There Oughta Be a Catholic Book on ... Catholic New Media

Oh wait, there already is a book!  It’s called The Church and New Media:  Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops Who Tweet.   I wrote up a mini-review for the print Catholic Post, and since I have more “room” here, I’ve expanded this a little more for the Catholic Post book group blog.

The Church and New Media is not just an insider’s guide to who’s who in Catholic Internet and new media use.  That might be fun to read for some, but the book is way more valuable and practical.

A CPGP book I reviewed earlier this year, Prayer in the Digital Age, by Matt Swaim, may seem similar, but it’s really not.  Prayer in the Digital Age is a terrific book for individuals to consider how to  have a healthy relationship with our online world. 

The Church and New Media, compiled by blogger and new media expert Brandon Vogt, is more like a how-to on Internet presence and connectivity for everyone from the tech-savvy to novices.

Each chapter of The Church and New Media is penned by a different online expert, on topics ranging from blogging; to connecting with young adults; to creating a new media policy in a parish or a diocese.  Sidebars highlight various projects or personalities breaking new ground in Catholic online evangelism.    My only, truly minor, quibble with the book is not in content at all but that the text and font seemed a little “squished” and made it a little less enjoyable to read than it could have been. 

This book would be an indispensible resource for so many, from pastors seeking ways to create or update a parish’s online presence, to ministry leaders and others who don’t know why they should connect with their members or students this way.  The Church and New Media begins this conversation in a reader-friendly and informative way.  I plan to give a copy to my parish priest, and I can think of many others who would benefit from it.

Have you read The Church and New Media yet?  What do you find best about it?