People of the Screen : How Evangelicals Created the Digital Bible and How It Shapes Their Reading of Scripture / John Dyer

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dyer, John, author.

Series:

Oxford Academic

Oxford scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Evangelicalism.

Bible Gateway.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (273 pages)

Edition:

First Edition

Place of Publication:

New York, NY Oxford University Press 2022

Summary:

This book traces the history of Bible software and app development, showing the unique and powerful role evangelical entrepreneurs and coders have played in shaping its functionality and how their choices in turn shape the reading habits of millions of people around the world. Though evangelicals are sometimes seen as those who retreat from or reject societal change, this book argues that evangelicals are adept at appropriating new technology-including early computers, the internet, mobile apps, and virtual reality experiences-in service of what they see as their mission in the world. In addition to historical research, this book includes interviews with developers at three of the largest Bible software companies and fieldwork with digital and print Bible readers in several churchs. This creates a comprehensive look at the interconnected ecosystem of publishers, developers, pastors, institutions, and software companies both within and outside of evangelicalism, and demonstrates how it affects the way churchgoers read and interpret the Bible.

Contents:

Contents: Preface, in Which I Admit to Being an Evangelical Bible Programmer Studying Evangelical Bible Programmers - Acknowledgments - 1. Introduction - 2. Studying Technology and Faith - 3. Evangelicals, the Bible, and Technology - 4. Four Waves of Bible Software Development - 5. Programmers and the Business of Bible Software - 6. A Portrait of Evangelical Bible Readers - 7. The Influence of Digital on Evangelical Reader Behavior - 8. Conclusions - Appendix: Bible Software List - Notes - Works Cited - Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Print version: Dyer, John People of the Screen

ISBN:

0-19-763636-5

0-19-763638-1

0-19-763637-3