Review: People of the Screen
John Dyer’s book People of the Screen: How Evangelicals Created the Digital Bible and How It Shapes Their Reading of Scripture offers a number of helpful insights into behavioral trends of evangelical Bible readers, specifically with regard to digital forms of Bible engagement. This book should be of interest to many Christians in reflecting upon their own patterns of Bible engagement, but it will particularly be of interest to Christians whose work involves creating digital forms of Bible engagement (Bible apps, websites, audio bibles, videos, podcasts, etc). As a Bible software developer myself, this is without a doubt the most important book I have ever read with regard to my work.
Quotables
Of all christian traditions, evangelicals stand apart for their involvement in both production and consumption of digital Bibles. (3)
The data suggest that Bible readers tend to see a kinder, gentler God when they read about him on a screen and yet they report feeling more discouraged and confused by the encounter. Conversely, print readers tend to emphasize more of God's holiness and judgment, but report feeling more fulfilled and encouraged by the encounter. (7)
[There is] a perpetual tension within evangelicalism: its independence from formal authority structures and entrepreneurial embrace of media sometimes enables the wrong kinds of evangelicals to gain power, prompting others to create new institutions and begin the cycle again. (41)
YouVersion.com's creators were challenging the traditional authority structures of evangelicalism, suggesting that Bible study notes could be prepared by users, not authors, and vetted by commenters, not publishers. (81)
Researchers have shown that digital Bible users tend to share Bible verses that are consistent with Christian Smith's moralistic therapeutic deism (MTD), such as Philippians 4:13, rather than theologically oriented passages like John 3:16. It is possible that YouVersion's choice to highlight popular verses is forming a feedback loop that privileges MTD passages that, in turn, further reinforce MTD viewpoints. (114)
The features of Bible software can be categorized into three overlapping categories: those that replicate engagement done in print [e.g. note-taking], those that upgrade or extend something from the print world [e.g. search], and those that enable a new form of engagement [e.g. audio-listening]. (135)
Bible software presents a... trade-off between quality Bible reading and the convenience of being [able to] read the Bible anywhere. You cannot have a "quiet time" in a grocery store, but you can finish a reading plan. At the same time, Bible software, when used alongside a printed Bible, appears to deepen one's understanding of the text, its interrelatedness, and its importance in one's life. (180)
Several users... spoke of relying on these resources [such as notes, commentaries, and original language tools] rather than "the Bible alone" for interpreting the text... what I have called "secondary perspicuity" appears to be an emerging belief among some digital Bible users that they can still arrive at the correct answer as long as they have the right app installed with the right resources unlocked. (184)Purchase the book →
