From Craig Mitchell

Craig Mitchell is on study leave o'seas & posted this on his blog. Paragraphs 2 & 3 are worthy of reflection.

why am I here? my study leave is about exploring the place of 'new media' in immersive/interactive worship and education experiences/events, particularly in new/fringe/emerging faith communities where many existing boundaries are being reconsidered. basically, I think that the communication revolution has bypassed the church, and its one of many reasons that people under 40 don't connect with us.

the church is pre-occupied with oral delivery of literal culture. both our education of leaders and our congregational practices are based on this. and I'm coming to realise that our understandings of postmodernism underestimate the roles of communication and technology.

I think that the digital and communication revolution is much deeper and more pervasive than the church realises. we are either stuck in reactionary criticism of contemporary communication without understanding the issues or trialling entry-level appropriations that simply reinforce our current practices of power and interpretation.

So I want to find some ways forward by looking within the realm of visual culture, installation art, interactive media and immersive experience rather than being derogatory of such developments as the church so often is.