Experiencing God in Cyberspace: The Role of ... · 1Amanda Jane Moseley, A Theology of...
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Scientia Bedista, Vol. 4, March 2017
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Experiencing God in Cyberspace: The Role of Cybertechnology
in Doing Theology
Joseph V. Macalanggan
Abstract
he power and the influence of information technology are ubiquitous. In the early 21st
century the use of the internet easily expanded from business to private and government institutions to the educational institutions particularly for library research. One can see
how the influence and role of information technology grew in the life of the people most
especially among the youth. The Church was initially worried about how this would affect the
faith of the people. Technology has seemingly become one of man’s basic needs. This has a great
implication in the field of theology. Tensions between the two have arisen due to the way in
which technology is often seen to replace or transform theology. The boundary between the
sacred and the secular has become increasingly blurred as technology1 influenced the domain of
theology. The advancement of technology and technology’s relevance for theologians are not
new phenomena,2 this journal article is basically for the purpose of presenting the role of
technology in doing theology. This article will explore how cybertechnology can be a means for
theological discussion and a tool to search for truth about God. In addition, it will also explore
if digital transcendence can truly happen in the cyberworld with a God who signs in and signs
out in cyberspace.
Keywords: God in the Cyberspace, Cybertheology,, Cybertranscendence, God Signing In, God Signing Out
s generous distributors of God’s manifold grace, put your gifts at the service of one another, each in the
measure he has received. The one who speaks is to deliver God’s message. The one who serves is to do
it with the strength provided by God. Thus, in all of you God is to be glorified through Jesus Christ,
(1Peter 4:10-11a). The 21st century Church had never failed in her duty to remind the faithful of their moral
obligation and responsibility to one another. She is supportive of the progress and development of the human
person generally including innovations, discoveries, and inventions that the faithful produce in various field of
learnings.
Among the wonderful technological discoveries which men of talent, especially in the present era,
have made with God's help, the Church welcomes and promotes with special interest those which
1Amanda Jane Moseley, A Theology of Interconnectivity: Buber, Dialogue and Cyberspace, submitted for the award of
Doctor of Philosophy, School of European Culture and Languages, University of Kent, 2015, PDF, p7
2 Joseph F. Duggan, Intersections Between Technologies and Religions: The Next Generation, Journal of Technology,
Theology and Religion,PDF 2, [email protected])
T
A
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have a most direct relation to men's minds and which have uncovered new avenues of
communicating most readily news, views and teachings of every sort. (1).3
Yet clearly like Peter, the Church always reminds her faithful that whatever progress and
development man can do, these gifts should be for the glory of God and placed at the service of others
i.e., for man’s good. We have to acknowledge that we are already living in the technological world, and
accept the fact that technology exerts considerable control over our way of life. Many people regardless
of their age know how to use and manipulate technological gadgets. David Lochhead in his address to
at the third CAMCON (Computer Applications for Ministry Conference), in Detroit, Michigan in May
1988, described the feeling of delight one could have when he is in possession of a computer. He alludes
to this experience as an attraction to the magic of the computer.4 Lochhead further describes the sense
of power 5 that a person can have in the use of technology. Whether we accept what Lochhead is saying
as truth or not, we who are living in this era of modern technology should be analytical and critical in
the use of technology. The Church always reminds us that all who, of their own free choice, make use
of these media of communications as readers, viewers or listeners have special moral obligations (9).6
She even reiterates the role of pastors on their obligations to remind the faithful that the use of social
media communication or any of these technologies should aide and further their salvation and perfection
as well as that of the entire human family (3).7 The Church would want to maximize the use of these
technological developments to further the plan of God in the Person of Jesus for the salvation of men.
The Church would feel guilty before the Lord if she did not utilize these powerful means that human
skill is daily rendering more perfect. It is through them that she proclaims 'from the housetops' the
message of which she is the depositary" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 45).8 What would be the better way but
to use these technologies as a tool to make the faithful encounter God. The Church by all means has the
moral responsibilities and duties to proclaim and announce the Good News of salvation. She is offered
3Pope Paul VI, Decree on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, solemnly promulgated by his Holiness on
December 4, 1963, PDF
4David Lochead, The Magical Computer, lectures given to SACEM Annual meeting, Fort Worth, TX, January 1997,
http://www.religion-research.org/lrtc /tdws.htm , PDF
5Ibid
6 Pope Paul VI, Decree on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, solemnly promulgated by his Holiness on
December 4, 1963, PDF
7Ibid
8 The Holy See, Message of the Holy Father John Paul II for the 24th World Communication Day, The Christian Message
in a Computer Culture, PDF, p3
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further means of fulfilling here mission9 also with the help of the media of social communication and to
instruct men in their proper use (3).10
Media of social communication has been part of the peoples lives especially in men’s social
dimension. It would be good if the Church could integrate theology and technology and help the faithful
encounter God in the use of cybertechnology. The Church’s traditional customs and rituals gradually
diminishing its appeal and taste among teenagers and young adults, that going to the Church to celebrate
Mass becomes functionary and obligatory rather than a real celebration with the Lord. If in any case we
find them participating in any religious processions or religious celebrations, it is for fun and to enjoy
the company of their friends rather than to enter into the spirit of the religious celebration. Countless
young men and women spend long periods of time in cyberspace. They even have more time browsing
in different websites and their social media accounts than time with their family, in the church, or in
prayer. Young people are readily adapting to the computer culture and its "language". This may surely
a cause for satisfaction11 such that young people are now so attached to it. Guest speaker Deacon Harold
Burke-Sivers, in his talk about God in the Wired World shared that children nowadays are becoming
more independent due to the influence of technology. According to him, teenagers don't want to be
taught anymore since they believe that they can do things by themselves. He says this is wrong because
technology can in fact enslave and frustrate them. He further added that such enslavement results in an
ignorance about reading body languages or signs. 12 There is the danger of a breakdown in real
communication.
Furthermore, it seems that the boundary between the sacred and the secular has become
increasingly blurred as technology has been viewed almost as a god itself. 13 As god, people believe that
technology can supply them with everything that they need, and people are unaware that they are being
controlled by technology. The spell that computers seem to cast on us14 is so strong that the hold it has
on us is too difficult to break particularly in its hold towards young men. But St. John Paul II sees hope
in young men, in fact in his message during the 24th World Day Communication and citing the encyclical
Communion et Progressio, encourages us to trust our young men. John Paul II reminds us that they have
the advantage of growing up with the new developments, and it will be their duty to employ these new
9Ibid p2
10Pope Paul VI, Decree on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, solemnly promulgated by his Holiness on
December 4, 1963, PDF
11 The Holy See, Message of the Holy Father John Paul II for the 24th World Communication Day, The Christian Message
in a Computer Culture, PDF, p3
12 Deacon, Harold Burke-Sivers, guest speaker on God in the Wired World, held on November 18, 2016, at Sylvia P. Lina
Theater, De La Salle Santiago Zobel School, Alabang
13 Amanda Jane Moseley, A Theology of Interconnectivity: Buber, Dialogue and Cyberspace, submitted for the award of
Doctor of Philosophy, School of European Culture and Languages, University of Kent, 2015, PDF, p7
14 David Lochead, The Magical Computer, lectures given to SACEM Annual meeting, Fort Worth, TX, January 1997,
http://www.religion-research.org/lrtc /tdws.htm , PDF
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instruments for a wider and more intense dialogue among the diverse races and classes who share this
"shrinking globe". It falls to them to search out ways in which the new systems of data conservation and
exchange can be used to assist in promoting greater universal justice, greater respect for human rights,
a healthy development for all individuals and peoples, and the freedoms essential for a fully human
life.15 However, this paper will argue that the use of technology still requires proper guidance and
supervision from parents and from the Church, because values and the exercise of virtues are learned
through human interaction.
Man’s fascination with the use of technology can be alluded to in the Old Testament event of the
Tower of Babel, where people were amazed with the result of their work. Blinded by their pride because
of their achievement, the people desired to reach heaven and replace God Himself. The Tower of Babel
in fact was a product of man’s ingenuity, and by the creation of the tower man was able to realize his
capacity for greatness. Nevertheless, man’s capacity for greatness does not make him independent from
God or equal to God. The danger of modern technology is that man may forget that although
technological development was a product of human hands, everything that men produce should be
enjoyed and benefited by all and used to glorify the Creator. Our fidelity to such a purpose makes us
worthy stewards of God’s gifts. The Church recognizes the danger of technology and is watchful of its
progress, because without proper guidance and the correct use of it, men can employ these media
contrary to the plan of the Creator and to their own loss (2).16 It would be a fatal error to consider
cyberspace, which is outside of reality, for more than what it is. At first sight men’s temptation to view
cyberspace as a real word is understandable, since we think and even rationalize this misconception will
not endanger us. However, in observing Internet use and the motivations guiding many users, we can
assess the enjoyment experienced in building up this false world and the intention of creating a new
cyber- Babel.17 The users’ power to manipulate and to create a false or real identity in the use of his
social media account is under his own control. He has the choice to deceive others or to be honest.
Creating a false identity can be a form of scapegoating from the painful reality the users are trying to
avoid, a self-defeating way of confronting his loneliness that can be intensified because he will be
content in isolating himself from others. With man’s capacity to create, he uses these machines to create
his own image. With the intimacy that exists between man and his creations, he is constantly being
recreated in the image of his creation.
We integrate our technologies into even the most spiritual dimensions of our lives. It is not only
our material environment that is transformed by our machinery. We take our technology into the deepest
recesses of our souls. Our view of reality, our structures of meaning, our sense of identity - all are
touched and transformed by the technologies which we have allowed to mediate between ourselves and
15 The Holy See, Message of the Holy Father John Paul II for the 24th World Communication Day, The Christian Message
in a Computer Culture, PDF, p3
16 Pope Paul VI, Decree on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, solemnly promulgated by his Holiness on
December 4, 1963, PDF
17Tamas Kodacsy, Virtual World and Virtual Theology in Cyberspace, this paper was prepared for Science and Religion:
Global Perspective, June 4-8, 2005, in Philadelphia PA, USA, a program of the Metanexus Institute (www.metanexus.net),
PDF,
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our world. We create machines in our own image and they, in turn, recreate us in theirs.18 For this reason
the Church especially its pastors should hasten, to fulfill their duty in this respect, one which is intimately
linked with their ordinary preaching responsibility. The laity, too, who have something to do with the
use of these media, and should endeavor to bear witness to Christ.19 Only in this way can we help each
other grow in our faith as we participate in the Church’s mission in bringing all closer to God.
