|
The Archives
-
03.24.10Religious Groups Claim Space in Virtual WorldsOne of the main objectives of any religious group is expanding its flock. Whether this has been achieved through the non-violent approach of missionary work or through more violent recruitment, the ultimate goal is outreach. The Bridge Church, a small outfit in Jacksonville, Florida, believes that a virtual world can help to reach new members. It will use space in the larger Universe of Faith (UOF) virtual environment in order to connect with people in South Africa, Africa and the Caribbean while supporting relief efforts and training church leaders. At the same time, the ministry will try to broaden ...
-
02.11.09Missionary Position on Second LifeAs far as untapped populations go, Second Life has one that soon could be a target of missionary activity. (Um. You said it, not me.) World Gospel Mission, (WGM) an organization that "connects in ministry with churches worldwide to make disciples of Jesus Christ among all nations," is currently reviewing the pluses and minuses of missionary work in this virtual world. WGM recently posted an entry on its blog with one main intriguing question for the missionary-minded: "Are the temptations of the virtual world so compelling that missionaries should avoid an online presence, or is it possible to be an influence ...
-
02.11.09Mormon Avatars, the Super Bowl, and Second LifeAvatars are heating up. The recent Super Bowl featured an avatar-focused commercial for Coca-Cola which proved that avatars are approaching mainstream consciousness. (And also implies that it's only when you log off and stop living in an aimless fantasy that you'll meet the cute guy or gal "behind the avatar" - It's the Real Thing, no?) One angle to the role of the avatar as identity is how religion fits into the avatar practice. The Mormon Times recently took a look at this angle by asking the hard question: "Can an avatar be Mormom?" The answer seems self-evident: yes! Of course ...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.