The Theology of Information Seeking II

Question: "Do online information sources undermine traditional religious authorities?"

I had the opportunity to present one facet of my doctrinal research in poster form at the most recent APLA conference in beautiful Wolfville, Nova Scotia.  Not my usual kind of venue, but a fun conference.  The Internet is having a negative impact on congregational life and faith building some clergy tell me.  Google et al. bring a cornucopia of ideas and beliefs into our daily lives, that previous generations may never have wrestled with. 

So I explored that a bit through my interviews with church leaders (clergy, ordained or unordained lay leaders).  What sources are they choosing, how do they choose them, and what is the role these sources play in their roles as leaders and in their personal faith building?

I've turned the 48"x36" poster into a prezi for your viewing so the format/fonts are a little wonky.  (You can click the "More" link at the bottom right corner of the prezi to go to full screen mode, and use the arrows to advance the prezi.)  For those with shorter attention spans, my conclusion is below.

 http://prezi.com/4kunszqpfy1i/the-theology-of-information-seeking/

Answer: There appears to be little evidence in church leaders' information seeking that online sources are undermining traditional religious authorities.  This conclusion supports earlier research on religious bloggers who tended to support traditional authorities.  The role of these authorities is changing from key information source for information for religious purposes to a source of discernment of good or useful information.

Implications: If the sources and even the nature of information for faith building are changing, do churches then have an obligation to equip their members to be effective seekers and consumers of information?  Is there a place for information literacy in the local church?