Mark Hunt, vice president and publisher of new media at Zondervan, a leading Bible publisher, lists several benefits of the digital revolution. One is the ability to access a text or easily trace particular word usage immediately. Another is the ability to interact with original languages with ease: “We move beyond decoding the Hebrew and Greek to asking what is the importance or significance of this word or grammatical structure.” Hunt says he suspects the future of Biblical studies will be increasingly online.
“The power of Scripture on society is ultimately an issue of reading, understanding, and obeying,” Hunt adds. “We need to be careful that we don't substitute technology for seeping ourselves in God's Word and listening obediently.”
In his role as director of e-business sales and marketing at Broadman & Holman Publishers, Steve NeSmith agrees that technology has made Biblical text and reference material more accessible than ever. “But how society responds to these new tools is a spiritual question. Technology can’t force a person to study Scripture, only a person's heart can do that.”
Rick Killingsworth, vice president of the Salem Web Network, recalls something he heard last week: “It was called the Law of Technology and it states that new technology's effects are almost always over-estimated in the short term, but under-estimated in the long term. The Web certainly fits into this paradigm. Online devotionals and Bible studies are not a fad. They are an important part of an ever-growing trend.”
While technology such as PDA's and e-Bibles continue to affect our choices, Killingsworth believes traditional Bibles offer portability and substance that other versions don't always replicate effectively. “Folks still like writing notes in the margin – on paper. Perhaps it's old habits, or a question of superior format, but the traditional Bible will be around for a long, long time.”
Mark Hatch, the senior vice president of strategy at Gospel Light and co-author with Barna of Boiling Point, is an Internet professional specializing in e-commerce and futures research. He believes that technology indeed enhances our ability to quickly understand the deeper meaning of Scripture. Having greater access and deeper understanding, says Hatch, “does help drive religious revolution and fervor.”
But, he adds, “I suspect we may be seeing a counter revolution as a result. While Guttenburg wrought the Reformation, the Internet may be enabling a counter-reformation or a bringing together of Christendom. Most Christians are not theologians and the practical living out of being Christ like does not depend much on where your theology sits relative to the major church schisms. As the average Christian begins to easily research the nuances of a denomination on their own, they are becoming less likely to embrace the whole theology of the church they happen to attend.” According to Hatch, technology is helping to create communities that span denominations.
“Is the Internet bigger than Guttenberg? Yes, it is even more fundamental and powerful than print,” Hatch concludes. “But the odds are that Jesus will return before the Bible goes out of print.”
