Hipps, Shane. Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith. Zondervan, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-310-29321-7.
Meet the Author
Shane Hipps is a pastor with a unique perspective on technology and media. In his first career he was a strategic planner in advertising. Shane walked away from that profession and entered seminary when he realized he was spending his life perpetuating the consumer culture that was inconsistent with his beliefs. Since 2005, he has served as lead Pastor of Trinity Mennonite Church. For more information, visit his website.
Book Basics
Flickering Pixels is written to help increase awareness of media for the life of faith. Hipps relies heavily, at times exclusively, on Marshal McLuhan’s work including his idea that the medium is the message. Whether or not you agree with that bold assumption, the book offers considerable food for thought. Beginning with the premise that Christianity is primarily a communication event, he discusses how the faith has been shaped by media over time with a focus on recent changes in communication technology and methodology. Using basic and easy to understand examples he debunks some communication myths and misunderstandings. He concludes by taking his premise to its logical end: if the medium is the message then Jesus is God’s perfect medium, if the church is Christ’s body then it is called to function as the medium and message today, and if we are a member of the body then we also have to live into a role as the message.
So What?
In Hipps’ own words: “Media and technology have far less power to shape us when they are brought into the light and we understand them” (p.183). We must not be unthinking consumers of media in our living room, a board room, or a sanctuary.
While I am not willing to go as far as Hipps with regard to my view of the power of the medium, I do believe that the medium colors and even changes the message. We must be careful not to assume we can repackage the message of yesteryear neatly in the technological options of tomorrow and present the same message.