From the 95 Theses to Amazon.com
This week we approach Reformation Day — Halloween to most people. For many Christians it is the birthday of Lutheranism and a spur for many Protestant movements. 2×2 Foundation has strong roots in the Lutheran tradition, although we are aligned with no denomination. We pause to look at the history of publishing and the church and how it will continue to impact our future.
It is often noted that Martin Luther’s ideas — which were not entirely original — had impact on the world because they coincided with the invention of the printing press. His ideas spread across Europe while his reform-minded predecessors were likely to have had their toes warmed at the stake before their influence spread very far.
As the Protestant Church grew, most of the evolving denominations established at least one publishing house. There were also independent religious publishing houses. Writers had to convince publishers of the value of their ideas before they could see them in print. If one publisher turned them down . . . on to the next. If successful (and that could take years), they could look forward to publication within a year as manuscripts were edited, typeset, designed, printed and marketed. Publishing in the church could be a daunting enterprise. (That change in the church often relies on the slow process of publishing may be the reason the church is resistant to change today.)
Denominations sometimes took steps to protect their interests in their publishing house(s). A predecessor body of the ELCA, for example, had constitutional prohibitions against congregations publishing. Perhaps this was an effort to monitor religious thought. Perhaps it was an attempt to corner the market on publishing.
Things are changing. For the last few decades, the church and its publishers have been challenged by the economy. Some publishers closed and some merged. There were fewer places for thought leaders to present their ideas. Now all publishing houses face a Goliath — amazon.com.
Amazon is now making it easy for writers to self-publish and market their books and ideas. The filtering layers of hierarchy and bureaucracy are gone. Anyone can publish — any pastor, any congregation, any seminarian or congregant, or any small group within the Church. In addition, writers can publish ebooks on their own websites. It’s a whole new world for religion and the Church. It will affect Church structure. It remains to be seen how.
Some may miss the tempering or censuring influence of the old publishing system. However, controls are still in place, but the power is shifting. We control what is published by participating. The joystick is in our hands. Dialog on topics of interest to the church are open to anyone with internet access. If you see a wrong idea, challenge it!
Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the cathedral door. Today, we can post our ideas on anyone’s Facebook “wall”!
We encourage congregations to find their voice and use it. The size of your congregation no longer matters. The congregation which sponsors 2x2virtualchurch.com is small. Nevertheless, through this blog, we have reached more than 700 “visitors” in the last seven months and are now averaging more than 50 new visitors each week. That number has a pattern of steady growth.
As we develop this forum, we ask one question — “How we can help other small churches?” That’s our focus and one of our many missions.