Aquinas on the Web?: Doing Theology in an Internet Age

Description

The "problem" of the internet has plagued theologians for the past decade: some have claimed it as "gnostic" and evil because it denies the Christian doctrine of the incarnation and lacks serious engagement with others. Some have viewed the internet as presenting good possibilities for theological work because it provides a democratic arena for sharing ideas, unrestricted by traditional hierarchies and concerns. None of these considerations quite capture the problems or benefits that the internet provides. Jana Bennett reviews critically how Web 2.0 both develops from traditional theology and also how Web 2.0 may change the way traditional theology is done. Web 2.0 spaces do invite many more lay people to participate in theological conversations than in the past, but the conversations frequently become constricted because of the medium. At the same time, Web 2.0 also offers surprising spaces for renewing or revisiting questions that theologians have left aside. The book explores how theologians and other interested persons might carefully respond, neither totally rejecting nor wholly embracing Web 2.0 technology.

Jana M. Bennett is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, University of Dayton, USA.

Where this book really shines is its attempts to answer some very fascinating and important questions about the Internet and theological discourse . . . Bennett is privy to the problems that online technologies create for the developing of the Christian life, and she gives informed solutions that draw upon tradition . . . in an accessible and systematic way. -- Nathaniel Warne, Durham University, UK * Journal of Religion, Media & Digital Culture, vol. 3, issue 2 * This book is a needed engagement not only with scholarship about theology and the internet but about the unique challenges and potential for thinking and communicating theologically on the internet itself. -- Jacob Shatzer, Marquette University, US * Theological Book Review * Finally, someone to move the discussion beyond blanket judgments for or against the internet! With great clarity and insight, Bennett reminds us that to think about the internet is to ask what it means to live together with grace. This is context-sensitive doctrinal theology of the highest calibre. -- Brian R. Brock, University of Aberdeen, UK 'Jana Bennett shows that, because we are embodied creatures, we can neither pretend that we do not live in an internet age nor allow the seemingly disembodied relationships of virtual life to define us. Written by an accomplished young scholar who is comfortable with technology, this book is not a diatribe but a guide to using the internet well. Like a contemporary Aquinas, Jana Bennett allows all sorts of voices - some funny and profane - to have their say while simultaneously guiding the reader with great practical wisdom.' - William T. Cavanaugh, Senior Research Professor, Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural TheologyProfessor, Department of Catholic Studies, DePaul University, USA -- William T. Cavanaugh 'For all the change that the internet has brought to our lives, little serious work has been done to try to understand how it is effecting our theological perspectives.With Aquinas on the Web? Doing Theology in an Internet Age, Dr. Jana Bennett works to rectify the situation by offering the first systematic look at the way in which the theological enterprise-both at home and in the academy-is transformed by life online.Not so much a primer on the internet or a theological critique of the web (although it does include some of each), the book explores the intersection of the internet and some of the central categories of Christian theology, including theological anthropology, authority, soteriology, ecclesiology, embodiment, and human action.Creative, friendly, and ecumenically oriented, Aquinas on the Web? provides an intriguing entry point for students and faculty alike who might be tempted to see little connection between our online practices and theological commitments.We all have a lot to discover about being faithful members of the Body of Christ in this new age of digital connectedness. Aquinas on the Web is a great first step along the way.' - James Caccamo, Associate Professor, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Saint Joseph's University, USA -- James Caccamo