“The Fabric of our Lives”
Catholic Church Perspectives on the Internet
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/firn.v4i2.150Keywords:
information ethics, information society, Internet, media ecology, right to communicateAbstract
This paper is a first attempt to explore how a theology of communication might best integrate and develop reflection on the Internet and the problematic area of the so-called “information society.” It examines the way in which official Church documents on communications have attempted to deal with these issues and proposes elements for a broader framework including “media ecology,” information ethics and more active engagement with the broader social and policy debates.
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References
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Second Vatican Council. 1963. Inter Mirifica. <http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19631204_inter-mirifica_en.html>
Shaping Information Societies for Human Needs. 2003. <http://www.worldsummit2003.de/ download_en/WSIS-CS-Dec-25-Feb-04-en.pdf>
Sison, Antonio. 2004. “Kaleidoscopic Catechesis: Media Literacy in Cyberspace (Part 2),” Interview with Sr Angela Ann Zukowski, National Catholic Reporter, September 24. <http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/globalpers/gp092104.htm>
Soukup, Paul. 2003. “Challenges for Evangelization in the Digital Age,” Paper to Continental Congress on the Church and Information Society, Monterrey, Mexico. <http://www. iglesiaeinformatica.org/4-2-Challenges%20for%20Evangelization%20in%20the%20 Digital%20Age.pdf>
—2007. “Teaching Communication and Theology,” Paper to the Gregorian University Theology and Communications Conference, Arricia, Rome, September 9-16, 2007.
Staudenmaier, John. 1989. “Moving at the Speed of Light: The Influence of Communication Technologies on Modern American Culture,” in James McDonnell and Frances Trampiets eds. Communicating Faith in a Technological Age. Slough, Berks: St Paul Publications, 28–48.
Strate, L. 2004. “A Media Ecology Review,” Communication Research Trends, 23.2, 3–48.
Benedict XVI. 2008. The Media: At the Crossroads between Self-Promotion and Service. Searching for the Truth in Order to Share it with Others. <http://www.vatican.va/holy_ father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_ 20080124_42nd-world-communications-day_en.html>
—2009. New Technologies, New Relationships: Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship. <http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/ communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20090124_43rd-worldcommunications-day_en.html>
Burke, Derek, et al. 1999. Cybernauts Awake! Ethical and Spiritual Implications of Computers, Information Technology and the Internet. London: Church House Publishing.
Castells, Manuel. 2001. The Internet Galaxy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Crawford, Susan. 1983. “The Origin and Development of a Concept: The Information Society,” Bulletin Medical Library Association, 71.4, 380–85. <http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/ articlerender.fcgi?artid=227258>
Borgman, Erik, Stephan Van Erp and Hille Haker eds. 2005. “Cyberspace – Cyberethics – Cybertheology.” Concilium, 1.
Froehlich, Thomas. 2004. “A Brief History of Information Ethics,” BiD: textos universitaris de biblioteconomia i documentació, 13 (December). <http://www2.ub.es/bid/consulta_ articulos.php?fichero=13froel2.htm>
Harms, L. S. 1982. “Right to Communicate. Jean D’Arcy of Paris.” <www.righttocommunicate. org/viewDocument.atm?sectionName=human&id=15>
—2002. “Some Essential of the Right to Communicate.” Invited paper prepared for www. righttocommunicate.org/collections.html>
International Commission for the Study of Communication Problems. 1984. Many Voices, One World. (MacBride Report) Paris: UNESCO.
John Paul II. 1984. Social Communication: Instruments of Encounter between Faith and Culture. <http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/communications/ documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_24051984_world-communications-day_en.html>
—1985. Social Communications for a Christian Promotion of Youth. <http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/communications/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_ 15041985_world-communications-day_en.html>
—1990a. The Christian Message in a Computer Culture. <http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/ john_paul_ii/messages/communications/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_ 24011990_world-communications-day_en.html>
—1990b. Redemptoris Missio. <http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/ documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio_en.html>
—1992. The Proclamation of Christ’s Message in the Communications Media. <http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/communications/documents/ hf_jp-ii_mes_24011992_world-communications-day_en.html>
—2005. The Rapid Development. <http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_ letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20050124_il-rapido-sviluppo_en.html>
Lee, Philip, ed. 2002. “Communication Rights in the Information Society.” Media Development, 4.
—2009. “Towards a Theology of Communication Rights.” Fieldwork in Religion, 4.2, 191–208.
Martin, Diarmuid. 2004. “Has Religion a Role in a Technological Society?” In Ethics and Values in a Digital Age. Dublin: Information Society Commission, 47–51.
McIver, William J., William F. Birdsall and Merrilee Rasmussen. 2003. “The Internet and the Right to Communicate,” First Monday, 8, 12. <http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_12/ mciver/index.html>
Naughton, John. 2006. “The Age of Permanent Net Revolution,” The Observer, March 5 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2006/mar/05/newmedia.broadcasting>
Nora, Simon, and Alain Minc. 1980. The Computerisation of Society. Boston: MIT Press.
Paul VI. 1971. Communio et Progressio. <http://pissoff.enemy.org/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_23051971_communio_en.html>
Pontifical Council for Social Communications. 1992. Aetatis Novae. <http://www.pcf.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_22021992_ aetatis_en.html>
—2000. Ethics in Communications. <http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/ pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_20000530_ethics-communications_en.html>
—2002a. The Church and Internet. <http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/ pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_20020228_church-internet_en.html>
—2002b. Ethics in Internet. <http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/ pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_20020228_ethics-internet_en.html>
Second Vatican Council. 1963. Inter Mirifica. <http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19631204_inter-mirifica_en.html>
Shaping Information Societies for Human Needs. 2003. <http://www.worldsummit2003.de/ download_en/WSIS-CS-Dec-25-Feb-04-en.pdf>
Sison, Antonio. 2004. “Kaleidoscopic Catechesis: Media Literacy in Cyberspace (Part 2),” Interview with Sr Angela Ann Zukowski, National Catholic Reporter, September 24. <http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/globalpers/gp092104.htm>
Soukup, Paul. 2003. “Challenges for Evangelization in the Digital Age,” Paper to Continental Congress on the Church and Information Society, Monterrey, Mexico. <http://www. iglesiaeinformatica.org/4-2-Challenges%20for%20Evangelization%20in%20the%20 Digital%20Age.pdf>
—2007. “Teaching Communication and Theology,” Paper to the Gregorian University Theology and Communications Conference, Arricia, Rome, September 9-16, 2007.
Staudenmaier, John. 1989. “Moving at the Speed of Light: The Influence of Communication Technologies on Modern American Culture,” in James McDonnell and Frances Trampiets eds. Communicating Faith in a Technological Age. Slough, Berks: St Paul Publications, 28–48.
Strate, L. 2004. “A Media Ecology Review,” Communication Research Trends, 23.2, 3–48.
Published
2010-05-28
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
McDonnell, J. (2010). “The Fabric of our Lives”: Catholic Church Perspectives on the Internet. Fieldwork in Religion, 4(2), 150-167. https://doi.org/10.1558/firn.v4i2.150
