My Most Recent Publication

David Congdon & Travis McMaken, “Theo-Blogging and the Future of Academic Theology: Reflections from the Trenches” in Princeton Theological Review 17.2 (Fall, 2010): 91-100.

That’s right, your favorite theo-blogging dynamic duo are at it again, this time reflecting on theo—blogging itself! David and I offer a proposal for how blogs should be incorporated into the landscape of academic theology, discuss the medium’s strengths and weaknesses, and offer some suggestions for what might make your blog better. The PTR website has not yet been updated with this issue, but you may want to keep an eye on it to read our piece, as well as other interesting essays – including a pair on the virtual church (the issue theme is “The Church After Google”). Here is the conclusion to David’s and my essay, to whet your appetites:

Christianity is, of course, a “religion of the book,” and theology is the ongoing reflection on ancient and modern texts. But the challenge today is to understand how the church and the theological academy ought to adapt to new media in the so-called “Internet-Age.” Our proposal here is a modest one: the church and academy both have much to gain from the prudent use of blogs as vehicles for theological reflection. They are not a panacea, and they are no substitute for the traditional forms of scholarly work – just as e-books are no replacement for a tangible, bound volume. Nevertheless, they have a place within contemporary scholarship as a liminal space for the review of current literature, the promotion of collegial dialogue, and the exploration of new possibilities in theological discourse.