The Church and New Media

The Church and New Media by Brandon Vogt is full of the possibilities we have literally at our fingertips to engage the people of God.  The chapters ranged from what one blogger can do to what can be accomplished by an archdiocese and beyond.  I of course love to entertain what 'could be.'  In my past position I was in charge of communication for the parish and so I really enjoyed learning about using media and technology to reach our parishioners and others.  Fr. Robert's Barron quote,"It would be unwise in the extreme for the Church to absent itself from the virtual Areopagus for fear of rejection or contradiction.  We should enter it with courage, intelligence and sheer panache of St. Paul" echoes my belief that we must learn how to reach out using all means possible.   John Roberto tells us that "We haven't yet wrapped our heads around the idea that we can reach people 24/7, anytime, anywhere. " 
The authors do not shy away from discussing what is good and bad about New Media.  But all have unapologetically embraced it with eyes open.  In the conclusion Vogt points out that the anonymity of the Internet allows for a very non-threatening form of pre-evangilzation.  The Internet cannot and should not take the place of personal witness and interaction, but it can certainly help people learn about our faith. 
This book should be put in the hands of every diocesan communication director, parish administrator, faith formation director, and youth minister.  Actually, everyone who works in a parish office should read it and decide how to use New Media to reach out and draw in. 
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Church and New Media. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.