources--sometimes multiple items per giveaway. So check back next Friday!

Update: The drawing is closed for the week of Friday, February 17. Congratulations to Lloyd D. for winning this week! Check your e-mail for instructions on receiving the book. If you don't see an e-mail from me, check your spam box--apparently e-mails with "giveaway" in the subject line often end up there.

Dolan, Pope Benedict: "We Need More Twitter"

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UPDATE: Here's the full text of Archbishop Dolan's speech.

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The New York Daily New has some excellent coverage of Archbishop Timothy Dolan's trip to Rome, where tomorrow he'll be named a Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI.

But that won't be his only honor. The Pope chose Dolan to deliver a special keynote address to the College of Cardinals on the topic of the New Evangelization.

He couldn't have made a better choice. Dolan, the joyous front-man for the American Catholic Church, is one of the most tech-savvy bishops in the world. He has a Facebook page, his own personal blog, and is a huge proponent of new media.

Dolan said Twitter and other social media may be the tools to bring the lapsed back into the fold. "We know that the Church has lost some of its pizzazz," he told the Daily News.

"We have to refresh and rekindle that faith.....Some people in the church have thought social communication is bad and evil, but these things can be used in a beautiful way to bring more people to Jesus."

One reason Dolan is so effective with new media is that he's a master at "affirmative orthodoxy". Coined by Vatican reporter John Allen, the terms suggests an emphasis on what the Church is for rather than what she's against. It accentuates the positive elements of faith to a culture exposed to its fair share of negativity.

""Instead of the Church being seen as pointing out what’s bad all the time, we should point out what's good,” Dolan said.

"Share the art, the music, the architecture the Church has inspired. I had a man tell me that he became a lapsed Catholic in high school, but he rediscovered his faith while studying the paintings of Caravaggio."

He gave a shoutout to Chicago priest Fr. Robert Barron, who finds messages for Catholics in the songs of Bono, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones."

I'm praying and pulling for Archbishop Dolan's speech today. I hope he inspires his fellow Cardinals and Church leaders to engage the digital continent. I hope Pope Benedict, especially, nods in affirmation since his predecessor, John Paul II, saw the vital role of technology in spreading the faith. John Paul was convinced that the New Evangelization requires, "new ardor, new methods, and a new expression."

As Dolan will surely confirm, that's exactly what new media gives us.

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A few months ago, I spoke with Archbishop Dolan about new media and the Church. We had a great time. Dolan is just as warm, funny, and gregarious as I imagined him to be. If you missed the interview, you can stream or download it below:


Download the mp3 here (20-minute interview)

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In my overactive imagination, here's how I see Dolan's speech playing out today:

Cardinal Dolan: "We need to use Facebook. We need to use Twitter. We need to use YouTube. And if you're unsure why, you need to read this phenomenal book. It's titled The Church and New Media: Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops Who Tweet which I think is one of the.........

Pope Benedict XVI: Timmy, Timmy, Timmy. Stop. You don't have to continue. I'm well aware of the book, which is enthroned in the Vatican and never leaves my side:

(HT: New York Daily News and Rocco Palmo for the link)

"You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom."

Early in The Lord of Rings, there's this climactic scene where leaders from every race gather at Rivendell. They are called in response to a common threat, an enemy which intends to destroy all of Middle Earth. Yet each character arrives leery. Histories of oppression and abuse plague their relationships and each wonders whether they can fight together.

But then Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, speaks:

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction; none can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom. Bring forth the ring, Frodo."

Recognizing their shared destiny, they unite. And the enemy falls. But why does this matter?

Because the same thing is happening right now among Christians.

Several Protestant groups, long divided from the Catholic Church, are now joining her in an unprecedented fellowship to battle for religious liberty. Reuters breaks the story in an article titled, Bishops Plan Big Birth-Control Battle Expansion

"The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops plans to work with other religious groups, including evangelical Christians, on an election-year public relations campaign that may include TV and radio ads, social media marketing and a push for pastors and priests to raise the subject from the pulpit.

Along with the Southern Baptist Convention, the National Association of Evangelicals stands ready to contribute money and manpower to the bishops' campaign, said Galen Carey, an association vice president.

The group is also considering the unprecedented step of asking pastors of every evangelical denomination across the country to read their congregations an open letter protesting the contraception mandate as an assault on religious liberty."

