Prayer in the Digital Age [Paperback]

Matt Swaim (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2011

The digital age is an age of information overload. In this noisy, technology-driven world, full of important news and urgent messages, spending silent time in prayer can seem impossible.
In his second book, Matt Swaim brings to light the obstacles to prayer inherent in our digitally-connected culture and explores both the challenges and benefits of living a Christian life in the 21st century. Drawing on the spiritual wisdom of such masters as St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Therese of Lisieux, and Venerable Pope John Paul II, Swaim provides practical suggestions for learning how to unplug and incorporate prayer into ones daily life.
Delve into how technology truly affects our faith:
In a culture suffering from information overload, what's the difference between knowing facts about God and actually knowing God?
How does our desire to be entertained interfere with knowing God as He really is, rather than just as we want to perceive Him?
What are the distinctions between employing media and information as tools to aid evangelization and spiritual growth while avoiding a purely consumer approach to the faith?
How can information overload deaden our ability to listen?

Editorial Reviews

Review

If you're so wired that you think you've got it all figured out, it's likely that you're in need of this book! Matt gives readers a full menu of thoughtful discourse on how to sync prayer and technology in this digital age. Mute your cell phone, hit pause on your DVR and savor some silence with this exceptional book. --Lisa M. Hendey, Founder of CatholicMom.com and author of The Handbook for Catholic Moms

About the Author

Matthew Swaim works at Sacred Heart Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio and is the producer of The Son Rise Morning Show, a nationally syndicated program on the EWTN global Catholic radio network. He holds a B.S. degree in Media Communications (2002) from Asbury College.

Though serving in many non-Catholic Christian ministries prior to his conversion, Swaim entered the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil of 2005, and his zeal of conversion brings an added excitement to his practice of the faith.

He and his wife Colleen reside in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Liguori Publications (March 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764819798
• ISBN-13: 978-0764819797
• Product Dimensions: 0.6 x 5.4 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,111,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Matt Swaim is the producer of the Son Rise Morning Show, which is syndicated through the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network. He was received into the Catholic Church at Easter Vigil of 2005, and his first book, "The Eucharist and the Rosary" was released in Spring 2010 by Liguori Publications. His next book, "Prayer in the Digital Age" is slated for a Spring 2011 Liguori release. He will also be contributing to the upcoming yearly devotional "Tending the Temple" with Dr. Kevin Vost, Peggy Bowes and others, which will use the lives of the saints as models of spiritual and physical fitness.

A big fan of folks like G.K. Chesterton, T.S. Eliot, F.J. Sheed and other great thinkers and writers who go by initials rather than full names, Swaim also enjoys shows and books about the undead that involve slaying them rather than trying to become romantically involved with them, and hopes one day to record an apocalyptic rock opera that will involve robots as antagonists, and that will be based on the book of Judges. He's an ambitious and easily distracted fellow.

Swaim resides in Cincinnati, OH with his wife Colleen, and a sedentary English bulldog named Libby.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars not quite digital praying, but wow.. he hits the mark March 3, 2011

By Robb Holzrichter

Format:Paperback

I found this book to be very interesting and truly thought provoking. In an age where so many of us are now tied to our computers, our smart phones, chat, messaging, email, voicemail, twitter, facebook.... people are just trying to feel connected in somewhere. What I gathered from the book is God truly has a real place in this digital era -- whether through disciplined or non-disciplined prayer -- He is there. Although I am not Catholic, it was interesting to read about the different patron saints in the back of the book -- patron saint of the internet, sexual temptation, television, authors, publishers, advertisers, etc. If we are to make disciples of all nations -- we must go where the nations (the people) are. they are in the digital realm today and as Christians (Catholic and catholic)we must meet them there. Thank you Matt for the very interesting discussion on this important topic.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Become aware of the digital obstacles to prayer March 30, 2011

By Brandon Vogt TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

In his new book, Prayer in the Digital Age (Liguori, paperback, 160 pages), Matt Swaim" probes the relationship between technology and prayer. Among many topics, he considers the difficulty of silence in our noisy world, our discomfort with God's own quietness, the emptiness of virtual identities, and the temptation to consume too much information. Each of these obstacles hinders our prayer life, Matt explains, and each one has been amplified in our digital world.

Despite the title's suggestion, Prayer in the Digital Age doesn't deal specifically with tools like Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. The book is more abstract than practical, but that's a needed approach for a world that overvalues pragmatism. Most people become enamored by a new digital tool and dive right in without considering its effects. Matt's book, on the other hand, teaches us to detect the effects of technology. With this awareness, we can be more confident that we are using technology and not the other way around.

Prayer in the Digital Age is definitely not a beginner's prayer book. Matt leans on giants like St. Thomas Aquinas and St. John of the Cross. And he philosophizes on hope and happiness, gauging how technology affects the "summa bonum"--the highest good in life.

All this means that the book is not a quick read, but I actually count that as a positive. Matt forces you to chew, contemplate, and even pray through his words--it doesn't take many pages to attract you toward silence--a welcome relief to the shallowness we typically wade in through the blogosphere.

Another great component is the book's Appendix, which covers "Patron Saints of the Digital Age." Each entry features a saint's name, their patronage, and a short biography describing how they influence digital culture. As we consider how to respond to technology, this Appendix stands as a great source for both guidance and prayers.

My only qualm with the book is that it focuses primarily on technology's negative effects on prayer. In many ways, I think prayer can actually be aided by new tools. But that's not to say that Matt is an alarmist by any measure. In the book, Matt acts as both a digital tour guide and a spiritual medic. He points out the subtle, oft-neglected dangers of the digital world, but instead of just stopping there he provides antidotes for each.

If you're looking to learn the basics of prayer or some practical ways that technology can help you pray, this might not be your book. But if you want to recognize the spiritual dangers lurking within the digital world, check out Prayer in the Digital Age.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A WOW read that will impact your life! June 13, 2011

By Sarah Reinhard VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Wow. I just finished this book this weekend, and I'm still left with that overwhelming impression: wow. It was not only what I needed to read when I needed to read it, it was a gem of a book. Swaim doesn't try to be a theologian, but comes at his topic with all the practicality and sensibility of someone who struggles just like the rest of us. His observations ring true, because he's speaking what's been niggling in the back of my mind. I especially enjoyed how he suggests solutions, as opposed to just ranting about how bad things are now. One of my favorite books so far this year. HIGHLY recommended.