Virtual Reality Church

Virtual Reality Church PDF Author: Darrell Bock
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN: 0802499082
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 213

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Book Description
Is Virtual Reality a Biblical Reality? The invention of the printing press catalyzed Martin Luther’s reformation; radios and televisions delivered Billy Graham’s gospel proclamations to millions of households. Technological advancements have undoubtedly advanced kingdom work for centuries—but is the same true for the burgeoning technologies of today? As virtual reality becomes increasingly prominent throughout society, churches must assess how to respond thoughtfully and biblically. In Virtual Reality Church, theologians Darrell Bock and Jonathan Armstrong present a systematic reflection on how to faithfully apply virtual reality for ministry purposes. They examine the risks—like compromising the meaning of tangible worship—and opportunities—like safely reaching persecuted churches—of integrating revolutionary technologies into the Christian life. Learn to think critically, theologically, and pastorally about new technologies so that you can faithfully advance the gospel into the future.

Virtual Reality Church

Virtual Reality Church PDF Author: Darrell Bock
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN: 0802499082
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 213

Get Book

Book Description
Is Virtual Reality a Biblical Reality? The invention of the printing press catalyzed Martin Luther’s reformation; radios and televisions delivered Billy Graham’s gospel proclamations to millions of households. Technological advancements have undoubtedly advanced kingdom work for centuries—but is the same true for the burgeoning technologies of today? As virtual reality becomes increasingly prominent throughout society, churches must assess how to respond thoughtfully and biblically. In Virtual Reality Church, theologians Darrell Bock and Jonathan Armstrong present a systematic reflection on how to faithfully apply virtual reality for ministry purposes. They examine the risks—like compromising the meaning of tangible worship—and opportunities—like safely reaching persecuted churches—of integrating revolutionary technologies into the Christian life. Learn to think critically, theologically, and pastorally about new technologies so that you can faithfully advance the gospel into the future.

SimChurch

SimChurch PDF Author: Douglas Estes
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310314135
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
The meeting place for the church of tomorrow will be a computer screen. Don’t laugh, and don’t feel alarmed. The real-world church isn’t going anywhere until Jesus returns. But the virtual church is already here, and it’s poised for explosive growth. SimChurch invites you to explore the vision, the concerns, the challenges, and the remarkable possibilities of building Christ’s kingdom online. What is the virtual church, and what different forms might it take? Will it be an extension of a real-world church, or a separate entity? How will it encourage families to worship together? Is it even possible or healthy to “be” the church in the virtual world? If you’re passionate about the church and evangelism, and if you feel both excitement and concern over the new virtual world the internet is creating, then these are just some of the vital issues you and other postmillennial followers of Jesus must grapple with. Rich in both biblical and current insight, combining exploration and critique, SimChurch opens a long-overdue discussion you can’t afford to miss.

Ministry to the Avatars

Ministry to the Avatars PDF Author: Jerold A. Garber
Publisher: Archway Publishing
ISBN: 1480852244
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 170

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Book Description
The world is changing rapidly, and perhaps the most compelling evidence of this change is found in the way people use technology to access services that formerly required an in-person visit. Now, for the first time, a real church with denominational standing is as close as ones computer. In Ministry to the Avatars: Building a Real Church in a Virtual World, author and reverend Dr. Jerold A. Garber shares the transcendent story of First United Church of Christ Second Lifea virtual church designed and built in Second Life, a 3-D virtual world with over thirty-six million individual accounts and over one million active users each month. While it began as an experiment in faith and inclusivity, First UCC SL today has full standing in the Eastern Association of the Southern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ, and it is the first church in a mainline denomination to achieve full standing while owning no physical property. Since its founding, First United Church of Christ Second Life has grown into a multifaceted, vibrant ministry with a 365-day-a-year presence in Second Life, and it is also a member of the Open and Affirming Coalition of the UCC, an association of churches affirming the full inclusions of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons in the churchs life and ministry. Come and witness the wonderful things that can be achieved when service to others transcends the boundaries of reality! Visit the First United Church of Christ Second Life website at http://www.firstuccsl.org and Second Lifes 3D virtual world created by Linden Lab at http://www.secondlife.com.