God in the Cyberspace:
Since humans are by nature incapable of knowing God as God knows, if there is to be
communion between God and humanity, God must communicate through the structures of human
knowing, and everything known by humankind.20 Cyberspace is known to man and to be a product of
human hands, which in different aspects can also be used as a tool in encountering God. The Church
recognizes that as the wisdom and insights of past years teach us that God can speak to humanity
according to the culture proper to each age,21 and we undeniably recognize that we are now living at the
age of digital technology, which can be used by God to reveal his glory. With the right motivation and
guidance from the ministers of the Church and from the theologians, cybertechnology can be
transformed into an avenue where the person can experience and encounter God. The Church believes
and supports that the first proclamation, catechesis or the further deepening of faith cannot do without
the means of social communication, which could be enhanced with the advent of cyberspace. “The
Church would feel guilty before the Lord if she did not utilize these powerful means that human skill is
daily rendering more perfect. It is through them that she proclaims 'from the housetops' the message of
which she is the depositary" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 45).” 22 The powerful influence of social
communication can allow the person to encounter God in variety of ways. It is God who bestows upon
man intelligence. Humanity receives the vocation from God to recreate the universe23 and make it
according to the plan of God. In this sense, we can argue that the use of cybertechnology is part of God’s
mandate in Genesis for man to cooperate in perfecting creation24 and to allow each person to experience
18 David Lochhead, Theology in a Digital World, Technology and Interpretation: A Footnote to McLuhan, Copyright©
1991 David Lochead, PDF
19 Pope Paul VI, Decree on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, solemnly promulgated by his Holiness on
December 4, 1963, PDF
20 Paula Jean Miller, FSE, Technology and the Theology of Earthly Realities in M.D. Chenu, Chicago Studies Volume 40,
November 1, 2001, Liturgy Training Publications, 1800 North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago Illinois 60622-1101, Copyright
© 2001 Civitas Dei Foundation, p301
21The Holy See, Message of the Holy Father John Paul II for the 24th World Communication Day, The Christian Message
in a Computer Culture, PDF p2
22Ibid p3
23 Paula Jean Miller, FSE, Technology and the Theology of Earthly Realities in M.D. Chenu, Chicago Studies Volume 40,
November 1, 2001, Liturgy Training Publications, 1800 North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago Illinois 60622-1101, Copyright
© 2001 Civitas Dei Foundation, p303
24 Ibid 303
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in -made constructions the kingdom of God.25 On our own we do not have this capacity to divinize our
work, but since it was God who made us and called us to continue His work on earth, God in return
divinizes humanity and humankind humanizes creation.26 This is so that we will see how God works
and how he uses the works of human hands.
Work in fact is the meeting point between humanity and the universe, between spirit and matter,27
and by allowing ourselves to be used by God through the works of our hands, God himself is present as
He marvels in our work. For by the work of the social body, creation is humanized, and through the
work of grace the social body is divinized, it is then formed as the Body of Christ.28 This body must
work together with one goal: to help each member to grow in faith and build a community where
everyone is welcome and treated as an equal. We could do this if we feel and realize that we are
connected with each other though geographically we may be distant with others. This is where the
usefulness of cybertechnology comes in for it can bridge the distances between us. Although we are
employing virtual reality in our connectedness in the use of cyberspace, this is still beneficial because
we can still somehow express to another our utmost love and care.
In this regard, we can also argue and even propose that by the use of cybertechnology one can
share God to others using a variety of ways. Take Facebook for example. We can share to our friend’s
scriptural quotes that we think they need at that particular moment, or upload to their social media
account short Christian videos that will remind them of God’s love. I often hear from friends that it was
really timely when they received text messages from their friends who lighten up and brighten their day.
They needed a reminder in the midst of their distress how much they are loved and cared for, not only
by their friends, but by God Himself. In fact, I myself had experienced this and found the courage and
the assurance I needed to continue moving on despite my current difficulty.
With these scenarios, I would argue that, if we can uplift others in the use of our mobile phones,
how much spiritual growth or depth can we inspire if we only know how to maximize the use of social
media communication. The Catholic author Richard Rohr captures the shift in his description of spiritual
practices: One great idea of the biblical revelation is that God is manifest in the ordinary, in the actual,
in the daily, in the now, in the concrete incarnations of life, and not through purity codes and moral
achievement contests, which are seldom achieved anyway… We do not think ourselves into new ways
of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking… The most courageous thing we will ever do is
to bear humbly the mystery of our own reality.29 God is the God of possibilities. In fact, our faith would
tell us that He will do and would use everything just to reach out to us. Paula Jean Marie FSE, in her
25Ibid
26Ibid
27Ibid
28Ibid 305
29 Philip Clayton, Theology and the Church After Google, The Princeton Theological Review, Volume XVII, No. 2, Issue
43, Fall 2010, www.princetontheologicalreview.org PDF
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article told us about the significance of incarnation. According to her the incarnation continues to all the
corners of the earth, through all the advances of humanity’s continuing acts of co-creation.30 The
creation of social communication offers people access to literature, drama, music, and art otherwise
unavailable to them, and so promote human development in respect to knowledge and wisdom and
beauty. We speak not only of presentations of classic works and the fruits of scholarship, but also of
wholesome popular entertainment and useful information that draw families together, help people solve
everyday problems, raise the spirits of the sick, shut-ins, and the elderly, and relieve the tedium of life
(9).31 One of the main uses of social media is to inspire as well as to promote the well-being of others.
But if social media can promote human development, then it follows that the use of cybertechnology
can also nourish the spiritual growth and development of the person as well as his relationship with God.
