Greetings from the Anglican Cathedral in Second Life

I am really excited about having the opportunity to participate in this symposium. I've been following it today from the US (since 4am local time!). The video stream has been wonderful, and I love the Twitter interface that enhances the interactive nature of things.

I'm Cady Enoch (SL name), chair of the Anglican Cathedral in Second Life Leadership Team. I'm the person that Mark Brown referred to in his talk this morning. The person he has never "met." Which seems an odd thing to say, since we have been working together so closely for the past two years. I feel that I know him as well or better than many people that I interact with face to face. The same is true for many others that I have come to know at the SL Cathedral. In one of the morning breakout sessions, the question was asked, "why [do] people seek community online rather than those around them?" I assure you this is not an either/or proposition. My online life allows me to broaden the range of people that I have the opportunity to meet. I have had the opportunity to meet people from a wide range of geographical, cultural, and yes, political backgrounds different from my own, and has enhanced my understanding of them. I can think of no better way for Christians to build bridges with one another than to take the opportunity to form relationships in community with them.

I encourage the symposium participants (and anyone else with an interest) to attend the Second Life service this evening, and to visit our blog at http://slangcath.wordpress.com to learn about us. We would love to meet you!

Cady

Google Docs as promised

Google Docs are available to view...

Mission Paper

Community Paper

Bible Paper

Spirituality Paper

Monastic Community Paper

Preaching and Digital Environment Paper

A message from DC: Kate Boardman

I guess its a bit late to encourage everyone who's there to have done this - but it might still be interesting even though it looks a small enough group to probably get to know everyone briefly over the time. Really sorry to be missing out, but kudos on the ustream-looking good. Off to gym/pool for a bit now before staff a community volunteer event sponsored by Bb this afternoon. Hope all continues to go well, will catchup wiht the recorded sessions later on.
kate

Hi, I'm Kate, a student on the MA in Theology and Ministry at Cranmer hoping one day to switch to full time ministry from my day job. The latter is as Head of E-learning at Teesside University (previously Durham and Hull universities) and as a long-established member of the academics advising the US company Blackboard whose software I've been using since 1999. I fell into technology as the web was arriving, doing my MA dissertation on using modern technology to enhance the study of medieval manuscripts, and I realised as the technology grew that there were huge possibilities in both communication and the delivery of resources (my first publication was an article on using email lists to support students while on placement back in 1994) and so ended up looking for ways to use technology to enhance education and communities. I worked for a while on a major international research project to digitise the Bayeux Tapestry (which I have now created as an exhibition in SL)

As I began my theology study then, it was an obvious choice to explore how my two (three) lives come together. I wrote an essay for my certificate on some thoughts mission and ministry online (http://files.blog-city.com/files/F05/93085/p/f/word_made_virtual.pdf) and more recently have been providing some consultancy to Durham Cathedral on their use of online media (http://files.blog-city.com/files/F05/93085/b/cathedral_mission_and_itsingleshort.doc) I've also almost finished building Durham Cathedral in SL too, which hopefully will play a strong part in next year's redesign of the claustral buildings and provide a space for a digital exhibition of the Treasures while the physical exhibition is closed. (http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs027.snc1/2361_619484721103_61208650_39874015_9206_n.jpg)

I live in both the real and virtual worlds. I don't see them as separate. I don't think we can, or will. That means there are many opportunities we are not taking advantage of in ministry, and I'm really interested in being a part of that conversation as it moves forward. Unfortunately, my day job still pays my salary, so I can't be with digitalsymp this week, as am presenting at an international conference in Washington DC for work. But around the edge of the sessions, the wonders of technology means I'll be with you in spirit :)

Kate

National Biblical Literacy Survey

Here is one of many stories appearing based on CODEC's recent survey - well done Brian Brown! Presentation tonight at 7.30 at St John's College.

Pete

Mark Brown's Presentation: Christianity in a Digital Space

Mark Brown's Presentation from this morning @digitalsymp

Pete

Christianity in the Digital Space

We spent time trying to define ‘digital space’ but not ‘Christianity’. Which might be needed as this has so far been a Bible-free and prayer-free zone, pretty well. There was ‘Worship in the chapel’ but this simply underlined the sacred/secular divide – which may explain the heavy emphasis so far on recreating outdated forms of ‘church’ in the new environment.

Woops – should say that it has not been all Bible-free. Two and three quarter hours after the start we did get three short quotes from Jesus. But there is a sense that the strong presence of media and ecclesiastical people means if this group is to do some serious theological application it may have to be dragged to the Bible screaming.

Meanwhile I am still having a good mull on some of the key lines that were thrown out –
‘How can people trust anything in a Wikiworld?’ – but Wiki is no more or less trustworthy than the worlds of politics, business or the media.

‘What is the future and place of preaching?’ – but isn’t the question ‘How can we bring God’s word alive for others in today’s world?’

Meanwhile, a question of my own. If we can envisage a church in ‘digital space’, to be authentic what would it mean to wash each other’s feet?

Enough is enough. Off to the bar.

Pete Meadows, Bible Society

Video Footage...

Video footage from the Symposium will gradually arrive online at: http://youtube.com/digitalsymp - further links via http://www.twitter.com/digitalsymp (hashtag = #digisymp)