I’ve been working on my dissertation proposal and have decided to focus on Christian writers maintaining spiritual well-being in the digital age. Where better to start than with this acclaimed book on digital wisdom by author, blogger, and editor, Samuel James?
About & Review
Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age is not simply a list of “dos and don’ts” for internet engagement. Instead of simplistic rules, this book aims to alert readers to how the very nature of the internet is forming—and potentially deforming—them. The internet is not a neutral tool but a formative space, much like a church. Its very construction shapes its users’ thoughts, feelings, and communication. In other words, our daily internet use is liturgical.
After identifying the ways in which the internet is a liturgical space, James devotes a chapter each to the key “liturgies” taught by the internet. These include:
- “My Story, My Truth” (how the web as a democratized medium promotes self-centered perspectives in users)
- The Abolition of Thought (how the web prioritizes emotional responses over reasoned dialogue)
- Shame on You (how the web has promoted a culture that shames and erases those who do not conform with its values)
- Naked in the Dark (how the web is “pornography-shaped,” promoting isolation and consumption)
- Death by Minutiae (how the internet promotes triviality)
Meanwhile, in each chapter James points readers back to how the gospel forms us according to a meta-narrative, thoughtfulness, forgiveness, community, and meaningfulness. He then concludes the book with key pieces of advice, termed “Habits of Wisdom and Resistance.”
I appreciated that this book went beyond considering the content on the internet to considering the very form of the internet. As Christians, we can get caught up in discussions about what types of internet content are and are not acceptable. Pornography is bad, inspirational photos overlaid with Bible verses are good, recipes are fine, and so on. But James makes the excellent point that Christians can avoid sinful content while still being deeply influenced by the spirit of the age. He writes:
It is entirely possible—in fact, all variables equal, it is likely—to faithfully avoid vulgar or explicit content on the web while simultaneously being shaped by it in a profoundly sub-Christian way.1
In other words, we might successfully avoid anti-Christian content while still being discipled by the internet to be less and less like Christ. It is difficult enough to use the internet in such a way that we avoid nudity and profanity, but it is much hard to escape its fragmentation, disembodiment, and self-centeredness. However pure the content of our newsfeeds, the internet and especially social media still “train us to invest ultimate authority in our own stories and experiences as they separate us from the objective givenness of the embodied world.”2
As I neared the end of the book, I was particularly struck by James’s emphasis on the necessity of gathering as embodied people. As an introvert, I can easily fall into isolating patterns. I often find myself taking a negative stance toward in-person interactions, especially when compared with the efficiency of digital communication. “This meeting could have been an email” is a frequent thought of mine. But especially for Christians, in-person gathering is essential. We are made for relationship and promised that Christ himself is present by the Spirit when we gather together (Matt. 18:20). Samuel James’s words about gathering as an act of digital resistance were equal parts convicting and encouraging, inspiring a separate blog post from this review.
Recommendation & Purchase Information
I previously listened to this Digital Liturgies as an audiobook. As enjoyable as the listening experience was, I recommend purchasing a hard copy for annotating and underlining. This is not a difficult book to read, but it is worth reading thoughtfully. After all, careful reading might be considered another “habit of resistance” in this digital age.
Digital Liturgies has proven a valuable addition to my growing shelf on digital technology and biblical wisdom. Readers of Tony Reinke’s 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You or Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows will definitely want to order a copy. This book is the perfect blend of practical and philosophical, offering great food for thought and advice for application. It is an excellent “bridge” between books discussing the nature of the internet in general and books offering Christian advice for healthy internet use.
This book was written for all Christians who want to approach digital technology with greater discernment. It does not advocate a complete digital exodus, in which faithful believers abandon technology completely. Rather, it accepts that digital technology is now central to our modern lives and helps Christians think about it with timeless biblical wisdom. The writing style is accessible and relatable without compromising depth. I highly recommend this book for all adult believers, including young adults and mature teenagers.
If Digital Liturgies sounds interesting to you, consider purchasing a copy (and supporting my blog) using this affiliate link. Consider also subscribing to the author’s Substack.
Note: I received a copy of Digital Liturgies from Crossway in exchange for an honest review.
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- Samuel D. James, Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2025) 9. ↩︎
- James, Digital Liturgies, 10. ↩︎
Ryanne Molinari 