Blogging to Communicate the Gospel

Some readers have noticed that I recently added links in My Blogroll.  These are to blogs that I believe readers of Just Genesis will find helpful and interesting. One is written by an Anglican Traditionalist (Bishop Chislett) and the other by a Roman Catholic (Fr. Longenecker). These join the blog list as complements to the writings of Orthodox bloggers.

Bishop David's blog is always informative and theologically grounded in catholic tradition.  I met Bishop David Chislett when I went to Australia last September to speak at the Forward in Faith Conference. 

I also added Standing on My Head, Fr. Dwight Longenecker's blog which is always engaging.  Here is what he has to say about blogging the Gospel:

"My blog, Standing on My Head has a daily readership of about 2,000 people. They visit my blog from across the USA and around the world. They come back for my own peculiar blend of Catholicism, comment on converts, apologetics, humor, inspiration and personal information. Not only can I publish instantly and globally, but the medium is friendly. Regulars make comments and discussions get started on what I have posted.


Because of the “narrowcast” element it sometimes feels like I am not evangelizing at all, but simply “feeding the sheep.”

There is nothing wrong with a pastor feeding the sheep, but I have had enough e-mails over the years to know that a good number of people have returned to the Church, come into full communion with the Church, or had serious questions answered about the Catholic faith through my writings. They tell me that my blog encourages them, entertains them and makes them think about the faith, helps them through difficulties and keeps their faith alive.

Many Anglicans on the verge of coming into full communion read my blog and a good number tell me that it has been one of the helpers for them in their journey home.

I would encourage priests who like to write, and have good communication skills, to launch out into the new media. The technological side isn’t too difficult to master, and once you get going you’ll be surprised the number of people you touch.

What to write on a blog? Keep it short. Make it daily. Most of all, speak the truth simply and with enthusiasm, and before you let down your net make sure you have spent time with God, for before Christ told the disciples to let down their nets he told them to “cast out into the deep.”

(Father Dwight Longenecker, a Register columnist, is online at http://www.dwightlongenecker.com/).

Tp read more on the use of blogs to communicate the Gospel, go here.