Before the advent of internet and the social media, we had already maximized the use of broadcasting,
telephones even telegraphies in transmitting the word of God, and this had reached countless people in
different places converting many towards belief in God. Cyberspace gives us an impression that God
can be present there. God will also use technology to reveal his glory. Besides, the Gospel of John
reminds us that it is in the nature of man to always seek truth. Jesus saw them following him and said to
them ‘what are you looking for?’ and they reply, “Rabbi, where are you staying? And He replied, Come
and See.’ Like the disciples who walked beside the sea of Galilee, we can be fearless in our searching
and asking Jesus the question.32 They seek and searched for the truth, and once they found Him they
grabbed the opportunity to discover and experience the truth about Him. Jesus certainly allowed them
to encounter and experience God in His person. The Jesus encounter enabled the two to become the
faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ, and even became His disciples who before Jesus ascended into heaven,
received the command to preach the good news to all people. God’s creative power can be revealed in
the cyberculture as its redeeming power is revealed in the person of Jesus.33
Cybertheology
"Cyberspace which is the result of internet has created a revolution in the field of communication
shriveling the concept of global village."34 This is visible in the use of internet websites, social media accounts,
emails and other network sites and blogs which makes communication easier and possible. Geographical distance
is not anymore, a problem in dealing with the use of social communication. We can argue from this point of view
that since the first mission of the Church is the proclamation of the good news of the kingdom of God in the
30 Paula Jean Miller, FSE, Technology and the Theology of Earthly Realities in M.D. Chenu, Chicago Studies Volume 40,
November 1, 2001, Liturgy Training Publications, 1800 North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago Illinois 60622-1101, Copyright
© 2001 Civitas Dei Foundation, p306
31 Pontifical Council for Social Communication, Ethics in Communication, PDF
32 Dr. Lavinia Byrne, God in Cyberspace, Media and Theology Project Public Lecture, 2000, PDF
33 David Scott, Christian Faith and the Cyberculture, http://www.religion-research.org/irtc/newsltr/scott.html
34Theology of Cyberspace, Theological Significance of Cyberspace, Live the Fullness of Life,
http://joshysj.blogspot.com/p/theology-of-cyberspace.html, p2
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person of Jesus Christ, the use of internet and cyberspace35 is truly essential to the mission of the Church to
become an effective communicator of that good news. Since God had endowed men the gift of intelligence and
the capability for growth and development, we can surmise that this man-made creation─as the Church also
teaches us─is not only a product of human genius but also great gifts of God and true signs of the times.36 The
Scriptures clearly tells us that God communicates His intention when He created the world when He said.'Let
there be light, and there was light,' (Gen, 1: 3). The entire creation was made possible because God communicates
through Word, and the fullness of God's communication and revelation was fully revealed when the Word became
flesh and lived among us (John 1: 14). Everything that God created He blessed and declared them good: 'God saw
all that He made, and behold, it was very good' (Gen, 1:31). The coming of the Word did not only cause a
revolution in the world, for by the coming of the Word who is God and who revealed Himself to us in the person
of Jesus, saved the entire creation. This was made possible because God communicates His intention to us. "In
many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these days He has spoken to us by
a Son (Heb 1:1-2). Indeed, all human communication is grounded in the communication among the Father, Son,
and the Spirit.37
The advent of internet which is helping bring about revolutionary changes38 especially in our society,
culture and tradition also affects the faith dimension of the people and their own perception of God and theology.
The Church must help and guide the users of social media communication in the exercise of prudence, right and
moral judgment in the use of the media of social communication. The internet can be used for many good reasons
but it can also be potentially harmful if it is not used properly and rightly. One of the good uses of internet in
theology is the spreading of the word of God in the use of cyberspace. Here we can see how relevant the internet
is in the mission of Church for evangelization, as well as for activities and programs that will help Her faithful
grow in their faith and their understanding of God. In the use of cybertechnology the Church can easily and more
quickly propagate the new evangelization and the traditional missionary work Ad Gentes, catechesis and other
kinds of education, news information, apologetics, governance and administration and some forms of pastoral
counseling and spiritual direction.39 The church encyclical Inter Mirifica on the decree on the media of social
communication, teaches us clearly that the Church since it was founded by Christ our Lord to bear salvation to
all men and thus is obliged to preach the Gospel, considers it one of its duties to announce the Good News of
salvation also with the help of the media of social communication and to instruct men in their proper use (Inter
Mirifica #3). The Church in communicating her message to her faithful in the use of cybertechnology, must be
faithful and fully conscious on the nature of what is communicated,40 for if not the faithful may not only benefit
35 Ibid p4
36 Pope Paul VI, Decree on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, solemnly promulgated by Holiness on
December 4, 1963, PDF
37 Pope Paul VI, Decree on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, solemnly promulgated by Holiness
on December 4, 1963, PDF
38 Theology of Cyberspace, Theological Significance of Cyberspace, Live the Fullness of Life,
http://joshysj.blogspot.com/p/theology-of-cyberspace.html, p4
39 Ibid
40 Pope Paul VI, Decree on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, solemnly promulgated by Holiness
on December 4, 1963, PDF
Scientia Bedista, Vol. 4, March 2017
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from what is communicated but can also be possibly misled given the special character of each of these media.41
Pastoral care is still needed when the Church employs the use of this modern technology.
There are some Catholic priests who create their own social media accounts or blogs and websites,
making their homilies and theological reflections available to all yet they must be conscious of the pastoral needs
and concerns in order to make good use of cyberspace.42 By doing this, the Church enriches peoples' lives and
faith and even bring others back to the Church especially those who are no longer active, those who have lost
their faith and confidence, as well as those who have turned their backs on the church entirely. We cannot deny
the great influence of the social media on the lives of the people today, and by using this technology in teaching
and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, many people’s lives will be greatly enriched.43 For the use of social
media of communication can carry news and information about religious events, ideas, and personalities; they
serve as vehicles for evangelization and catechesis. Day in and day out, they provide inspiration, encouragement,
and opportunities for worship especially to persons confined to their homes or institutions. 44 Most people
nowadays spend most of their time in the internet with their computer and other technological gadgets like iPad,
Tablet, mobile phones, rather than to spend their time with their families. We see children, teenagers and even
adults who are too much attached and dependent on the use of their gadgets and mobile phones. They become too
preoccupied with the use of these gadgets that they don't bother to care about each other as family members, as
friends, and as neighbors anymore.
