A presentation made by Fr. Jerry Martinson, S.J. at the EAPI's Social Communications in Pastoral Ministry workshops in 2009. Includes "The Church & Communications", "Mass Communication: Bringing God to Masses of People", "The New Areopagus", "Training for Ministry in the New Areopagus", etc.

1. A New Approach to
Communication and
Pastoral Ministry

2. The Church &
Communications
• “Go forth and teach all nations…”

3. The Church &
Communications
“The Church is
Communications”
Cardinal Avery Dulles

4. Intra-Communication –
Finding God Within
In the depths of
one’s being…

5. Intra-Communication –
Finding God Within
Mediated by
• Material creation
• Environment
• Body
• Senses
• Emotions
• Intellect
• Experiences -
of love, joy, peace…

6. Question!
• Are pastoral
agents trained
to understand
and use media
for intra-
personal
communication?
• Media Education

7. Inter-Communication
Helping people
discover God
• in the world
• in others
• in themselves

8. Inter-Communication
• One-on-one
• Small & large
groups

9. Inter-Communication
Mediated by
• Physical
characteristics
• Personal Attributes
• Accidentals

10. Inter-Communication
Mediated by
Technology

11. Question!
• Are pastoral
agents
sufficiently
trained in
interpersonal
communication
and appropriate
use of media and
AV ‘extensions?’

12. Mass Communication:
Bringing God to Masses of People
To Individuals in all corners of the world

13. Mass Communication:
Bringing God to Masses of People
Physical Groups

14. Mass Communication:
Bringing God to Masses of People
• To Virtual Communities

15. Mass Communications
Exposing people
not physically
present
to the values of
Jesus Christ
and the gifts of
the Spirit

16. Mass Communications
• Enabling people
not physically
present to
discover and
experience God

17. Mass Communications
Mediated by:
• Our bodies and
accidentals
• Electronic
extensions:
radio, TV…
• Multimedia,
hybrid
extensions:
cable, wireless,
blogs,
websites…

18. Question!
Do we know how
to identify,
nurture, and
train pastoral
agents with
potential for the
mass media
apostolate?

19. The New Areopagus…

20. Is the Areopagus of the
Media…

21. In a Highly Mediated
New Areopagus…
Christ’s
Message
is inseparable
from the media
used to
communicate it

22. In a Highly Mediated
New Areopagus…
Christ’s
Message
can be confined
and confused by
media

23. In a Highly Mediated
New Areopagus…
Christ’s
Message
can be extended
& enhanced by
the media

24. In a Highly Mediated
New Areopagus…
Christ’s
Message
is the media

25. Question: What would
they do now?
• St. Paul
• Thomas Aquinas
• Francis Xavier
• Matteo Ricci

26. Question!
• Are we doing what
they would do to
equip our
seminarians,
priests, and
religious to meet
the challenges and
opportunities of the
New Areopagus?

27. Training for Ministry in
the New Areopagus
• Training in TV
and Video
Production

28. Training for Ministry in
the New Areopagus
Training in
Computer
Graphics and
Design

29. Training for Ministry in
the New Areopagus
Training in
Website Design
and
Construction…

30. Obstacles to Ministry
The Media

31. Obstacles
Globalization

32. Obstacles
Post
modernity

33. Obstacles
Tradition

34. Obstacles
Overloaded
Curriculum
and Schedule
in Seminaries
and Houses of
Relgious
Formation

35. The Solution?
? ?
? ?
?
?