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Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith

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Marshall McLuhan began his 1964 book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, with the following:

"In a culture like ours, long accustomed to splitting and dividing all things as a means of control, it is sometimes a bit of a shock to be reminded that, in operational and practical fact, the medium is the message."

For nearly a half-century now, students of media have been contemplating the repercussions of McLuhan's statement.

In Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith, Shane Hipps attempts to apply McLuhan's thinking to the realm of faith. Hipps seems doubly qualified to tackle the content - a former ad exec for Porsche, Hipps turned his back on the lucrative career, entered seminary, and became a Mennonite Pastor.

Hipps writes with excellent pacing, clear prose, and a good bit of humor. Unfortunately, in this book at least, his focus is lacking at times and nonexistent at others. Entire chapters (although they are short) are devoted to issues that have no relation to the topic of the book at all. The first ten chapters, in fact, are a fascinating application of McLuhan's ideas. After that, however, more chapters than not add nothing to the stated purpose of the book: awareness of the effects of technology on our faith.

In chapter 11 Hipps turns his focus to social media - in his terms "virtual community" - which he claims "inoculates people against the desire to be physically present with others in real social networks". It's at this point that Hipps loses me. He attacks everything from blogs to instant messaging to Facebook and relegates them to the status of cotton candy.

While his concerns are well heeded, in some portions of the book Hipps fails at being a student of modern media and instead becomes a reactionary critic against it.

He describes the digital shorthand of today's teens as "an invisibility cloak to adult eyes" and "a deliberate teen encryption method," claiming that, "those who learn it become like medieval scribes, hoarding scrolls containing sacred information." I can barely resist responding with "LOL."

"Slang," McLuhan says in the introduction to Understanding Media, "offers an immediate index to changing perception... The student of media will not only value slang as a guide to changing perception, but he will also study media as bringing about new perceptual habits."

The main idea of the chapter is that internet technology reverses the order of familial authority by granting young people "startling and unprecedented freedom...the digital space is a land without supervision." This is proven, but his analysis and prescriptions are flawed. To parents struggling to balance digital boundaries with their simultaneous desire avoid their kids being left out or left behind, Hipps reminds them that "digital space is the most anemic form of social interaction available," before saying, "maybe being left out of this is a good thing."

While I take no issue with boundaries and parental authority, if parents are actually capable of keeping their kids entirely free of the damaging effects of social media, surely then a more nuanced and moderate approach is also possible. Similar prescriptions were no doubt giving with the advent of other now common technologies; the automobile for example enabled young adults (and their passengers) to easily travel further from parental supervision than previously possible, where they could get into who-knows-what kind of trouble.

While I sympathize with Hipps' concerns over the separating effects of technology, I cannot take the view that these technologies should be shunned. I cannot endorse the view - nor do I find if verifiable from personal experience - that these technologies intrinsically "inoculate(s) people against the desire to be physically present with others in real social networks".

Digital community can be an enhancement and a supplement to flesh-and-blood community. Hipps has taken the tack of using the habits of the immoderate and abusive to prove that the thing abused is to blame - the same strategy that in previous generations failed at eliminating the moderate consumption of alcohol among Christians.

Sin is still at the root of all abuse and addiction, and faith in Christ and reliance on the Holy Spirit is still the only solution. Creating an awareness of this fact is what will steer both adults and young adults into appropriate and moderate use of their digital resources.

Shane Hipps second book Flickering Pixels is not merely insightful, it is important. Hipps succeeds in taking some very complex topics--brain function, mass communication, the history of theology--and he packages them in an accessible, truly fresh study for everyone.

It is clear to many that our world has changed in the last few decades. All ages experience conflict and movement, but ours is an age in which fundamental assumptions about knowledge, ethics, and what it means to be human are being radically deconstructed and rebuilt. A primary reason may be that "images and icons are fast displacing words as the dominant communication system of our culture."

This has immediate relevance to a conversation taking place among younger Christians, some of whom push hard for a more empirical experience of their faith--doing radical charity work, creating environments that have mystical feel, emphasizing their body in worship through a primary focus on the sacraments, prayers, worship, and communal experiences with a lessening emphasis on teaching and left brain activities. The conversation in this camp seems to be, "How can we create environments in which our friends encounter and are made aware of Jesus?"

The other camp has becoming increasingly doctrinally focused. This camp emphasizes right thinking and even dogmatic specificity. I heard one such speaker boast on how many young people were coming to his events and leaving with his favorite book of systematic theology in their hands. For this man, this was a huge win. The conversation in this camp seems to be how do we get younger people to affirm a set of beliefs, to dig really deep, and perhaps begin to be interested in and engaging the theology of a Calvin, or Spurgeon, or Augustine.

Shane's book is essential reading for both camps. For the former because such ministries are often working purely from intuition or at best some ethereal post-modern philosophy few of them actually understand. And for the latter because the human beings they think they are communicating with are ceasing to exist. That's right. People now are fundamentally different than they were 100 years ago.

Hipps argues that the media all around us is not simply changing the way we get our news, entertainment, and sports. Computers, televisions, and movie screens "repattern the neural pathways in our brain[s]", and as such, the media through which we get information is reshaping us.

When he speaks to the history of theology, Hipps observes that "[in the Reformation] linear reasoning became the primary means of understanding and propagating faith. This led to a belief that the gospel could be established and received only through reason and facts. Printing makes us prefer cognitive modes of processing while at the same time atrophying our appreciation for mysticism, intuition, and emotion." But as our culture transitions, the flickering pixels are "simply opposed to the pathways required for reading, writing, and sustained concentration." Which leaves us with a real challenge when--those of us involved in teaching--begin to ask what it looks like to communicate to younger, right-brain dominant students.

This is what Shane Hipps' book is about--and it is the beginning of a conversation the church at large must have, for it could be argued that the reason younger generations are absent from most American Christian communities is that such communities are force feeding them square peg messages for their round hole minds. As such, young people on mass are exiting churches, not because they would not devote their lives to Jesus, but because they do not speak the language, do not engage reality, do not understand what is most meaningful in the way most churches present information.

Hipps points out that the center of understanding Christianity for those conditioned by the printing press has been the letters of Paul and the Gospel of John--both theologically robust and filled with doctrine. Hipps rightly notes that for those who succeed in speaking to younger generations that center is shifting toward the synoptic gospels--Mark, Matthew, and Luke--which emphasize parables and the stories of Jesus' miracles and deeds. These gospels are more concerned with ethics and right behavior than propositions or detailed metaphysical arguments. This is a place to begin. Because for younger generations, the vital question "who are you following" is replacing that of "what do you believe." This results from their transformed brains, and the influence of the image based communication culture all around us.

Hipps work is of the epistemic shift taking place in common folks. If our culture continues down this path, right thinking, in general, will no longer be judged according to its logic, it will be judged pragmatically. The question that will be primary will no longer be "is this true" but "Does this belief produce good in our world," and if it does, then we will consider it valuable. We see this now. We are naturally drawn to the teachings of Gandhi, MLK, and the Dalai Lama--not because we know them to be brilliant, but because we know them to be good. The same of course is true of the sayings of Jesus, which continue to have power over even the most secular mind, not because of their potency but because of his example.

Whether or not this is good or arguably self-defeating is beside the point. The point is--it is happening. Arguing against it may be the worst possible step for a church already in decline.

Rare are the books that I read when I find myself saying "yes, that makes perfect sense!" or "my gosh, how have I missed that insight all this time?". This is one of those books.

In Flickering Pixels, Hipps' genius is derived in large part by his ability to contextualize and explain the deeper implications of the seemingly obvious technological realities of today, realities that are much more subversive than I previous understood them to be.

While this book is written primarily for Christian lay persons, I found this informal treatise to be so well rounded and so practically informative that I wouldn't be surprised if it is eventually held in the same high regard as Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death."

This is a MUST READ for anyone who is seeking to better understand the "invisible" and prolific technological forces shaping the essential dynamics of daily living in Christendom in the 21st Century.

Enjoy this easy-to-read, relatively short, incredibly well-informed, at times humorous, and otherwise intensely practical book!

How does technology shape our faith? It is a question posed and answered in Shane Hipps' book, Flickering Pixels. It seemed like a strong statement to me. I've considered technology to be a tool to support our faith, but I've never considered it as something that could actually shape it. I was happy for a chance to review the book and examine the author's findings.

This self-described "consumer anthropologist," has written a book to describe the hidden power of the media and technology. It is a fascinating subject, easy to read, with the right mix of history, stories and evaluation to keep his readers interested.

It may be important to note what this book isn't:
* It is not a book about how to harness the power of technology for evangelism.
* It is not a book that suggests that technology is of the devil.
* It is not a book that suggests that the liberals have taken over the media.
* It is not a book that has uncovered the secret plans of the Illuminati for world domination.

What the book is is a study about communication, recognizing that messages change with the method of delivery. For instance, think of the changes that took place in the church with the invention of the printing press. It wasn't just accessibility of the Bible that was the issue, it was also the way it was interpreted and used (oral tradition, passed on through stories, with a focus on the gospels). Linear reasoning not only helped shift the world from the middle ages into the enlightenment and modern era, it also moved the church into studying the meaning of words and phrases, the logic of the Apostle Paul's letters, and an attempt to quantify truth (systematic theology) as hadn't been done before.

With each new invention, the message has flexed along with society. Photography, television, the telegraph, the telephone, and the Internet have all made significant shifts to society. Understanding how these changes have impacted our communities is important. Shane has provided a great jumping off point for processing these changes.

At times I felt his case regarding the impact of the various technologies on society was overstated, realizing that there are other factors that have led to these shifts as well. Overall though, I found his subject intriguing and think this book should be read by people who work or play in any areas of communication, education, and science.

Even as I booted my laptop to write this review, I was captured alive by the power of the unending internet, seducing me to click on such links as "Christian woman making two grand from home working part-time on the computer" and a video of Rick Warren discussing his position on traditional marriage. Ten minutes later, I now powerfully reclaim my day's agenda, thanks in part to Shane Hipps' Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith.

Shane not only addresses the internet in this powerful book, but the entire Print Age, tracing the effects of such media as the written word, photography, radio, and television. But this non-fiction read is by no means dry. It actually goes down like a delightful chocolate milkshake, one I didn't want to put down and didn't want to end. I look forward to a second glass.

Every believer and follower of Christ will walk away from this read with an expanded mind. Evangelicals might note Hipps is a Mennonite and his beliefs are woven in the fabric of his work. However, shaping the readers' mind theologically is not his goal, and any occasional theological difference I may have encountered while reading did not distract me from our shared purpose -awareness. We agree on this main point - if Christians are to walk successfully in this new age, we must become aware of the forces of the age in which we walk.

Hipps' work fulfills its back-cover promise to awaken readers, opening eyes so that nothing looks the same again. It has stamped my thinking with a permanent reflective question, "Am I responding solely to the hands of the Potter, or am I resigning to the spinning forces of our culture?"

An enjoyable read full of stories that illustrate the points that Hipps makes throughout this book. Hipps helps us become aware of how the world of technology and media that we swim in impacts us and shapes us in ways we may not realize. He introduces the reader to communication guru Marshall McLuhan and one of his famous mantras, "The medium is the message." Hipps demonstrates how the church as a faith community is both medium and message for Gospel living. This book will open your eyes and leave you pondering how you can work with the realities of technology in ways that strengthen faith, not leave it impotent.

In Flickering Pixels, How Technology Shapes Your Faith, Shane Hipps tells us that the medium is the message, and that this applies to media that communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here's the story according to Hipps:

There have been three eras in time:
* Pre-modernity
* Modernity
* Post modernity

The change between these eras was driven by introduction of technologies:
* The shift from pre-modernity to modernity was driven by printing press
* The shift from modernity to post-modernity was driven by the telegraph, ability to transmit images, and new electronic communications of the 1850s
* The Gospels are mostly story based. Paul's letters are mostly linear, and sequential. The Gospels are more right-brained, while Paul's letters are more left brained.

The early church (pre reformation) was mostly right brain (stories from the Bible were relayed from person to person). The early church was also mostly focused on Jesus because it relayed stories of Jesus and parables told by Jesus. The post reformation church is mostly left brain driven mostly because of the introduction of literature as the media of communication. Post reformation church has mostly focused on the linear and logically based letters of Paul and the Gospel of John.

There is a shift currently happening, from left brain to right brain. New technology allows far more efficient transmission of media other than phonetic writing. This is bringing back an emphasis on image driven communication rather than print driven communication, which is more in tune with gospel / Jesus / story / right brain based church rather than apostolic letter / Paul / doctrine based church.

This all implies that new technologies used to communicate a message alter the message itself. You cannot change the method of delivery of the message without changing the message. Thus, the medium is the message, and this has implications on how we read scripture and how we share the Gospel.
So, if that's the story, do I believe it? I do. Here's why:

Hipps is a pastor, and an ex-marketing man, which gives him some credibility with me. I've also spent time with young people who are seeking authentic Christianity, and they seem to pose questions that are similar to those posed by Hipps when he denegrades modernity.

HOWEVER, I really can't cope with him putting down the gospel as presented by Bill Bright and the truth about Christianity as presented by Josh McDowell. It's really trendy in emergent church circles to blast such people, and it's unjustified. Hipps repeatedly quotes the scriptures as Truth, yet, without understanding why we can do that (aka McDowell) Hipps has no authority to do this. This is the problem with post-modern thinking as applied to Christianity - it blows the very faith out of the water that they claim to represent in an, oh-so-more-relevent-than-though way). He also puts down Bill Bright's 4 Spiritual Laws, without putting it in the context that Bright taught the 4 Spiritual Laws as a way to show people how to have a changed life, and live authentic Christ like lifestyle - exactly as emergent leaders keep saying we should.