For those like me who yearn for Christian unity, this is not just delightful: it's downright invigorating. Sherry Weddell, a fellow convert from Evangelicalism, shares my joy (from Facebook):

"Every evangelical denomination protesting the contraception mandate (something that very few believe in) on the behalf of the Catholic Church? Stunning. Miraculous. Ecumenism on a level that we haven't seen before."

I'm always fascinated at how the darkest moments in history galvanize people the most. For example, hurricanes in Florida pull disconnected neighbors into community and earthquakes in Haiti reveal that solidarity is still alive.

The HHS's current assault on Catholic belief is doing the same thing. It's uniting disparate tribes. It's launching an ecumenical movement that Christians have long been waiting for. And, as Tolkien wrote, it has now tied each Christian tradition to one fate.

Does the Church know how to reach the modern world?

That's the title of a piece I wrote for Catholic Exchange, which was adapted from The Church and New Media book:

"Marshall McLuhan, a 1960s media prophet, was one of the first to predict how digital technology shapes culture. Decades before the Internet became mainstream, McLuhan warned of the unintended effects brought by each new communication tool. His still-famous phrase “the medium is the message” summarizes his thoughts by pointing out that a particular medium shapes a message more than the content it carries.

For example, McLuhan, a late convert to Catholicism, would affirm that a sermon delivered through radio, through television, through a blog, and through YouTube would be received in drastically different ways. The radio sermon would be listened to with sustained attention, the television sermon would be viewed as entertainment, the blog sermon would be shallowly skimmed, and the YouTube sermon would be gauged by its visual and emotional effects.

Many Christians operate out of the belief that we can “communicate the same message through new means.” They assume what McLuhan adamantly denied, that communication mediums can be neutral. For better or worse, however, new media conditions whatever the Church shares through these technologies; how we think, relate, speak, read, worship, and pray are all influenced by these tools and the culture they create."

Read the rest at Catholic Exchange.

(Image Credit: Joe's Box)

"Seek First the Kingdom" - Book Review

By now you've heard of the infamous HHS mandate, which will force every American citizen, regardless of religious objection, to subsidize contraception, abortifacients, and sterilization procedures. The new law is a dangerous threat to religious liberty and Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington D.C., is appalled.

"Being forced to provide these services violates both our faith conviction and our freedom," he says. "Our schools, hospitals, and charitable organizations will be placed in the untenable position of choosing between violating civil law and abandoning our religious beliefs."

In response to the increasing tension between faith and politics, Wuerl has released a new book titled, Seek First the Kingdom: Challenging the Culture by Living Out Our Faith (Our Sunday Visitor, hardcover, 190 pages).

In his book, Wuerl commissions a faith that is both intimate and personal--but also decisively public. He explains that all Catholics must usher the "kingdom of God" into the secular world. Unlike some spiritualists, Wuerl maintains that this "kingdom" is not some wispy, idealistic metaphor but a real, substantial reality. It requires deeds and actions, not just empty words.

Yet, as the archbishop of our nation's capital, Wuerl knows firsthand just how difficult this can be. To help paint a clear picture of how the "kingdom of God" fits into the public square, Wuerl surveys the teachings of Scripture, theology, and Catholic tradition in his book. He shows how faith and politics have interfaced in the past and how they can do so in the modern world.

Seek First the Kingdom isn’t a voting guide for specific political issues, but it does explore topics like religious liberty, the role of individual conscience, and the need for true Catholic identity. Wuerl handles these controversial topics with the grace and care expected of a renowned pastor and theologian and encourages more than laments.

With the political season in full swing, and the issue of 'religious liberty' in the spotlight, Seek First the Kingdom couldn't be more timely. By reading it you'll learn how to live your faith in the public sphere and thereby transform the culture.

Free Catholic eBooks

If you're building a Catholic eBook library on the cheap and are looking for more great titles, check these out:

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The Power of the Cross (free PDF)
Amy Welborn, who has written many wonderful books herself, is giving away a free eBook edition of The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ to Your Life (Our Sunday Visitor, 2004).

The book was written by her late husband, Michael DuBruiel, and now that it is of print, Amy is giving it away. This isn't a contest or drawing--Amy is simply making the book available for free. If you haven't yet chosen a good book for Lent this would be a great choice.

According to the publisher's description, you'll learn to see Jesus' suffering and death not as some spectacle or theatrical production, but as a blueprint for how to live your life. You'll experience the radical teaching of Our Lord presented in a series of concrete steps that you can take at your own pace including:

• How to follow Christ more closely.
• God’s unique purpose and mission for you.How to overcome the evil that you have suffered at the hands of others.
• To find God’s presence in difficult times.
• The keys to unleashing the power of the Cross in your life.

