1.2J03 - Technically Christian: The Internet and Christianity

Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg

January Term 2003

Mark Vitalis Hoffman

Rationale

One survey of the Internet indicated that the number of sites related to Christian concerns are exceeded only by sites featuring pornography or gambling. Will the Internet do for (post-) modern Christianity what Gutenberg and the printing press did for the Reformation? Can the Internet be an effective tool for Christian communication, research, evangelism, or community formation? This course will require students to reflect on the nature of the Internet and its relationship to Christianity. We will survey how Christian individuals and organizations are using the Internet now and try to envision the potential good or harm Christians can make of the Internet in the future. While we will be interested in discovering what content is available and learning how to find it, this class will be more focused on how to make discernment about what is good and useful, and how we evaluate its cost (measured in terms of money, time, and personal involvement) and effectiveness.

Objectives

This course will expect that students:

Strategy

The class will include a variety of learning media including lectures, readings, presentations, and online participation. Students will be expected to have access to an Internet connection (preferably a high-speed connection) and at least some familiarity with surfing the Internet. The readings and lectures will raise the issues to be considered and provide the basis for discussion. The teacher-led presentations will both contribute to the content of the course as well as model the kind of presentations expected from the students.

Evaluation

There will be four elements of evaluation for this course.

Class Schedule

Class meets:     January 13: 1:00-3:00pm

                        January 14-17: 9:30-11:30am and 1:00-3:00pm

                        On Wednesday, January 15, the afternoon session will be from 1:30-3:30pm at the Gettysburg College Science Building, Room 200 for a video conference with Quentin J. Schultze and his class at Calvin College in Michigan

The class schedule will be posted online at: http://www.ltsg.edu/sem/faculty/work/hoffman/techxn/index.htm

Primary Bibliography / Required Texts:

Secondary Bibliography: