Spiritual Formation Archives

Digital Communion: History, Theology, and Practices

By John Dyer on March 23, 2020April 21, 2020

Part 2: Digital Baptism The Digital Church in the Age of Corona The novel coronavirus pandemic has sparked a flood of creative uses of technology to maintain relationship while stayingContinue readingDigital Communion: History, Theology, and Practices

Declining Religion in America? There’s an App for That

By John Dyer on May 14, 2015March 5, 2020

Image: Hugh McLeod – http://www.gapingvoid.com/ This week, the Pew Research Center released a sweeping study tracking the precipitous decline in religious affiliation in the US since 2007. While commentators are debatingContinue readingDeclining Religion in America? There’s an App for That

A Technology Fast from Everything Except the Internet

By John Dyer on August 14, 2014March 5, 2020

A few months ago, I moved my family from hot and sunny North Texas to cold and rainy northern England so I could start a PhD on digital Bible use.Continue readingA Technology Fast from Everything *Except* the Internet

The Texture of Screens Amidst Communities of Faith: 3 Outstanding Issues with Smartphones in Church

By John Dyer on March 19, 2012March 5, 2020

Devices in the Pews As more people make the move from regular cell phones to smart phones and tablets, many want to use the “smart” features during worship services toContinue readingThe Texture of Screens Amidst Communities of Faith: 3 Outstanding Issues with Smartphones in Church

Someone on the Internet Is Wrong: The 10 Stages of a Christian Internet Controversy

By John Dyer on February 17, 2012March 5, 2020

Has it really been almost a year since Rob Bell’s Love Wins trailer? When the social media backlash began, I noticed that the responses to Bell were nearly identical to whatContinue readingSomeone on the Internet Is Wrong: The 10 Stages of a Christian Internet Controversy

PhoneStack: Next Time We Meet, Let’s Do This

By John Dyer on January 13, 2012March 5, 2020

Tech history professor David Stearns pointed out a post on Kempt magazine about a new idea for social gatherings called PhoneStack. It works like this: as you arrive, each person places theirContinue readingPhoneStack: Next Time We Meet, Let’s Do This

Why You and I Could Not Write the Book of Revelation

By John Dyer on September 2, 2011March 5, 2020

Dictation vs. Inspiration Have you ever wondered if God could use you to write Scripture? Sure, we might say, God can do anything and use anyone. It didn’t have to beContinue readingWhy You and I Could Not Write the Book of Revelation

How Technology Changed the Book of Common Prayer

By John Dyer on July 11, 2011March 5, 2020

The first chapter of Brad J. Kallenberg’s excellent book God and Gadgets opens with the following passage from the 1790 version of the Book of Common Prayer. He tells the readerContinue readingHow Technology Changed the Book of Common Prayer

This Lent: What is the Perlocutionary Effect of Your Twitter Feed?

By John Dyer on March 7, 2011March 5, 2020

Beyond Facts Take a look at these two sentences Those two people are married. And I now pronounce you man and wife. Think for a minute – what’s the differenceContinue readingThis Lent: What is the Perlocutionary Effect of Your Twitter Feed?

I Marginalize My Father Through Technology

By John Dyer on November 22, 2010March 5, 2020

I have not sent an email to my dad in more than 6 years. We’re not facebook friends, he doesn’t follow me on twitter, and he doesn’t get updates aboutContinue readingI Marginalize My Father Through Technology

Category: Spiritual Formation