Day by day for five weeks, here are the prayers, the reflections, the stories, and the teaching that will help you not only better comprehend the power of Christ's great sacrifice for you, but come to a better understanding of why and how to accept that power now.

And on a related note, I strongly recommend Michael's How-To Book of the Mass, a clear, intelligent primer on the liturgy.)

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Papal Encyclical eBooks
If you're a theo-nerd like me who salivates over things like apostolic exhortations and conciliar documents, you'll really appreciate PapalEncyclicals.net. The site, run by a tech-savy layman, has digitized and formatted every papal encyclical in Church history and made them really easy to navigate. You can sort the encyclicals by Pope, by chronology, or by title.

For a while the encyclicals were only available online, but the site has recently converted hundreds of them to both MOBI (Kindle) and ePub formats. Right now you'll only find eBook version of encyclicals prior to 1903--which does include the brilliant writings of Pope Leo XIII--but the writings of recent popes like John Paul II and Benedict XVI should be available soon.

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The Weekly Benedict
Pope Benedict XVI is one of the most prolific popes in recent history. Almost every day he delivers a new speech or document. For the last few months, Jimmy Akin has been compiling Pope's Benedict's weekly teachings--his statements, addresses, quotes, writings, and speeches--into a weekly digest, and Jeff Miller has joined forced to convert them to Kindle and ePub formats.

You can follow Jimmy's Benedict feed for links to the actual documents, or follow Jeff's blog to get the weekly teachings in eBook form.

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Where are some more places to find free Catholic eBooks?

Weekly Giveaway (02/10)

"Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others." - St. Augustine

Because I've built up a large collection of duplicate books and resources, each week I'm giving away one or more of these items, absolutely free, no strings attached.

You can enter anytime during the week for this week's giveaway, with a new one beginning each Friday. Check out a list of the past giveaways, go here.

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How to Win the Culture War: A Christian Battle Plan for a Society In Crisis
by Peter Kreeft

Today's giveaway is a timely response to the most egregious affront to religious liberty in recent history. Here's Amazon's description of this great book by Dr. Peter Kreeft:

"The battle lines have been drawn. Many Christians have fallen into the trap of proclaiming "Peace! Peace!" when there is no peace. Hiding their eyes from the pressing issues of the day, they believe that resistance to the prevailing culture is useless. At the same time, other Christians have been too quick to declare war, mistaking battlefield casualties as enemies rather than victims.

In How to Win the Culture War Peter Kreeft issues a rousing call to arms. Christians must understand the true nature of the culture war--a war between the culture of life and the culture of death. Kreeft identifies the real enemies facing the church today and maps out key battlefields. He then issues a strategy for engagement and equips Christians with the weapons needed for a successful campaign. Above all, Kreeft assures us that the war can be won--in fact, it will be won. For those who hope in Christ, victory is assured, because good triumphs over evil and life conquers death. Love never gives up. Neither must we."

In order to win this week's giveaway, leave a comment below answering this question:

What should Christians do to win the culture war?

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The winning comments will be randomly selected on Friday morning using a random number generator, and the giveaway will be sent out, free-of-charge, shortly thereafter to the three winners.
In the future I'll be giving away many more books and resources--sometimes multiple items per giveaway. So check back next Friday!

Update: The drawing is closed for the week of Friday, February 10. Congratulations to Ellyn V. for winning this week! Check your e-mail for instructions on receiving the book. If you don't see an e-mail from me, check your spam box--apparently e-mails with "giveaway" in the subject line often end up there.

Interview with Dr. Michael Barber - Scripture and New Media

Today I have the honor of interviewing Dr. Michael Barber, a brilliant theologian whom Scott Hahn calls, "...one of the most promising Scripture teachers in the Church."

Michael is the Professor of Theology, Scripture and Catholic Thought at John Paul the Great Catholic University in San Diego. He is the author of several books, including, Coming Soon: Unlocking the Book of Revelation and Applying Its Lessons Today (Emmaus Road, 2006) and most recently, Genesis to Jesus: Studying Scripture from the Heart of the Church (Servant, 2007), a Bible study co-authored with Kimberly Hahn.

Michael is a Research Fellow for the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, founded by Dr. Scott Hahn. He is also he host of Reasons for Faith Live, a weekly radio show on EWTN’s Radio Network. In addition to teaching at John Paul the Great Catholic University, he teaches classes for the Diocesan Institute of San Diego, where he helps to form the future deacons and religious educators of the diocese.

What really excites me, though, and what we'll talk about here, is Michael's use of technology to help people study Scripture. He hosts the popular Sacred Page podcast as well as a blog by the same name, which both offer an in-depth exploration of Biblical theology. His new media work makes him a frontiersman in the so-called Biblioblogging world and a shining example for Catholics.

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Q: Why is podcasting such a great tool for Scripture study?

Podcasts are great for a number of reasons. Long before we started The Sacred Page podcast, I became an avid fan of the medium. The number one reason I like them is the fact that you can listen to them while you do other things that have to get done—washing the dishes, driving around town, vacuuming, etc. A great investment is a smart phone or portable mp3 player that you can stick in your pocket and listen to with earphones. The thing is, I never have enough time to read. However, a podcast can turn an activity you dread—e.g., ironing clothes—into a wonderful opportunity to spend time learning.

Other numerous advantages could also be mentioned.

• They have no commercials—or at least, very few of them.
• They can be listened to over and over again at one’s own leisure.
• If you get distracted or if you simply want to hear something again you can do that easily and immediately with the push of a button. This is particularly helpful for podcasts on Scripture. The Bible is rich; sometimes you have to hear an idea a few times before you can really get your mind around it.
• Podcasts can be easily recorded and published quickly so you can get great material on recent and upcoming topics: the Sunday readings, new papal encyclicals, new book releases, etc.

Q: How have new media technologies like blogs and podcasts affected your work as a Scripture scholar?

I strongly believe that blogs and podcasts can be useful tools for Scripture scholars. In fact, I presented a paper at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature on the benefits (and the pitfalls) of blogs in 2010. Specifically, I looked at “biblioblogs”, that is, blogs devoted to the academic study of Scripture. Let me summarize what I said there:

First, the blogosphere (particularly, the “biblioblogging” community) has created a wonderful space for public yet informal conversation. Blogging is not like presenting a paper—it is not a formal academic exercise. Since blogs are not “peer-reviewed” like an academic journal, blog posts can greatly vary in value. Some are well-researched, based in solid scholarship and written by people who have done a great deal of study in their field. Others are half-baked, poorly sourced, and written by self-appointed authorities that know little more about their subject matter than what you see on their blog.

Yet the reality that there are crackpots out there should not obscure the fact that there are a lot of really smart people out there writing and reading blogs. Comment boxes become incredible places of discussion. You can test an idea out on a blog and get incredibly helpful feedback. You can also easily engage other scholars on their blogs about their views. This really helps to sharpen scholarship. Open and honest conversation is always something to be encouraged in my view. I don’t always agree with my friends in the biblioblogging community—many of them aren’t Catholic, so that should not be surprising—but I always enjoy engaging in thoughtful dialogue.

Second, blogs and podcasts can help identify the books and ideas that are really important from those that are less significant. The reality is that there are just too many new books and articles published every year you’d like to read. The on-line community however can help raise the profile of books and articles that really deserve attention. You start seeing multiple blogs and podcasts talking about the same new monograph and you realize, “This is a book I really have to make a priority! It is making a huge splash!”

Third, blogging helps to humanize scholars. Here I will simply quote from the end of my SBL paper on the value of blogging:

"Academics will write serious posts, but also some entries that are just plain silly. Of course, those who dismiss the academic worth of blogging will point to such posts as examples of unscholarly nature of the blogosphere. However, in an indirect way it might be argued that even posts of a personal or inane nature contribute to the improvement of academic discourse.

How? Such posts humanize scholars. As is becoming increasingly clear in the postmodern period, “pure objectivity” is a myth. Yet even to this day scholars are reluctant to allow much of their personal beliefs, history, and values to emerge in their scholarly exchanges. Even in informal gatherings at professional conferences such as this one—even in interactions outside of paper presentations—scholars typically operate under the assumption that they are best served by engaging in conversations which obscure who they are, as if they are in reality better able to do their work by not getting to know one another. Lest somehow our work be suspected of lacking objectivity, academics tend to hide their core personal beliefs and experiences. Academics will even avoid humor in order to avoid the perception of being frivolous. There seems to be a perception that a serious scholar must remain just that: serious . . . and they must remain so whenever they are around other academics.

