A Reformation of Information

As we are on the eve of Reformation Day, I find myself pondering the way the original reformers spread their message of grace. The methods employed seem quite significant. As I look at the tools they used to perpetuate the reformation spirit it seems that they were on the edge of a cultural shift in the way people utilized and received information.

They were experiencing a shift from an aural/verbal society to a visual/printed society. This can be seen in rising rates of literacy (not that a huge percentage were literate but numbers were increasing) and by the pressure the reformers were under to publish and print their new treatises, sermons, and theses as soon as they were able. Luther even went to lengths to ensure that his small catechism included images so those who were illiterate could still get the message from pictures. This printing provided for further distribution of materials and fueled the influence and spread of the reformation as it moved across Europe.

As I look at this shift in the medium of communication I can't help but wonder if the shift was ignited by natural cultural development or by the invention of the printing press. For sure, effective use of the new technology facilitated the spread of the Reformation. But did the invention itself produce the cultural need for information to be received visually or was the invention of the printing press fulfilling an already existing need?

This question begs a similar inquiry of our current digital age. Has the invention of the internet and interactive media necessitated a need to uptake information in this way or are these new technologies simply addressing a cultural change? In either case we must be aware of the most effective ways in which to relay information to new generations. We must also be aware of how new communication technologies work so as to be effective communicators. We must also continue to ask questions of new technologies especially relating to how they impact our ability to give and receive information.

This all becomes very practical when we apply it to education. Can today's children effectively learn in a non-digital environment? Is their ability to recall, and comprehend information that they have read the same as that of previous generations? Do we need to require teachers to educate their students in an interactive way versus a strictly verbal or visual way? What impact will the current shift in the way our culture receives information have on the way our society communicates and interacts? And what does this mean for interpersonal relationships and social situations?

Obviously this post has strayed from my original musings on the Reformation, but I believe we, like our 16th century ancestors, are standing on the edge of a significant turning point in the way communication occurs in our world. With this in mind we must learn and we must adapt or we run the risk of our message, no matter how important, not being heard, seen, or interacted with.