In this era of computer and technology, we can ask ourselves, where does God fit in this and what is the
use and relevance of theology on this computer age? Dr. Lavinia Byrne in her lecture article, "God in Cyberspace"
suggested an answer to this question. She believed that man has the capacity to evaluate and assess human
progress without endangering our humanity and our relationship with God. According to her, we have a template
for evaluating them and their influence. We are able to judge them because we can assess their capacity to respect
personhood, relationship, our faith, and true encounter of God in our community.45 Building our community is
vital for personal growth and development, and one of the best ways for establishing and building a community
is through evangelization. Evangelization should endeavor to deepen the people's understanding of what they see,
hear and read46 especially in their use of social media communication and cyberspace.
There ae many ways to evangelize. This question of "how to evangelize" is permanently relevant, because
the methods of evangelizing vary according to the different circumstances of time, place and culture, and because
41 Ibid
42 Theology of Cyberspace, Theological Significance of Cyberspace, Live the Fullness of Life,
http://joshysj.blogspot.com/p/theology-of-cyberspace.html, p6
43 Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Ethics in Communication,
44 Ibid (#11)
45 Dr. Lavinia Byrne, God in Cyberspace, Media and Theology Project Public Lecture, 2000, PDF
46 Pope Paul VI, Decree on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, solemnly promulgated by his Holiness on
December 4, 1963, PDF
Scientia Bedista, Vol. 4, March 2017
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they thereby present a certain challenge to our capacity for discovery and adaptation (Evangelii Nuntiandi #40).47
The use of internet does not only evolve in military strategic planning, stereotypical pornographic and commercial
sites, there are religious documents, gospel homilies and theological reflections which are now made available
through the use of different websites, just as forms of religious worship and practice can be done or participated
in the use of internet.48 As we see it now, cybertechnology can further the cause of theology in propagating,
transmitting, communicating as well as educating the people of God as we move into this new cybernetic era of
computer-based communication.49 Ken Bedell in his article, "Technology and Theological Education" believes
that most theological educators continue to have their own faith deepened and developed in the environments of
books and print culture.50 I would argue that there is no difference between the use of cybertechnology and print
books, for as long as the person is open-minded and willing to be formed and guided. There is always a possibility
for this person to grow in his faith. For if the print books of the famous spiritual sages can guide a person to self-
introspection and to God Himself, the use of cybertechnology in theology can also achieve the same, because the
media of social communication are not neutral or passive conduit. 51 Antonio Spadaro in his famous book
"Cybertheology: Thinking about Christianity in the Era of the Net," also expressed his beliefs that if Christians
reflect on the net, it is not only to learn to use it well, but because they are called to help humanity and to
understand the profound significance of the web in God's project, not as an instrument to use, but as an ambience
to inhabit. 52
Cybertranscendence
In his article entitled Living in Virtual Un/Reality, David Lochhead invites his reader to have a feel by
imagining God as a computer programmer. We all know what a computer programmer can do, but in the words
of Lochhead he described a programmer as one who creates worlds in the computer by programming. The
programmer types and it happens, bringing worlds into being ex nihilo – out of nothing.53 Using the story of
47 Apostlolic Exhortation of His Holiness Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, to the Episcopate, to the Clergy and to all the
Faithful of the Entire World, PDF
48 Sara Johnson, Religion and the Internet, The Techno-Spiritual in Cyberspace, University of Matinoba,
http://www.umatinoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/courses/478/religion.html
49 Wes Avram, Connecting with a Theology of Technology, Copyright © 2016 Yale University, publication of Yale
Divinity School, http://reflections.yale.edu/article/ibelieve-facing-new-media-explosion/connecting-theology-technology
50 Ken Bedell, Technology and Theological Education, presented to School of Theology and Ministry, Seattle University,
http://hirr.hartsem.edu/research/religion_web_links.html
51 Lorne L. Dawson, Cyberspace and Religious Life: Conceptualizing the Concerns and Consequences, a paper
presented at the 2001 International Conference in London. CESNUR Center for Studies on New Religions, April 19-
22, 2001, http://www.cesnur.org/2001/london2001/dawson.html
52 Antonio Spadaro SJ, Cybertheology: thinking about Christianity in the era of the net, a book review written by
Maria Way (researcher on Media and Religion, London) and published on Communication Research Trends, Vol. 31
(2012) no. 3, pp. 37-41, http://www.cyberteologia.it/2012/10/cybertheology-thinking-about-christianity-in-the-era-
of-the-net/
53David Lochhead, Living in Virtual Un/Reality, published in Journal of Theology, Dayton: United Theological
Seminary, Copyright © 1995 David Lochead
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creation in the book of Genesis, Lochhead associated God with a programmer. Let us think of God as a divine
computer programmer sitting at a keyboard. God types “Light” and light happens. God types “separate light from
darkness and it happens. And as the divine computer program is run, light happens, water happens, dry land
happens, vegetation happens, animals happen, humanity happens.54 The Catholic teaching on creation in the book
of Genesis tells us that God creates through the Word that he utters, but this is not just a simple word as our human
understanding knows it. The Word that God uttered is Jesus, who according to St. John the Evangelist, is the
Word who became flesh and made His dwelling among us. Humanity was transformed because God has made
His dwelling among us. The people concretely experienced transcendence because God had manifested Himself
and made Himself known in the person of Jesus. Besides everything was created because of Jesus Christ.
Everything that was created owes its existence to the person of Jesus. Lochhead’s analogy between the creation
story of Genesis 1 and God as a computer programmer is not then so farfetched,55 because Lochhead believed
that reality happens in response to the word of God.56
Lochhead proposes that the use of cyberspace as a tool in search for God, can indeed facilitate an
experience of or encounter with God for as Barth himself puts it God is able, able to do everything; everything
that is, which as His possibility is a real possibility. God has possibilities - all the possibilities which, as the
confirmation and manifestation of His being, are true possibilities.57
The Angelic Doctor St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us that we can experience and encounter God first and
foremost in His creation. In reflecting upon and contemplating the beauty of creation one can experience the
presence of God, and with the help of divine grace one can reach the level of transcendence. An SVD priest Fr.
