Digital Bible media should be ubiquitous.
In one sense, and in the short-term, this means cross-platform availability. Accordance, Laridian, Logos, OliveTree, and YouVersion have all been working on making their software and resources accessible on a computer, phone, tablet, pad, or the Internet. This means that my library as well as my annotations are available to me regardless of where I’m working.
This kind of access is another critical change in how we think about what it means to read the Bible.
In a larger sense, when I say that Bible media should be ubiquitous, I mean that the Bible really becomes formative in all we do and say. The more we are able to read and engage with the biblical text, the more we as Christians become equipped to think and act biblically. I think technology can help get us there, but that’s another essay!

Digital Bible media should be both personal and communal. Bible reading can be an intensely personal experience, but the technology really enables it to be a communal one as well. I taught one Greek class where we connected with the Lutheran Seminary of Hong Kong. It was both informative and exciting to be colloborating on translating Greek into English when we were enriched by another culture’s perspective as well as the challenge of making sense to students for whom English was a second language. This aspect relates to my previous point of interactive reading, and I dream of someday participating in worldwide Bible study groups. I think this will be one of the greatest ways Christians will be able to see a global Christianity that transcends parochial or national boundaries.

Ah, what a wonderful voice the great preacher had ;)
What fun!

John Dyer has a typically thought provoking, balanced yet somewhat contrarian take on technology (smart phones) in church: The Texture of Screens Amidst Communities of Faith: 3 Outstanding Issues with Smartphones in Church. It is worth a think, however as a grumpy old man I would rather take a step back and examine an earlier disruptive technology, print:

I’m also very disturbed by intrusive new technology in church. For the last few centuries so many Christians arrive at the divine office carrying their personal codexes of the Bible, and they open these and read them privately instead of joining in the communal hearing of the living Word. This new technology is disruptive and anti-Christian, print (the technology that allows it) should be banned in Church as a dangerous individualising of the faith.

And, it gives me another chance to link to an ancient but brilliant sketch on YouTube ;)

Reftagger, the neat tool from Logos that makes Bible texts appear as popups over their references, seems to have stopped working. At least on this blog.

Is it just me? Is it just temporary? Are others getting the error message:

Over the last few months and especially in the last few days I have been getting very heavy traffic all aiming at one particular file on another of my sites. The hits are geterated by multiple GET commands for the same file. This results in considerable bandwidth leaching. I have begun using IP Deny for those IP addresses, but they seem to change from day to day. I tried to contact my hosting company but they are a cheap one and seem uninterested. If anyone has an idea what is happening or has noticed something similar I would be glad to hear from you. tim@carey.ac.nz The IP addresses I traced were all in China, but in several different cities…

John Dyer’s book on technology and spirituality is available FREE today only for Amazon Kindles :)

Judging by his blog posts it will be a great read and a stimulating prompt for thought about what technology is doing to our lives. If I could get a Kindle in time this sort of free offer could prod me into buying one ;)

The biblical studies carnival(s) is(are) up at Scotteriology. Scot provides both smaller and larger versions, illustrating the dearth of nominations, and the work required to produce a good carnival from all the now huge number of blogs and podcasts dealing seriously with the Bible.

Enjoy both the results of nominations: September Biblioblog Carnival: The “Lesser”

And Scotts own selections: September 2011 Biblical Studies Carnival: The “Greater”

Either and both will point you to interesting material you’d have otherwise missed :)

The Thai websitePrachatai (English language section) often has humorous pieces on Thai political and social life by Harrison George. This time in “Frankly Sick” he has a brilliant comment that is more global in scope. Here’s the opening:

 British Prime Minister David Cameron was forced to return from his Tuscan holiday a second time to deal with the widespread turmoil in the financial markets. Night after night, mobs of out-of-control investors had been roaming the markets at will, looting and pillaging with impunity.

Television viewers were horrified at the sight of bankers and hedge fund managers calmly walking away with monthly pay-packets in 6 figures, leaving derelict and moribund economies behind them.

AP is reporting the death of John Stott the long-time father (then grandfather) figure of British Evangelicalism at age 90. This is a passing we shall all (at least Anglophone Christians) mourn.

Yet, of course, John Stott dedicated the royalties of his many highly popular books to the education of Evangelical scholars in places where resources for such scholars are scarce. Through scholarships, a library fund and the preaching initiatives John Stott will continue to impact wider and wider circles of humanity.

John Stott dies, John Stott lives!