Frankly, while I am always an advocate of proper decorum and professional behavior, I do believe that in large part such attitudes reflect an outdated modernist, Enlightenment understanding that still permeates academia, namely, that scholars are not influenced by personal beliefs, personal history, traditions, etc., but derive conclusions solely based on un-interpreted “facts”. It seems to me that such claims are no longer possible. Because of this I whole-heartedly welcome not only “bloggership”—blogging with scholarly aspirations—but also “other types of blogging”, particularly, the posts which reveal the quirky sense of humor of scholars, the entries describing a bloggers’ personal history, the pieces laying out his or her political opinions, the installments that reveal their core personal values, etc.

I do not believe that getting to know each other better is going to undermine our scholarship. Rather, I believe it will make it more honest and therefore more illuminating. It will help us better learn how to work with one another and cultivate better mutual respect, and perhaps that will be the greatest of all the benefits of biblioblogging."

Q: What are some ways that the average Catholic can use technology to study Scripture?

The average Catholic can learn an incredible amount and really deepen their prayer life by using computer and web based technologies to better enter into the mysteries of Scripture. Let me break this down a little bit into different categories. Since you asked about the average Catholic I’ll focus on popular-level resources and not academic websites.

First, I highly recommend, SalvationHistory.com, the website of the St. Paul Center. In the interest of full-disclosure I should explain that I am a Senior Fellow. A little background: the St. Paul Center is an organization founded by Dr. Scott Hahn that promotes Catholic Bible study. I think SalvationHistory.com is the single greatest website out there for Catholics interested in learning more about the Bible.

In addition, your readers should take note: the website hosts free on-line courses in Biblical Theology, Scott Hahn’s podcasts on the Sunday readings, and much, much more. If you go there, you’ll find links to all of the other important and helpful websites.

Second, there is the USCCB’s website which gives you the lectionary readings. You’d be surprised how much more you can get out of Mass if you just spend a little time preparing yourself by meditating on the Scripture readings you’ll hear in the liturgy. Of course, there are also great iPhone and Android apps that help you do this as well. You can even pray the Divine Office on-line, which is a great way to prayerfully enter into Scripture.

Third, there are great online rosary applications, including Scriptural rosaries. I find these so helpful for meditating on Scripture.

Fourth, I should mention the numerous free websites and web-based tools, involving searchable Bibles in different translations, on-line concordances, language tools (Hebrew-English, Greek-English, etc.), charts, etc. Here I’ll mention three:

• Blue Letter Bible
• Bible Gateway
• Bible Study Tools

Fifth, I’d definitely recommend, NewAdvent.org. This site is a goldmine, containing the works of many great fathers and doctors of the Church. It’s all available on-line for free!

Sixth, there is the Vatican website, which has posted numerous Magisterial documents—again, free of charge! (If you haven’t yet read Pope Benedict’s recent document on Scripture, Verbum Domini, you don’t know what you’re missing!)

Seventh, another great tool is Biblia Clerus. This site helps you find what the various early Church fathers and doctors said about different passages in Scripture. You can also look up passages in Magisterial documents (Papal encyclicals, Conciliar documents) as well as in other popular catechisms and commentaries.

Eighth, I’d mention blogs and podcasts like The Sacred Page (shameless plug!). In my opinion, there are not enough popular blogs and podcasts primarily devoted to Catholic Biblical theology! Here let me mention a few good ones, some of which are have slightly broader focus than simply Catholic Scripture study.

• Canterbury Tales - Dr. Taylor Marshall
• Catholic Hack - Joe McClane
• Speaking of Scripture - Mary Healy, Peter Williamson, and several others

Ninth, there are some great websites with mp3 files of Catholic Biblical Theology talks. Here I list my top three picks that offer material specifically on Catholic Biblical Theology:

• Saint Joseph’s Communications - Hosts many of Scott Hahn’s excellent Bible Studies (as well as audio sets recorded by myself and others).
• Catholic Productions - Hosts sets recorded by my friends Brant Pitre and John Bergsma.
• Catholic HD - This is a ground-breaking new site that you’ll be hearing a lot more about. It is sort of like Netflix for Catholics. It boasts an on-line streaming video library that you can have full access to for a monthly subscription. This library is second to none, including videos of talks by Scott Hahn, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, and many, many others.

