When Andrew Keen’s The Cult of the Amateur was released in 2007 it was greeted by a flurry of mixed reviews. Critics of all stripes either praised its brilliant insight into culture, or others condemned it as a prime example of culturally elite ‘Ludditism.’ In my reading of the book I am finding it to be frighteningly true despite the implications it has for many who would have to radically alter their lifestyles if they submitted to his thesis. I’d like to explore some of those implications from an evangelical Christian standpoint. This is particularly appropriate since Keen himself has no identifiable religious moorings in his book.
The main thrust of the book is best surmised in the somewhat unorthodox subtitle: “how blogs, MySpace, YouTube, and the rest of today’s user-generated media are destroying our economy, our culture, and our values.” With a scandalous proposition such as this one Keen was opening himself up to attacks from all angles as he reports in the foreword of the book. Yet when I sought to obtain a copy of the book through the InterLibrary Loan program of my seminary’s library, I sensed I would find much in the book that would resonate with me. This sounds a bit hypocritical at first glance since I communicate this via blog. But one does not have to agree with every possible application of a book to appreciate the spirit or ideology out of which it is birthed. My interest in the book was specific to how the type of culture that Keen describes destroys values that Christians hold dear, though he includes economic and cultural concerns in his polemic as well.
One important thing to keep in mind when we consider this subject of ’user-generated, media-driven’ culture influences the values of individuals is to be honest with ourselves. I am finding this to be the greatest hurdle in warning fellow believers about the limitations and even dangers inherent to adopting every medium available in communication today. Even as I write this I am making plans to attend a theological symposium later this month to read a paper on how electronic media may be prone to hinder sanctification in the life of a believer. Whenever this subject has been broached in conversation I immediately find friends and acquaintances alike raise a suspicious eyebrow at the mere suggestion that the iPod in their hand or their Facebook account may not only be doing something for them, but it may be doing something to them. Again, honesty with the facts given to us through theology, sociology, psychology, and other disciplines must be acknowledged.
In addition to honesty, caution is another quality we ought to demonstrate in using the tools and toys of contemporary culture. Typically when the words caution and internet are used in the same sentence they are directly tied to concerns over people preying on others online. Issues such as cyber-stalking, identify theft, and pornographic temptations are the ones that come to mind first. And perhaps in some ways they are even greater dangers to Christians than originally thought. We have a tendency to become lax in our wariness of such things because we’ve done so well in the past, or the people we know who have failed in those areas may be people who lived spiritually precarious lives anyway. In that regard, caution is essential here.
While each of these are crucial to guard against, the vices that may be attached to blogging, social networking, and other such technologies are much more subtle than explicit content. What about the opportunity for vanity and triviality afforded by such online outlets? A classic example of this would be the option on many of these sites to let others know what the individual is doing at any given moment, whether it’s something such as being ‘in class’ or ‘taking a nap.’ But what about when we feel inclined to share every other inconsequential activity of our lives? Do people really need to know if Joe Blow ‘is excited that the new season of The Office is on tonight’? How will we be perceived by others, especially those who barely know us when we have to let them know we are ‘not happy because I have a fever,’ or ‘annoyed at my chemistry teacher for assigning so much work!’? Could it be that our cyber-lives are consumed with triviality and childishness while simultaneously we’d be horrified to know if our actual lives were insignificant and considered insipid by those we wish to befriend and even evangelize?
Many blogs end up being peoples’ random musings on different subjects they have thought very little on. Most of the time they have read no serious literature on those subjects. They haven’t dialogued with professionals in those fields. Individuals simply articulate their opinions as if they are fact. This is central to Keen’s argument in The Cult of the Amateur when he says “a professional writer spends years mastering or refining his or her craft in an effort to be recognized by a seasoned universe of editors, agents, critics, and consumers, as someone worth reading and paying attention to…..can the cult of the noble amateur really expect to bypass all this and do a better job?” (63). This is certainly something we must consider as we write in such a way as to feign expertise.
Individual introspection is always essential to Christian living. When one decides to start a blog, open a ’social utility’ account, or post photos online they must ask questions such as “how will this glorify the Lord Jesus?” That suggestion runs the risk of being accused of “spiritualizing.” Yet a simple perusal of Paul’s epistles finds him taking theological truth and applying it to every realm of life. Christians must ask themselves other questions as well, such as ”am I really aware of how this technology will impact my relationship to others, the created order, and God?”
After honesty and caution are exercised by the believer, humility is also indispensable. We must not allow ourselves to bypass the normal paths to intellectual development such as schooling, mentoring, and careful reading and research. Otherwise it reeks of pride and arrogance. Yet often among many young writers a form of pseudo-humility is encountered. People will broach a subject or raise a sufficiently legitimate question, but then they refrain from even actually setting forth a position on the issue. They raise questions simply to be provocative and to allow themselves an opportunity to ‘humbly’ submit their musings on the matter without opening themselves up for critique. This protects them because how can one critique a writer who isn’t willing to stand behind any formal thesis or position?
This seems to completely negate the whole purpose of rhetoric in my estimation. A person is essentially speaking or writing just to be seen and heard. Yet they are not a serious seeker of truth. They are unwilling to submit themselves to the appropriate scrutiny that publishing a work always brings with it. If a person wishes merely to dialogue or start a conversation, then they ought to do that. But they ought to reconsider publishing random thoughts. Saving those for a personal journal may be the more appropriate place for them. Again, this type of approach to blogging or writing in general is susceptible to pride, not humility.
So honesty, caution, and humility are essential to the task of writing. Perhaps the remaining things to consider may best be surmised by Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” There is much wisdom to glean here, but the following questions could serve participants of blogging, Facebook, MySpace, and others sites as well:
1) Is the content I am about to broadcast truthful and accurate?
2) Is there anything honorable in this act of writing I have just done?
3) Is what I have written just, fair, and balanced?
4) Are the things I am communicating with these images, words, and clips filled with mixed motives, or anything that would cause someone to stumble?
5) Is what I am doing something that would be commended by a respected friend, parent, employer, or professor? Could it get me fired, labeled, or a bad grade if any of them saw this?
6) Is there anything excellent or praiseworthy about what I’ve just written or displayed?
7) Am I going to be embarrassed about this a year or two from now?
Truth, beauty, and excellence are not ambiguous concepts. They flow from the person of Christ himself. Interestingly enough, even Andrew Keen, who I mentioned was certainly not an evangelical Christian, ultimately appeals to Judeo-Christian concepts of morality and aesthetics in his book to prove his thesis.
This is an issue many of us continue to wrestle with. Recently among some seminary peers a question was raised as to what actually qualifies one to do a blog. One professor suggested you should at least have a doctorate in theology before doing a blog on theology. I certainly am not prepared to make definitive prescriptions on the matter. However, I feel Scripture gives the believer sufficient guidelines to be wise about cyberspace. But are we serious about abandoning the cult of the amateur, or would we rather be immersed in vanity, triviality, and worldliness without a second thought? May the Holy Spirit help believers escape the danger of being cliches in a culture hungering for authenticity.
WJW – 10/15
