A little explanation of Digital Theology from Pete Phillips who is Premier's Head of Digital Theology and Director of the Centre for Digital Theology.
This post lists just a few of the opportunities which the Centre for Digital Theology is developing with Spurgeon's College and Premier. Come and join the team learning more about how digital and church fit together and how we can maximise our use of digital for the benefit of the gospel and our theology.
During the pandemic the church has done a fantastic job in joining those already online. We have learnt so much. But it's clear from Premier's webinars, there is so much more to learn. We have saved all those webinars, the talks from them, and the talks from the Premier Digital Conference on our video library to which Premier Digital Members have access. So there is a growing list of talks to whet your appetite.
Pete and Jonas Kurlberg, his colleague in all things Digital Theology, are also talking in lots of different places on Digital Theology. We've spoken in everyone of the UK nations, in the USA, South Africa, Singapore. We're involved in research across the world. You might find some of the talks have been recorded and you can find them on YouTube. Here's a talk from Fresh Expressions including Jonas and other digital theologians (Dr Katharine Schmidt from New York and Rei Crizaldo from Manila) exploring our edited book on Missio Dei in the Digital Age
BUT THERE IS MORE - Opportunities for you to learn:
Medialit - Spurgeon's College, London, 2-4th September 2021
An introduction to Digital Engagement especially for those in Christian ministry, both lay and ordained. We're putting on a three day hybrid conference - so both residential and online in September.
Day 1: We’ll explore the impact that digital culture has had on the world, on the church and on our theology.
We’ll look at hybrid church and church online and explore how everything changes, and stays the same, when we minister in an online setting.
Day 2: We’ll invite in practitioners in Church Comms and learn from them how to communicate our faith online through social media and websites; how to deal with crisis comms; and how to write material for websites, blogs and social media – perhaps even for media interviews.
Day 3: we’ll shift to looking at how we make the most of inclusion in the digital age, of how hybrid offers a space for both online and onsite worship and how we explore the wise use of technology within Christian settings.
Cost: £120 per day or £340 for all three days - including lunch and refreshments but not including accommodation.
To register your interest: Send an email to drpmphillips@gmail.com signalling your interest in residential or online participation, and where you are based.
MA in Digital Theology at Spurgeon's College
Next admission date: September 2021 - sign up now!!!
This is the first degree of its kind across the world. It offers a unique opportunity for theological reflection on digital culture and its impact on contemporary religious practice - especially within the context of Christianity.
You can take the course both as a one year full time student, or part-time over two or three years. The course is taught through two teaching blocks baed at Spurgeon's College in London (with options for online engagement).
The course explores:
how we think theologically about digital culture and how we might apply digital methodologies to our theological thinking
how key theological themes are impacted by serious engagement with digitality - what do we mean by incarnation in a digital world; how do we live ethically amidst digital technology; might transhumanism be a form of apocalypticism?
how religious practice adapts within a dominant digital culture, especially digitally mediated Christianity and whether there are boundaries to that adaptation.
Prospective students need to have an undergraduate degree in theology or a related subject or to have extensive experience in digital ministry with a track record of theological reflection
Cost is around £8600 for the whole course
If you're interested in a conversation about the MA, then why not have a conversation right away with Jonas Kurlberg or Pete Phillips
Students love this course
Here's Craig Philbrick from last year's group of students:
"The content, structure and flexibility of the MA in Digital Theology is assisting me in my ministry and the regular supervision and the delight of exchanging ideas with fellow students by learning from their own contexts are all aspects of part-time study that I am valuing immensely. What is great about digital culture is that it challenges us all over again on how to be properly human. I have experienced how this is a well-run course, and with the benefit of a study day, it has brought energy and creativity to my ministry and pushed my thinking further than it would have gone without it."
Here's Andrea Onduku from this year's cohort:
Here's Fiona Fidgin on her reaction to the course:
And here's a word cloud this year's cohort of students created saying how much they love the course:
And yet more to come!!!!
Coming soon...Equipped for Digital: Faithful Engagement in a Digital Age
An online course at Spurgeons for those exploring ministry of any kind which includes digital engagement
Coming soon....Introduction to Hybrid Church
An online course at Premier in which Pete Phillips explores the ins and outs of the pandemic church and points us towards the missional importance of a Hybrid Church future.