Book Review (part 1 of ?): The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture

By: Shane Hipps

Subtitle: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and Church

Amazon page


Introduction - Chapter 2


Borrowing heavily from the work of Marshall McLuhan, Hipps makes clear we should recognize that media are "dynamic forces with the power to shape us regardless of content." Media are forms of communication, which vary greatly do to their underlying technology. Hipps argues against the common idea that the methods change but the message stays the same.

Hipps notes that much has been written recently about the changes in our culture, but not much has been written about why it is changing. He argues that the growth of electronic media is a major and often overlooked reason for the changes in our culture. Media can be a powerful force, but according to Hipps it does not have to lead to a type of technological determinism as long as we seek to understand how technology influences us.


Hipps suggests that McLuhan's "The Laws of Media" provide a solid framework for considering the impact of media. These laws are posed as questions:

What does the medium (that's the singular of media btw)

1) extend? - McLuhan views media as extending a part of ourselves

2) make obsolete? - New media often make other media obsolete, or change their function.

3) reverse into? - When things go wrong, media often result in the opposite effects than what they were intended to do.

4) retrieve? - New media can often be understood by examining old media that had similar effects.


Parts 2 & 3 of the review.


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