Anthony de Luc in his article entitled, “Cybertheology: Theologizing in the Digital Age”, believes that any
theological exercise has to begin first and foremost with reflecting on one’s search for and perception of God.58
Clearly, as a tool and medium for contemplation and meditation, cybertechnology can help a person find God
especially if his intention is clear and his search for God is pure. De Luc also explains that the new context on
immaterial digits of ones and zeroes may give a person important insights on his relationship with God, with his
fellow human beings and with his natural environment.59
Transcendence requires interconnectedness with ourselves, with God and our neighbor. The parable of
the rich man and the poor Lazarus is a concrete teaching of Jesus on the necessity of getting ourselves involved
in the lives of our neighbor, that we should not be indifferent to their needs. Jesus himself told us that we can
encounter him in the least of our brothers and sisters, for whatever we do to our brothers and sisters we do it to
him. The popular musical play Les Mesirables also carries with it the core message of the gospel, for as Jean
54 Ibid
55Ibid
56Ibid
57 David Lochhead, The Magical Computer, address to the third CAMCON, Detroit, MI, May 1998, Copyright © David
Lochhead, 1995
58 St. Joseph Freinademetz Communication Center, Inc, Communicators reflect on the Gospel in Digital Society, a review
by Vince Henry M. Salles, http://www.freinademetzcenter.org/index.php/news-and-information/news/133-communicators-
reflect-on-the-gospel-in-digital-society
59 Ibid
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Valjean sings his last song, he speaks of the call of Jesus to get involved in the lives of others, for to love another
person is to see the face of God. Cyberspace can be a tool a medium where we can help each other in our search
for God, quoting the words of Singh, Fr. De Luc also believes that the digital world provides a metaphor for God’s
presence and ways of imagining things in a new sense of time and space where digits inform our situation.60
The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that ‘Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways
by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, (Hebrew 1: 1-2), and in this digital world
where we are living right now, God would also use it to His advantage just to reach out to us even to meet us in
cyberspace. De Luc, by quoting the words of Lavinia Byrne says, if this digital world is so accessible to our
computers, then why not a spiritual equivalent? 61 But I believe that meeting God in cyberspace requires a
readiness for interconnectedness with one’s neighbor, a total involvement and a commitment to meet people
outside cyberspace because that is where he can concretely experience the real presence of God. Again as Fr. De
Luc said, the emotional and spiritual connections between individuals mediated by the digital environment must
be supplemented, concretized, and realized to their fullest expression in embodied manifestations in the physical
world.62 Clearly, cyberspace can be used as a tool and means for experiencing the transcendental God as well to
experience authentic transcendence, and should not be its end, because God is the God of the living who by the
mystery of His incarnation, had commune and manifest Himself to us in Jesus who is a human person.
God Signing In, God Signing Out
David Lochhead, in his article the Magical Computer which he addressed at CAMCON (Computer
Applications for Ministry Conference), at Detroit, MI, in May 1998 begins with a question, ‘Does God love
Computers?63 This question reminds me of the 2003 movie entitled Bruce the Almighty where God (played by
Jim Carrey), uses the computer to answer all the prayers and petitions that were addressed to him. But can God
actually use computers when he wants to address and know our prayers and petitions? Does God also sign in or
sign out? For the Christian believers, we may find it hard and difficult or even ridiculous to accept and belief that
God also signs in or signs out because this will limit his capacity as an all knowing and powerful God. But He is
God. As human beings, can we fathom the depth of His mind and understand His ways? Our faith in God even
tells us that He can make crooked ways straight, and rough roads smooth. Jesus even tells us that we had faith the
size of a mustard seed, we can experience and work wonders.
Everything starts with communication, from the moment when He called out Abraham and revealed
himself to the patriarchs and the prophets of Israel, God gradually according to the needs of that time,
communicated His very intention and plan for His people. Wonderfully God communicates Himself in the person
of Jesus. The mystery of incarnation tells us that God who is invisible made himself visible; He emptied himself
and took the likeness of men. In choosing to communicate to us, God analogously logged himself into the world
and as the Word made flesh, communicated the will of His Father for our salvation. While he was on earth Christ
60Ibid
61Ibid
62Ibid
63 David Lochhead, The Magical Computer, address to the third CAMCON, Detroit, MI, May 1998, Copyright ©
David Lochhead, 1995
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revealed himself as the perfect communicator. Through his incarnation, he utterly identified himself with those
who were to receive his communication, and he gave his message not only in words but in the whole manner of
his life. He spoke from within, that is to say, from out of the press of his people. He preached the divine message
without fear or compromise. He adjusted to his people's way of talking and to their patterns of thought. And he
spoke out of the predicament of their time" (Communio et Progressio, 11).64
Saint John Paul II, reiterates this in his message on the 24th World Communication Day when he said,
God has spoken to humanity according to the culture proper to each age. Citing the encyclical Communio et
Progressio, the pope even explains further that in the new computer culture, the Church can more readily inform
the world of Her beliefs and explain the reasons for Her stance on any given issue or event. She can hear more
clearly the voice of public opinion, and enter into a continuous discussion with the world around her, thus
involving herself more immediately in the common search for solutions to humanity’s many pressing problems.