Tenth, I am a huge believer in the value of Catholic Bible software programs. My absolute favorite is Logos Bible Software, which, though originally focused on Protestant audiences, now offers some incredible Catholic packages. You can search the Bible, get pictures, charts, graphs, language tools, commentaries—and much, much more!

Finally, I'd recommend enrolling in courses at JP Catholic. We offer certificate programs and a M.A. Program in Scripture. You can learn Hebrew and Greek. And you can do it all on-line through our state of the art eLearning program. There is nothing like a formal approach to study. You're already reading books and listening to podcasts—why not get some course credit for it? Check us out at JPCatholic.com!

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To stay on top of Michael's great work, be sure to subscribe to the The Sacred Page blog and podcast, and follow him on Twitter.

The Most Powerful Tool for Evangelism

Here's a new video by Fr. Barron that ranks as perhaps my all-time favorite. He asks a very important question: what's the best evangelistic tool that we have? Is it arguments? Ethics? Doctrines? Appeals to authority? No.

It's joy.

Joy is a lure that draws people to wonder about its source. When it's most charged and visible in some person, it both captivates and beguiles. And because of its strange attraction, it's perhaps the best argument for Christianity.

As St. Thomas Aquinas says, everyone ultimately wants joy. Sure we want truth, goodness, beauty, and meaning but only to the extent that they bring us joy. So if Christians want to present a compelling vision of the Christian life, it's joy they must offer and radiate.

Tonight on ABC: A Catholic Response to "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"

Tonight at 11:35pm ET, ABC's "Nightline" will be doing a story on the "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus" YouTube video. They'll be focusing on the original viral short, which has garnered more than 18-million views, but they'll also explore some of the responses--including a Catholic one that's received over 340,000 views itself.

The brilliant reply came from Fr. Claude Burns (aka Fr. Pontifex) and is titled "Why I Love Religion, And Love Jesus". It was filmed by Rob Kaczmark and his Spirit Juice Studios and if you haven't seen it, check it out here:



You might know Spirit Juice through their pro-life films, their epic video trailers, or their stunning design work. When it comes to film and design, they're perhaps the best example of compelling Catholic art. Their work shines not just because it's Catholic, but because it's first and foremost good art. It's as beautiful and creative as anything you'll find in the secular world.

If you have any design projects, consider Spirit Juice Studios. They helped create the Church and New Media book website and I can personally testify to their talent and professionalism. And be sure to keep tabs on their new work by following them on Facebook and Twitter.

Should authors have a blog?

Jon Acuff makes a great case that authors, and prospective authors, should have a blog:

Weekly Giveaway (02/03)

"Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others." - St. Augustine

Because I've built up a large collection of duplicate books and resources, each week I'm giving away one or more of these items, absolutely free, no strings attached.

You can enter anytime during the week for this week's giveaway, with a new one beginning each Friday. Check out a list of the past giveaways, go here.

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This week's giveaway is copy of Christopher West's brand new book, At the Heart of the Gospel: Reclaiming the Body for the New Evangelization (Image books, paperback, 304 pages). Below is a summary from the publisher:

"The sexual revolution brought a terribly distorted vision of the body and sex into the mainstream. How should Christians respond? With his illuminating Theology of the Body, Pope John Paul II challenged the modern world not to stop at the surface, but to enter the depth of the "great mystery" that the body and sex reveal: a mystery that lies at the heart of the Gospel itself.

Since he first discovered John Paul II’s teaching in 1993, Christopher West has devoted himself to sharing its life-transforming message with the world. In this highly anticipated work, West leads us into the depth of Christ’s "nuptial union" with the Church, demonstrating how authentic Catholic teaching on the body and sex saves us from both the libertine perspective of popular culture and the cold puritanism that has sometimes infected Christianity. In the process, West provides a blueprint for reaching our sexually broken world in the "new evangelization.""

Be sure to check out my review of the book and the video interview I did with Christopher.

In order to win this week's giveaway, leave a comment below answering this question:

Why would you like to read this book?

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The winning comments will be randomly selected on Friday morning using a random number generator, and the giveaway will be sent out, free-of-charge, shortly thereafter to the three winners.
In the future I'll be giving away many more books and resources--sometimes multiple items per giveaway. So check back next Friday!

Update: The drawing is closed for the week of Friday, February 3. Congratulations to Bridget A. for winning this week! Check your e-mail for instructions on receiving the book. If you don't see an e-mail from me, check your spam box--apparently e-mails with "giveaway" in the subject line often end up there.