Half the truth is really dangerous. I think that Hipps has explained how new media affect how new seekers look for answers in different ways that we might have done 40 years ago, and I applaud that. But, it's just as damaging to throw the Truth of the Bible out of the window today as it might have been for the left brain thinkers of modernity to ignore the Experience of Christ. Neither McDowell nor Bright did that, as would anyone who really knows them appreciates.

In Flickering Pixels, author Shane Hipps claims that Marshall McLuhan is one of the greatest thinkers you've never heard of. To the contrary, most Canadians are familiar with his iconic phrase, "The medium is the message." Having been familiarized with many notable Canadian figures through publicly funded television shorts that ran in ad slots on national television, his maxim is quite familiar to me.

Hipps' work is unusual for a Christian non-fiction title; exploring not the tenets of the faith, but rather how technological advancements affect our faith. As a professing internet-dependent Christian, this title offered the possibility of having my toes stomped on - a risk I took in any case.

Drawing material from his previous release (The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel and Church), Hipps has retooled his application of McLuhan's proverb for lay audiences. Readers intrigued by this `media-lite' version can look there for additional depth.

The main thrust of the title is in the examination of how changes in the presentation of information affect our minds and understanding of said information. It's really a great premise, well written, intellectually stimulating, and at times even witty. Moving through the print age, telegraph, radio, telephone, television, Internet and other forms of communication, Hipps details how the method -- the media format itself -- impacts our thought processes, and ultimately how we relate to those around us, the scriptures, and God Himself.

I found it ironic that a title exploring the impact of various technological advancements from the printing press to text messaging would be littered throughout with pop culture media references to well known franchises such as Saturday Night Live. Were these examples chosen as a head-nod to the power of the popular, or does Hipps suspect that many Christians are closeted SNL fans?

Some "Magic Eye" images were included for fun as well; maybe someday I'll be able to decipher them. In any case, Hipps is careful to mix up his carefully constructed philosophical ponderings with a splash of fun and kept me moving quickly through his brief work.

Flickering Pixels could have sported a possible alternate subtitle: Media 101 for Christians. Enough material is provided to stir the thought processes, prompt conversation, and provide a broad overview of the topic, while failing to deliver concrete suggestions and applications of the knowledge shared.

While lauding a discrete set of benefits that advances in media have provided, Hipps seems more concerned with pointing out the danger and the warning signs surrounding each technological advance and then recommending readers think about the impact these technologies have on their lives.

Maybe I've missed something here. Yes, I realize media changes us, and I agree with the many, valid, well-phrased explanations of such changes. The question remains, though, have Hipps exhortations to examine our media choices impacted my life significantly? I'm afraid not.

No matter how often I roll these thoughts around in my mind, I come to the same conclusions: I love being able to communicate and receive knowledge through a variety of formats while seeking to shield my family from any inappropriate uses of these tools. Perhaps it's due to our somewhat abnormal use of media that I find little encouragement here, or the open-ended, one-sided discussion without a clear position.

Whatever the case, media buffs aside, I doubt this work will capture the imagination of the work-a-day Christian reader.

This book failed to deliver on its promise. For some reason, I was expecting a book about current technology. The book addresses mostly older technology, like print and the telegraph.

Hipps never really gets around to discussing current technology with the wisdom of an insider. The book just doesn't have enough street credibility to be taken seriously.

I was expecting to read about social media, blogs, twitter, social networks like Facebook, and other innovative approaches to information like open source and wikis. In the few instances where the book addresses any of these current technologies and our current struggles with them, it does so through anecdotes. I appreciate the power of a good anecdote to give context to abstract statistics, but this book relies on anecdotes alone.

My biggest criticism of the book is its size. It is thin. It's evidence is often philosophical or anecdotal. I really expected an analysis of the sociological and marketing research that so many folks have been doing on new technologies and new media. But we're left with philosophies, stories--and what often feel like hasty generalizations and unearned conclusions.

I'm not saying Flickering Pixels is a horrible book. There are moments that truly spoke to me. In one of the final chapters, Shane thinks about the tabernacle as a kind of technological innovation: "Yaweh goes into excruciating detail for how to make and use all worship-related media and technology [of the tabernacle]. How much more might God be concerned with our technology in the age of the iPhone?"

I guess I was hoping for Shane Hipps to give me more excruciating detail about our current technologies than he did.

Length:: 5:34 Mins