The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World

The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World PDF Author: Deanna A. Thompson
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1501815199
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 131

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Book Description
We live in a wired world where 24/7 digital connectivity is increasingly the norm. Christian megachurch communities often embrace this reality wholeheartedly while more traditional churches often seem hesitant and overwhelmed by the need for an interactive website, a Facebook page and a twitter feed. This book accepts digital connectivity as our reality, but presents a vision of how faith communities can utilize technology to better be the body of Christ to those who are hurting while also helping followers of Christ think critically about the limits of our digital attachments. This book begins with a conversion story of a non-cell phone owning, non-Facebook using religion professor judgmental of the ability of digital tools to enhance relationships. A stage IV cancer diagnosis later, in the midst of being held up by virtual communities of support, a conversion occurs: this religion professor benefits in embodied ways from virtual sources and wants to convert others to the reality that the body of Christ can and does exist virtually and makes embodied difference in the lives of those who are hurting. The book neither uncritically embraces nor rejects the constant digital connectivity present in our lives. Rather it calls on the church to a) recognize ways in which digital social networks already enact the virtual body of Christ; b) tap into and expand how Christ is being experienced virtually; c) embrace thoughtfully the material effects of our new augmented reality, and c) influence utilization of technology that minimizes distraction and maximizes attentiveness toward God and the world God loves.

Cross Vision

Cross Vision PDF Author: Gregory A. Boyd
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 1506420745
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
Renowned pastor-theologian Gregory A. Boyd tackles the BibleÕs biggest dilemma. Ê The Old Testament God of wrath and violence versus the New Testament God of love and peaceÑitÕs a difference that has troubled Christians since the first century. Now, with the sensitivity of a pastor and the intellect of a theologian, Gregory A. Boyd proposes the Òcruciform hermeneutic,Ó a way to read the Old Testament portraits of God through the lens of JesusÕ crucifixion. Ê In Cross Vision, Boyd follows up on his epic and groundbreaking study, The Crucifixion of the Warrior God. He shows how the death and resurrection of Jesus reframes the troubling violence of the Old Testament, how all of Scripture reveals GodÕs self-sacrificial love, and, most importantly, how we can follow JesusÕ example of peace.

Embodied Liturgy

Embodied Liturgy PDF Author: C. Andrew Doyle
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 1640654356
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 201

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Book Description
Can the ‘reality’ of the Eucharist be maintained online? Author C. Andrew Doyle, in a well-researched and thoughtful study of both virtual reality and liturgy, argues that the Eucharist is not a formulaic rehearsal of words and rituals but an embodied and lived experience. This requires a shared place and presence. While the church should not shy away from virtual ministry, we should be wary of using the technological realm for the celebration of the Eucharist, an act that is an outward and visible sign of our spiritual union with God and one another. It brings us closer to friend and stranger for the transformation of individuals into unity in Christ. The context of the ritual–with people, objects, words, and all sorts of nuance–creates intimacy with God and each other. This unique book is especially timely and will be of interest to scholars, liturgists, and those interested in sacramental theology in the digital age.

VR & the Metaverse Church

VR & the Metaverse Church PDF Author: Jeff Reed
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781959844006
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Holding Up Half the Sky

Holding Up Half the Sky PDF Author: Graham Joseph Hill
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532686137
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
Women have played significant roles in ministry and leadership throughout the history of the church and the pages of the Bible. Today, women make up more than half the church, and do much of the mission, ministry, and discipleship in the life of the church. But women have often been held back from ministry roles. Graham Joseph Hill outlines the biblical vision for women in ministry and leadership. He offers a biblical and passionate call for women to be released to teach, to lead, to preach, to serve, to pastor, and to minister in every area of the church. The Bible paints a radical vision of women, empowered and emboldened for full ministry participation in Christ's church. The biblical vision for women and for their role as teachers, witnesses, disciplers, and leaders transforms not only personal lives, but also the church and the world. This book offers a biblical case for women teaching and leading in the church. Hill then explores practical ways that we can empower and release more female leaders in the church, and ways that we can amplify the voices and honor the gifts of women in the way Jesus intended. Together women and men can revitalize the church and renew the world.

VR and the Metaverse Church

VR and the Metaverse Church PDF Author: Jeff Reed
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781624240904
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Analog Church

Analog Church PDF Author: Jay Y. Kim
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830841989
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 223

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Book Description
Outreach Resource of the Year The Gospel Coalition Book Award What does it mean to be an analog church in a digital age? In recent decades the digital world has taken over our society at nearly every level, and the church has increasingly followed suit—often in ways we're not fully aware of. But as even the culture at large begins to reckon with the limits of a digital world, it's time for the church to take stock. Are online churches, video venues, and brighter lights truly the future? What about the digital age's effect on discipleship, community, and the Bible? As a pastor in Silicon Valley, Jay Kim has experienced the digital church in all its splendor. In Analog Church, he grapples with the ramifications of a digital church, from our worship and experience of Christian community to the way we engage Scripture and sacrament. Could it be that in our efforts to stay relevant in our digital age, we've begun to give away the very thing that our age most desperately needs: transcendence? Could it be that the best way to reach new generations is in fact found in a more timeless path? Could it be that at its heart, the church has really been analog all along?