Always On: Practicing Faith in a New Media Landscape

by Angela Williams Gorrell

Overview

2020 Book of the Year Award, Academy of Parish Clergy

Many of us are "always on"—scrolling through social media, checking email, or searching the web. New media spaces can be sites and instruments of God's unconditional love, but they can also nurture harmful conditions and become sources of anxiety, jealousy, and despondency. Always On provides useful tools for helping students and congregants understand the world of social media and engage it faithfully, enabling Christian communities to address its use in constructive, pastoral ways. The book includes discussion questions and sample exercises for each chapter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781540960092
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/21/2019
Series:	Theology for the Life of the World
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,141,838
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Angela Williams Gorrell (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is assistant professor of practical theology at George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University, in Waco, Texas. She previously served as associate research scholar at the Yale Center for Faith and Culture at Yale Divinity School, where she worked on the Theology of Joy and the Good Life project with Miroslav Volf.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
1. Interested Conversation
2. Traversing the New Media Terrain
3. Shaping Stories
4. Online Jesus
5. The Convergence
6. Glorious Possibilities
Epilogue
Index

Editorial Reviews

03/11/2019

In this inspired debut, Gorrell, lecturer in religion at Yale University, offers research and timely tips on how to live a faithful life that glorifies God online and off. Gorrell begins with two goals: to educate readers on the potential power of new media, and to help them align their view of humanity more closely with God’s own. Gorrell cautions that always being connected on social media fosters a warped view of people as brands, commodities, or avatars. By considering “what Jesus would do” if he were online, the author helps readers think through how they can love others well, even in cyberspace. Academic in its argumentation, but welcoming in tone, the book is peppered with personal stories and easily implemented tips. For instance, Gorrell suggests confirming something’s actually true before posting it and choosing to encourage spiritual growth instead of focusing solely on “impression management” on social media. To help leaders spark productive discussions in their faith communities, Gorrell provides questions, for example, “When and how will I rest from using new media?” and “What will we do when we encounter suffering online?” With both a call-to-action and personal reflection, Gorrell presents valuable tools for Christian users of social media. (May)

Publishers Weekly