Is this not the will and the reason why God chose to log himself in to our world, and by communicating his very
self, God sought to aide men in their endeavor, and helped them find the truth while they seek Him from their
hearts. As the Church teaches, preaches and protects the deposit of faith which God has entrusted to her for the
salvation of the world, saint John Paul II also exalts the advent of technology, he further says that:
We must surely be grateful for the new technology which enables us to store information in vast mad-
made artificial memories, thus providing wide and instant access to the knowledge which is our human heritage,
to the Church’s teaching and tradition, the words of Sacred Scripture, the counsels of the great masters of
spirituality, the history and traditions of the local churches, of Religious Orders and lay institutes, and to the
ideas and experiences of initiators and innovators whose insights bears constant witness to the faithful presence
in our midst of a loving Father who brings out of his treasure new things and old (cf. Mt 13-52).
Similarly, Philip Clayton in his article “Theology and the Church After Google”, citing the Catholic
author Richard Rohr says:
One great idea of the biblical revelation is that God is manifested in the ordinary, in the actual, in the
daily, in the now, in the concrete incarnations of life, and not through the purity codes and moral achievement
contests, which are seldom achieved anyway… We do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live
ourselves into new ways of thinking… The most courageous thing we will ever do is to bear humbly the mystery
of our own reality.
Our understanding of the God who logs in is governed in a context that we are living in the digital age.
Clayton also concluded that theology after Google is guided by our present context: situation, audience and social
and cultural environment.65 By signing in, God desires to establish and restore our relationship with him, and so
64 Decree on the Media of Social Communication, Inter Mirifica, Solemnly Promulgated by His Holiness Paul VI on
December 4, 1963, PDF
65 Philip Clayton, Theology and the Church After Google, The Princeton Theological Review, Volume XVII, No. 2, 2010,
Issue 43, Copyright reprinted from the Princeton Theological Review
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every time men seek God in the use of cybertechnology, I believe that it is the Holy Spirit that impels the hearts
of men to seek him.
But will still God communicate even if He logs out or signs out? Fr. Anh Vu Ta also states “the reality
is, however, that God can be found offline because ‘we are not created digitally, we do not live digital, and we do
not die digital.’ He says that God wishes to arrive and dwell in men’s hearts, and that is analogue, though the
digital can be a way to it.”66
Jesus, in the gospel according to John said, ‘And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another
advocate, to be with you forever, (Jn14:16). Understanding the words of Jesus clearly tells us that He neither left
us orphans, nor stopped communicating with us even after He ascended to heaven or sort of “logged out.”.
Evidently and conspicuously God speaks to us every day through the Church whom He commanded to go into
the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation (Mark16:15). Evangelizing is in fact the grace and
vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and
teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in
the Mass, which is the memorial of His death and glorious resurrection (Evangelii Nuntiandi #14).67 The psalmist
clearly tells us that ‘Our God never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4). Would not the whole of creation cease to
exist if God would stop communicating with us?
For the Church, evangelizing means bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through
its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new: "Now I am making the whole of creation
new," (Evangelii Nuntiandi #18). And living in the digital age also means utilizing the use of social media
communication in making the presence of God and the good news of salvation known, especially on those who
are seeking God in cyberspace in the pureness of their heart. The Church's approach to the means of social
communication is fundamentally positive and encouraging. She does not simply stand in judgment and condemn;
rather, she considers these instruments to be not only products of human genius but also great gifts of God and
true signs of the times (cf. Inter Mirifica, 1; Evangelii Nuntiandi, 45; Redemptoris Missio, 37)68 in which I
personally believe that God would use to His own advantage.
Conclusion:
Treating cyberspace as a gift of God, it provides a providential opportunity to reach people everywhere,
overcoming barriers of time, of space and of language; presenting the content of faith in the most varied ways
imaginable; and offering to all who search the possibility of entering into dialogue with the mystery of God
66St. Joseph Freinademetz Communication Center, Inc, Communicators reflect on the Gospel in Digital Society, a review
by Vince Henry M. Salles, http://www.freinademetzcenter.org/index.php/news-and-information/news/133-communicators-
reflect-on-the-gospel-in-digital-society
67 Evangelii Nuntiandi, Apostolic Exhortation of His Holiness Pope Paul VII, to the Episcopate, to the Clergy and to all the
Faithful of the Entire World, PDF
68 Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Ethics in Communications, PDF
Scientia Bedista, Vol. 4, March 2017
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revealed fully in Christ Jesus.69 Cyberspace can give us a lot of opportunities like inspiration and encouragement,
as it can also be a vehicle for evangelization and catechesis, and opportunities for worship especially to those who
are confined in their homes. Although we cannot deny the effect and the influence of technology which is
conspicuously seeping in the veins of our culture and way of life, it also affects our relationship and the way we
interact and communicate with one another. Theological views and the faith dimensions of many people especially
the young are also greatly affected. But the struggle continues between theology and technology, although as we
have seen in the Church Encyclical Inter Mirifica, that the Church herself is very supportive and thus recognizes
the great values of the coming of technology. The Church recognizes that these media, if properly utilized, can
be of great service to mankind, since they greatly contribute to men's entertainment and instruction as well as to
the spread and support of the Kingdom of God.70 However, there is also a danger that when this technology is not
properly used and utilized that can also cause a great harm to people and society. Repetitively the events on the
Tower of Babel can positively happen in cyberBabel if we humans are not careful in using technology contrary
to the plan of God71 for us.
Cybertechnology today is so functional that anywhere you go, you see people who are engrossed in using
technologies and internet that are available to them. Cyberspace connects us with one another, it enriches not only
our communication but also establishes interaction and thus builds relationship. Saint John Paul II compared
cyberspace to the ancient Roman public forum “where politics and business were transacted, where religious
duties were fulfilled, where much of the social life of the city took place, and where the best and the worst of
human nature was on display. Theologically, cyberspace can be a venue where theological discussion is possible
and the search for God can also happen since one aspects of theology is communication. For when we attempt to
theologize in cyberspace, we are examining various aspects of communication theology, as cyberspace is
essentially communication.72
Moreover, cyberspace as communication can never be possible without the Triune God, for the internet
and the other forms of communication find their starting point in the communion of love among the divine Persons
and their communication with us, and in the realization that Trinitarian communication reaches out to humankind. 73 The God who signs is encountered in human inter-actions as it transcends boundaries and establish relationship
where we help each other, for as Jesus himself said, whatever you do to the least of my brothers you do it for me.
However, the presence of God whenever he signs out still pervades and continues to manifest in our lives, the
mystery of God’s incarnation is a proof that God became man and lived among us. Although cyberspace can be
used as a tool, but there are other aspects that the cyberspace cannot replaced like the celebration of the sacraments
especially the Eucharist, where we make present the presence the life, passion, suffering, death and resurrection
69 Live the Fullness of Life, Theology of Cyberspace, Theological Significance of Cyberspace,
http://joshysj.blogspot.com/p/theology-of-cyberspace.html
70 Pope Paul VI, Decree on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, solemnly promulgated by Holiness on
December 4, 1963, PDF
71 Ibid
72 Live the Fullness of Life, Theology of Cyberspace, Theological Significance of Cyberspace,
http://joshysj.blogspot.com/p/theology-of-cyberspace.html
73Ibid
Scientia Bedista, Vol. 4, March 2017
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of Jesus. Just as what Fr. Vu says that God wishes to arrive and dwell in men’s heart, and that is analogue, though
the digital can be a way of it.74
Bibliographies:
Antonio Spadaro S.J, Cybertheology: Thinking about the Christianity in the era of the Net, Book Review,
published on Communication Research Trends, Vol. 31 (2012) n0.3, pp37-41,
http://www.cyberteologia.it/2012/10/cybertheology-thinking-about-Christianity-in-the-era-of-the-net/
December 2, 2016
Decree on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica, Solemnly Promulgated by His Holiness Pope
Paul VI, on December 4, 1963. PDF www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_council/documents/vats-
ii_decree_19631204_inter-mirifica_en.html, November 10, 2016
Dr. Lavinia Byrne, God in Cyberspace, Media and Theology Project Public Lectures,
www.ed.ac.uk/files/imports/fileManager/god%20in%20cyberspace, pdf, December 5, 2016
Live in the Fullness of Life, Theology of Cyberspace, Theological Significance of Cyberspace,
http://joshysj.blogspot.com/p/theology-of-Cyberspace.html
Marshall McCluhan, The Medium is the Message, Chapter 1, From Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
by Marshal McLuhan © 1964
Philip Clayton, Theology and the Church After Google, The Princeton Theological Review, Volume XVII, No.2,
Fall 2010, Issue 43, Copyright © 2010
Pontifical Council for Social Coomunications, Ethics in Communication,
www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_20000530_ethics-
communication_en.html
Pontificium Concilium De Communicationibus Socialibus, Pastoral Instruction, Aetatis Novae, On Social
Communications on the Twentieth Anniversary of Communio et Progressio,
www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_22021992_aetatis_e
n.html
74 St. Joseph Freinademetz Communication Center, Inc, Communicators reflect on the Gospel in Digital Society, a
review by Vince Henry M. Salles, http://www.freinademetzcenter.org/index.php/news-and-information/news/133-
communicators-reflect-on-the-gospel-in-digital-society
Scientia Bedista, Vol. 4, March 2017
125
Apostolic Letter, Novo Millenio Ineunte, of His Holiness Pope Joh Paul II to the Bishops Clergy and Lay Faithful,
at the Close of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, w2.vatican.va/content/john-
paulii/en/apost_letters/2001/documents/hf_jpii_apl_20010106_novo-millennia-invented.html
Tamar's Kodacsy, Virtual World and Virtual Theology in Cyberspace, this paper was prepared for “Science and
Religion: Global Perspective”, June 4-8, 2005, in Philadelphia, PA, USA, a program of the Metanexus
Institute (www.metanexus.net)
David Lochhead, Theology in a Digital World: The Sequel, is a collection of essays and lectures dating from 1984
to 1987. It was published by the United Church Publishing House and can be obtained through that source.
Published here as Web documents are subsequent reflections on technology from a theological
perspective. All of these are copyright © David Lochhead, 1995
The Magical Computer, Address to the third CAMCON (Computer Applications for Minsitry Conference),
Detroit, MI, May 1998
Have You Hugged Your Computer Today? Address to the Religious Communications Conference, Nashville, TN,
April 1990
A Software World, What are the consequence when software defines reality? This essay was prepared for
presentation at a church related computer in 1991, but was never presented after the event was cancelled.
Theology and Interpretation: A Footnote to McLuhan, an exploration of the impact of electronic text on
hermeneutics. I argue that electronic text processing undermines the stability of meaning that associated
with the printed word. This essay was first published in the Journal of Theology. Dayton: United
Theological Seminary, 1994
Paul A. Soukup, SJ, Francis J. Buckley, S.J, David C. Robinson, S.J, The Influence of Information Technologies
on Theology, Theological Studies 62 (2001)
Joseph F. Duggan, Intersections Between Technologies and Religions, The Next Generation, Journal of
Technology, Theologyand Religion,
James Costen, Faith Exhibit in Religion and in Technology, 2007
Stephen Petrina, Franc Feng, On Technology and the Sacred: Exploring Technology and Spirituality, University
of British Columbia
Yvette Dergue and James R. Harrison, Teaching Theology in a Technological Age, first published 2015,
Cambridge Scholars Publishing,