A little more than a week ago, the folks at Logos introduced a new digital-first study bible, app, and service called FaithLife Bible. Here’s a bit about it (pulled from the website):
With the FSB, you’ll get a multitude of Bible study resources on your computer or mobile device.
- 3 layers of study notesLexham English BibleDevotionals
- 1,400,000+ words—more than any other study BibleLexham Bible Dictionary (2,700+ articles)
- About 400 photos, videos, and infographics
Use the FSB app anywhere.
- iPhone &apm; iPad, Android Phones & Tablets, Mac & PC
- Biblia.com, Logos Bible Software, Vyrso eBooks
The FSB is perfect for groups. The FSB ties into the Faithlife community, giving you plenty of ways to dig deeper together.
- Create and join church, school, or personal groups.
- Make and share Community Notes in the FSB.
- Set group reading plans with reminders.
- Share lessons, outlines, and other documents.
- Set your own Faithlife privacy preferences.
FaithLife looks like something that makes a lot of sense, espeically to those people and communities which already have an investment into the (very large) Logos library of content. But, I think that FaithLife points at something worth considering a bit more (especially from the perspective of churches and publishers).
The Digital-Led Community
Something that we’ve seen with services such as Instagram is this idea of a digital expereince that’s not led first with going to an applicaiton or website, and centering your experience there, but in the midst of whatever you are capturing (this is key) that you share-from that experience to a community that connects with you. In a sense, you take the center of the experience from the tech and put it back on the experinece of living being shared.
When it comes to faith and life, there is a constant refrain that its not what you do at the faith gathering that makes what you believe valid, but how you live out life “in between the Sundays.” If you will, what you do that maginfies what you believe isn’t because you sing, dance, swoon, and legislate in unison, but because that activity led to a theology of life that was literally lived out.
Instagram is the kind of mobile application that leads to a heads-up affair for living. In order for you to have something of value for those following you on Instagram (or other social networks you publish those pics to), you have to have eyes and ears up noticing what’s going on around you. I look at Faithlife, Faith Village, and other religious websites/mobile apps/services and ask the question about being heads-up. Are you using these digital-led experiences as a means to stay aware to the life going on around you? Or, is this digital frame its own community, isolated from the needs of the world around you (James 1:19-21).
A friend asked me recently, “what Scriptures are you digging in?” He and I have been back and forth for 4 years studying the text and Judeao-Christian history together, its a normal question. I responded, “none; I’m building a Bible.” His response after that was awesome, “how is what you are doing adding value to the Body of Christ?” That’s the end of these digital endeavors, and where all of our communities and efforts need to point. If we aren’t adding value (John 17:20-26 is one metric), then we are not living aware of the needs of the world around us, and pretty much just making items that are a waste of the time that all of us need to enjoy life with Emmaunel while here.