The 2008 Evangelical Outpost/Wheatstone Academy Symposium - Mere Orthodoxy | Christianity, Politics, and Culture

I am excited about the Symposium that Joe Carter is hosting at Evangelical Outpost, and quite honored to be a judge. I would strongly encourage all my Mere-O neighbors to enter, as I think the topic is particularly stimulating (not to mention a refreshing break from the political realm!).

Here’s the question:

If the medium affects the message, how will the Christian message be affected by the new media?

John Schroeder at Blogotional has already pointed the direction for a few essays:

• The question is not well formed. Christianity is more than just “message.” That being said; however, how we present our ideas affects the results of the presentation, but it is the results that REALLY matter.
• Blogging seems amplify ignorance, prejudice, and just plain bad thinking as much as it does the good stuff, at least within ignorant, prejudiced, and poor-thinking circles.
• Blogging is a poor substitute for a relationship; remember, God incarnated
• Ideas don’t change people, the Holy Spirit does
• It is much harder to be graceful in writing

I’d be interested to hear those thoughts developed.

And did I mention that the prizes are definitely worth having? They are so good, in fact, that I almost considered not judging.

(1) A full tuition scholarship for a Christian high school student of the winner’s choice to Wheatstone Academy. [A $950 value]

(2) The ‘Quintessentials’ from Stand to Reason, including the Ambassador Basic Curriculum, Tactics in Defending the Faith DVD, Decision Making and the Will of God CD set, and a signed copy of Greg Koukl’s new book Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air. [A $150 value]
(3) A $200 donation made to Compassion International in the name of the winning blogger.

(4) A full-tuition scholarship to the upcoming GodBlogCon (September 2008). [A $150 value]
(5) A two-year subscription to Touchstone Magazine. [A $59.95 value]
(6) A year subscription to Townhall magazine. [A $34.95 value]

Entries will be accepted until Friday, April 25th. Email entries to eosubmissions@gmail.com.

And don’t forget that the Symposium is sponsored by Wheatstone Academy, where your high schooler can spend quality time with my wife, not to mention the many other notable figures that will be there, like John Mark Reynolds, J.P. Moreland and Sean McDowell.