It is important that Christian leaders understand and engage in social media. This activity must include both learning about new social media tools and theological reflection. Since finding the balance between these two is difficult, many have given inadequate attention to the theological component. Verity A. Jones, project director of the New Media Project and a Research Fellow at Union Theological Seminary, recently wrote an article that should be required reading Read More …
Continuing Decline in Church Construction (#0782)
The following image illustrates the dramatic decline in total religious construction spending in the United States since 2002. So What? The amount spent on construction has trended downward for the last decade. While a slowdown during a recession is expected, this is something far more significant. This year's religious construction expenditures are on pace to be less than 50% of what was spent in 2002. Many church budgets are flat or declining and many have halted all Read More …
A Holy Bible or Kindle? (#0781)
Thanks largely to the work of the Gideons International, travelers normally find a copy of the Bible in their hotel rooms. The Hotel Indigo Newcastle, one of InterContinental Hotel Group's boutique-style Hotel Indigo locations, recently announced a new approach: Kindle. More specifically, "all 148 rooms at the Hotel Indigo will contain a Kindle e-reader pre-loaded with a copy of the Bible . . . Guests are also permitted to download a copy of any other religious Read More …
God is Not (#0780)
On this Independence Day far too many Americans make astounding theological assumptions about our nation and God's role in it. If it has been awhile since you considered many of the documents of historical importance, I encourage you to consider reading Stephen Prothero's new book The American Bible (I reviewed it yesterday). While I realize there is much I don't know about God, I am sure God is not an American. In fact, I am certain God is not many of the things people commonly Read More …
Review of The American Bible (#0779)
Meet the Author Stephen Prothero is professor of religion at Boston College, senior fellow at Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, and bestselling author of two books: Religions Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know -- and Doesn't (2008) and God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World – and Why Their Differences Matter (2010 - read my review and/or see this book's inclusion on my top 10 books of 2010) . Read More …
Does Church Architecture Matter? (#0778)
Holly Ordway, a professor at Houston Baptist University, recently blogged about the significance of church architecture. Since most Americans live and work in spaces Ordway labels "aesthetically displeasing," she believes it is more important than ever that churches are places of beauty. She writes: Beautiful churches and cathedrals are egalitarian. They make beauty available to all — even the poorest and most culturally deprived. So What? Ordway argues for building more beautiful Read More …
Mid-Year Evaluation (#0777)
While there is a lingering culture fascination with New Year's resolutions, the emphasis is clearly making rather than keeping them. As one who has resolved more often than not to refrain from making such resolutions I surprised myself by making one in 2012. I have managed to keep it, but have found it to be more challenging than anticipated on a few occasions. So What? We have reached the mid-point of 2012: six months experienced and six months remain. This mid-point is the Read More …
Celebrating Social Media Day (#0776)
Today (June 30) is Mashable's third annual Social Media Day. Several cities (including Tampa) have officially joined the celebration. Individuals can participate by participating in one of over 400 meetups and/or joining the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #smday ( to view the live stream of tweets simply click here). So What? Social media is changing the way we connect with each other. It is a frequent topic here at sowhatfaith: 15% of all posts are Read More …
Goodbye Facebook – Hello Twitter (#0775)
People's social media usage habits while working are changing. According to the latest research by Palo Alto Networks, during the last six months (November 2011 to May 2012) the percentage of time workers spent on social networking sites shifted: Facebook: down 17% (from 54% to 37%) Twitter: up 10% (from 11% to 21%) Tumblr: up 9% (from 1% to 10%) So What? In only six months, the percentage of time people spent using Twitter at work doubled and the percentage of time they spent Read More …
Review of Mainline Christianity (#0774)
Meet the Author Jason S. Lantzer is an adjunct professor of history at Indiana University, Purdue University and Butler University. His BA (History & Political Science), MA (History) and Ph.D. (History) were all earned from Indiana University. Lantzer is the author of two books: Prohibition Is Here to Stay: The Reverend Edward S. Shumaker and the Dry Crusade in America (2009) and Mainline Christianity: The Past and Future of America's Majority Read More …