Are We Amusing Ourselves to Death?

Short Review and Response to Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Showbusiness.
Disclaimer: I do not want this to come across as if I think I have all the answers or that the effects or solutions I see and posit are all inclusive. I do hope it spurs on your thought in regards to being a good steward with TV.

In the form of a response to Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman, I would like to: 1) state the problem as postulated by Postman; 2) apply it to Evangelicalism during television's brief 20th century setting by showing some of the effects of TV epistemology on our seminaries, churches and missions agencies; and, 3) give four potential solutions.

The Problem. Neil Postman, with sharp discernment, posits that the television as a

“major new medium changes the structure of discourse; it does so by encouraging certain uses of the intellect, by favoring certain definitions of intelligence and wisdom, and by demanding a certain kind of content – in a phrase, by creating new forms of truth-telling” (27).

Formerly, the structure of discourse in the American culture was dominated by print. Under the influence of typography,

“public discourse tends to be characterized by a coherent, orderly arrangement of facts and ideas…which revealed the world…to be a serious, coherent place, capable of management by reason, and of improvement by logical and relevant criticism” (51, 62).

However, “as typography moves to the periphery of our culture and television takes it place at the center, the seriousness, clarity and, above all, value of public discourse dangerously declines” (29).

Application to Evangelicalism. Neil Postman’s juxtaposition of the typographic mind and television-based epistemology can be applied to evangelicalism by way of seminaries, preaching, the laity and missions agencies.

God has revealed Himself through Christ and a Book, the Bible. Thus Christians should be the most highly adept readers possible, able to develop thoughts, track proposition on proposition, focus intently on a text, and clearly and accurately articulate positions as a reflection of their love for the Text-Giver. The Age of Show Business with its easy access entertainment, context-free environment and amusement driven come-back-for-more TV ideology has devoured the Age of Exposition which had a

“sophisticated ability to think conceptually, deductively and sequentially; high valuation of reason and order; abhorrence of contradiction; capacity for detachment and objectivity; and tolerance for delayed response” (63).

“Television’s way of knowing is uncompromisingly hostile to typography’s way of knowing; its conversations produce incoherence and triviality; the phrase “serious television” is a contradiction in terms, and television speaks only in one persistent voice – the voice of entertainment” (80).

How has television-based epistemology affected the seminaries, churches and missions agencies? (in no particular order)

1. A decreased ability to focus intently for sustained periods of time and demand from ourselves rigorous attention to the study of the Word and the preaching/teaching of the Word .
2. A decreased ability to intelligently read, question, ascertain meaning, demand academic work from a text or a sermon/presentation.
3. The evaluation of methods by means of their visual excellence rather than their God honoring accuracy.
4. Aesthetic value is elevated over biblical accuracy.
5. Acceptance of what is biblically profane as commonplace.
6. Instant access and the remote control have elevated autonomy over the denial of assumed personal rights and living in community.
7. Comfort elevated over conviction due to the ability to control the output of “the tube”.
8. Humor esteemed of greater value to the soul than serious reflection and conviction over sin.
9. Felt needs esteemed over real needs the Text says one has but does not feel due to the blinding effects of the sin nature (i.e. conviction and godly shame for sin, fear of God, trembling in His presence).
10. The weighty things of God (gravitas) traded in for levity (levitas) due to the value of humor and entertainment on television.
11. Affluence prized over modest living.
12. Polished professionalism prized over servant hearted work in the trenches.
13. Sermons become commercials (Sermercials) built to address “the psychological needs of the viewer” (130).
14. Uncritical acceptance of ideas.
15. Pastor/teachers become celebrities (a cult of personality can happen without the TV).
16. The emptying of substance for the sake of image.
17. A decreased ability to retain information or memorize.
18. Emotionalism becomes commonplace over a consistency and balance of the heart’s affection and the mind’s attention.
19. Topical sermons mirror television as a “non-graded curriculum” which “excludes no viewer for any reason, at any time” (147) and do not push one to in-depth study due to a non-hierarchical, non-systematic bias doing away with systematic and biblical theologies.
20. Because on television “perplexity is a superhighway to low ratings”, (147) and “contentment, not the growth of the learner is paramount” (148) so churches can become comfort driven rather Gospel-driven.
    

Four Potential Solutions.
First, we must foster environments in seminaries, churches and missions agencies which are open to dialogue and serious thought over the effects of television-based epistemology.

Second, we must recover the Text by rigorous exposition aimed at conforming the heart and mind, which shows itself in joyful obedience to God (which is faith). This may force us to preach with notes as we attempt to develop Text-driven sermons and classes, built proposition by proposition through determined study.

Third, help people to set stewardly parameters on their consumption of television.

Fourth, if we televise our services we should ask “What is accurate to the text as God honoring?” rather than, “What is best for television?”

Below I have provided some links that you may find interesting.

• You can attend church online - totally autonomous.
• But, if it's too autonomous, you can join an after service chat room.
  
• You donate to the online offering plate.
• Check out how these two churches are promoting their series on Desperate Households and mylamesexlife.com