Congregation Questions for the Recorded Interview
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Durham E-Theses To See or Not to See: Communication, Cooperation and Co-creation in the Use of Liturgical Media Art in Protestant Worship HOLMES, ANDREW,DAVID How to cite: HOLMES, ANDREW,DAVID (2013) To See or Not to See: Communication, Cooperation and Co-creation in the Use of Liturgical Media Art in Protestant Worship, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9418/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Andrew David Holmes To See or Not to See: Communication, Cooperation and Co-creation in the Use of Liturgical Media Art in Protestant Worship Abstract This research examines why churches are using Liturgical Media Art (LMA), specifically the use of projected or displayed images and texts, in their worship. Using a long term ethnographic study of four congregations, two in the UK and two in the USA, the research reveals a number of important issues for those who lead and those who prepare the materials used in the worship. The results show that LMA is providing added educational, missional and liturgical value through increased participation of the congregation in the worship of the churches researched. The research also identifies that those who lead worship, those who are the congregants in the worship and those who prepare the materials used in worship all have a very different perspective on the use of LMA. In seeking to understand the different approaches this research posits the role of self-esteem as a way of interpreting the three viewpoints. In looking at one possible measure of the effectiveness of LMA, this research examines the role of ‘surprise’ in relation to memory as well as how memory traits may be encoded so as to provide a long term retrieval of the images and associated service content. Using the work of McLuhan as a lens to examine the way churches employ LMA, this research focuses on the learning that can be found when there are problems with the use of LMA and its presence in the worship becomes obvious. The research posits a number of outcomes for ministerial formation and ministry that would aid the use of LMA in worship today. The research draws on the work of many writers from various theological, sociological, philosophical disciplines to reflect theologically on the use of LMA in our worship today. It also briefly considers the new ‘environmental projection’ being adopted in some churches. This research confirms much of the anecdotal evidence offered for the use of LMA and adds to the current literature about the use of LMA. To See or Not to See: Communication, Cooperation and Co-creation in the Use of Liturgical Media Art in Protestant Worship To See or Not to See: Communication, Cooperation and Co-creation in the Use of Liturgical Media Art in Protestant Worship by Andrew David Holmes A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Theology and Ministry Department of Theology and Religion Durham University 2013 50023 words ‘The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without prior written consent and information derived from it should always be acknowledged.’ To See or Not to See: Communication, Cooperation and Co-creation in the Use of Liturgical Media Art in Protestant Worship Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Why a Study of Liturgical Media Art in Protestant Worship? .................................. 7 1.2 Previous Research ................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Thesis ................................................................................................................... 12 1.4 McLuhan’s legacy ................................................................................................ 15 1.5 The Medium is the Message .................................................................................. 16 1.6 The Four ‘Laws’ ................................................................................................... 18 1.7 Critiquing McLuhan ............................................................................................. 20 1.8 Liturgical Media Art in Worship ........................................................................... 22 Chapter 2: Methodology ................................................................................................... 24 2.1 Methodological Approach ..................................................................................... 24 2.2 Genesis of the Research ........................................................................................ 27 2.3 ‘Power’ in the Researcher – Interviewee Relationship. .......................................... 28 2.4 Change in the Subject of Research ........................................................................ 32 2.5 Research Sites & Data Collection ......................................................................... 34 2.5.1 Church A ....................................................................................................... 38 2.5.2 Church B ....................................................................................................... 39 2.5.3 Church C ....................................................................................................... 40 2.5.4 Church D ....................................................................................................... 41 Chapter 3: Research Findings .......................................................................................... 45 3.1 All Technology is an Extension of a Human Attribute .......................................... 48 3.2 What Does the Use of LMA Make Redundant? ..................................................... 50 3.3 What Does LMA Recall From the Past? ................................................................ 54 3.4 What Happens When the Technology is Pressed Too Far? .................................... 57 To See or Not to See: Communication, Cooperation and Co-creation in the Use of Liturgical Media Art in Protestant Worship 3.4.1 Lead Us Not into Temptation - Preaching or Performance? ............................ 57 3.5 LMA and Memory ................................................................................................ 61 3.6 Three Perspectives ................................................................................................ 71 3.7 Self-esteem as a Way of Understanding the Viewpoints ........................................ 78 3.8 A Transatlantic Comparison .................................................................................. 87 Chapter 4: Towards A Theology of Technology and its Role of increasing Participation in Worship .................................................................................................. 93 4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 93 4.2 Worship and Participation ..................................................................................... 94 4.3 Mediation ............................................................................................................100 4.4 Images in the Homiletical Context .......................................................................103 4.5 Adopt or Adapt? ..................................................................................................107 Chapter 5: Conclusions....................................................................................................113 5.1 Methodology .......................................................................................................113 5.2 Key Elements of What LMA brings to Worship and Challenges it Presents? ........115 5.3 Negative Consequences That LMA Brings. ..........................................................120 5.4 The Time Cost of LMA .......................................................................................123 5.5 Training Needs. ...................................................................................................124 5.6 The Congregation and LMA ................................................................................126 5.7 Co-Creators .........................................................................................................129 5.8 Further Implications for Church and Ministry ......................................................131 5.9 For Further Research............................................................................................133 Appendix 1: Congregation Questions for the Recorded Interview ................................136 Appendix 2: Contingencies of Self-Worth Scale .............................................................140