@Mary thank you. I appreciate your thinking and writing, having half thoughts and tummy mutterings brought to life, and/or to have new ideas introduced is a gift that I love receiving.
Did you click on the link she provides at the end of this Substack intro (where it says: "Click here to read the whole thing")? I am not a First Things subscriber—free or paid—but that link opened the whole essay for me.
You’re right … I just found how to get in to it without paying ! So now am free subscriber which looks quite interesting in itself . Thanks for the encouragement… it’s not so easy to manage for untechy people like me !
It's worth going back to Marshall McLuhan's seminal and still-prophetic 1964 book, "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man." More than 60 years ago, at the dawn of he computer age, he correctly foresaw the challenge to print, and Enlightenment values, in today's radically connected world and he was not a techno optimist. And his thinking was also grounded in traditional Catholic philosophy.
I was able to read it for free on First Things (I clicked the link from your Twitter/X post).
It was very thought provoking, thank you. I had recently been reading David Chapman's writing on nobility and I could help but see the connections between that and what we've written. I urge you to check him out if you haven't already.
Would love to read it but have hit a wall in terms of subscribing to more and more and more things. Just can't keep doing that. I also hope you post it here, or can somehow get access for your paid subscribers.
Thanks Mary for such a profound deep dive. I would be most curious to apply your thinking of the effects of the digital revolution not only on democracy, but on matters of faith. What happens when people can no longer pay enough undistracted attention to pray, attend a service/mass, let alone read the Bible?
If we get to the point where no one can concentrate long enough to read the Bible then Protestantism is surely in trouble…but arguably that is already the case. Christianity managed for 1500 years before mass literacy though so I see no reason why it shouldn’t be ok after mass literacy too. It just probably won’t be Protestant…
Agreed. As language continues to atrophy, denominations that do not rely on words alone, but also tradition and physical ritual will continue to endure. Have you written any essays on faith and digital revolution yet?
Thanks for a wonderful thoughtful and interesting article. As a First Things subscriber I savored your writing and bled ink all over the printed page. I'm not ready to comment on specifics yet because as one of my notes stated "ponder this and truly understand before commenting". One thing I will write is that First Things does publish long form (deep reading) articles which you point are much needed. So many of your readers would benefit from subscribing.
* I in now way benefit financially from that indorsement!
I plan to print the article and share with a friend so I have another person to discuss this (in the flesh) with and bounce ideas off of.
My last comment, I promise. It's just that there is just so much in this essay.
Mary's focus is on England and democracy, which is as it should be since England can be arguably called the birthplace of Modern democracy.
Another thing happened in Europe during the 16th century after the invention of the printing press and during the Reformation. It was labeled the 30-Years War. I am not trying to make a direct comparison, God help us, to where we are today, or in the possible future, but someday Brexit may become a National Holiday. If nothing else the following is a short history refresher.
Grok-
The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) resulted in an estimated 4 to 8 million deaths, including both military and civilian casualties. The wide range is due to varying historical accounts, with some sources citing up to 12 million when factoring in indirect deaths from famine, disease, and displacement. The war's devastation, particularly in the Holy Roman Empire, wiped out roughly 20–50% of the population in some regions. Precise numbers are hard to pin down due to incomplete records and the chaotic nature of the conflict,
Will you post here in full at some point? Thanks
"to bee" or not to bee, that is the question ;)
This is so good.
@Mary thank you. I appreciate your thinking and writing, having half thoughts and tummy mutterings brought to life, and/or to have new ideas introduced is a gift that I love receiving.
It seems it’s not possible to read this essay which looks so interesting without subscribing to First Things?
Correct, it is a paid subscription.
Really annoying but cannot read it as others say without full subscription to First Things …
Seems that after a slight delay I’m now a free subscriber to First Things after all - so maybe worth other people waiting for an email from them!?
Yes I have subscribed free and got the welcome email but still it blocks me from reading Mary’s essay when I finally found it ….. how about you?
Did you click on the link she provides at the end of this Substack intro (where it says: "Click here to read the whole thing")? I am not a First Things subscriber—free or paid—but that link opened the whole essay for me.
You’re right … I just found how to get in to it without paying ! So now am free subscriber which looks quite interesting in itself . Thanks for the encouragement… it’s not so easy to manage for untechy people like me !
And no doubt that’s related to the 'moral of the story'.
It's worth going back to Marshall McLuhan's seminal and still-prophetic 1964 book, "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man." More than 60 years ago, at the dawn of he computer age, he correctly foresaw the challenge to print, and Enlightenment values, in today's radically connected world and he was not a techno optimist. And his thinking was also grounded in traditional Catholic philosophy.
You may wish to note in this post that the article cannot be read without subscribing to First Things ($)
Requires an account sign-up. Hoping it will be a paywalled post here at some point.
Brilliant and brave. Brave because of the last paragraph. Mary, have your beekeepers' suit at the ready.
I hope this essay goes viral. Though it is not a book, I wish a tour went with this essay. Maybe an internet tour is on hand.
I was able to read it for free on First Things (I clicked the link from your Twitter/X post).
It was very thought provoking, thank you. I had recently been reading David Chapman's writing on nobility and I could help but see the connections between that and what we've written. I urge you to check him out if you haven't already.
Would love to read it but have hit a wall in terms of subscribing to more and more and more things. Just can't keep doing that. I also hope you post it here, or can somehow get access for your paid subscribers.
What about TV and Radio? Would love to know how these factor into the analysis.
It’s in there if you have a chance to read the full essay.
Shhh, now you went and made her analysis fall apart.
Lol maybe try reading the analysis before you critique it, right?
Your link is paywalled: Q.E.D. your point: "The end of print culture is already upon us. "
Uh oh, sounds persuasive—I’ll go the First Things and read it
Thanks Mary for such a profound deep dive. I would be most curious to apply your thinking of the effects of the digital revolution not only on democracy, but on matters of faith. What happens when people can no longer pay enough undistracted attention to pray, attend a service/mass, let alone read the Bible?
If we get to the point where no one can concentrate long enough to read the Bible then Protestantism is surely in trouble…but arguably that is already the case. Christianity managed for 1500 years before mass literacy though so I see no reason why it shouldn’t be ok after mass literacy too. It just probably won’t be Protestant…
Agreed. As language continues to atrophy, denominations that do not rely on words alone, but also tradition and physical ritual will continue to endure. Have you written any essays on faith and digital revolution yet?
Thanks for a wonderful thoughtful and interesting article. As a First Things subscriber I savored your writing and bled ink all over the printed page. I'm not ready to comment on specifics yet because as one of my notes stated "ponder this and truly understand before commenting". One thing I will write is that First Things does publish long form (deep reading) articles which you point are much needed. So many of your readers would benefit from subscribing.
* I in now way benefit financially from that indorsement!
I plan to print the article and share with a friend so I have another person to discuss this (in the flesh) with and bounce ideas off of.
Thanks!
My last comment, I promise. It's just that there is just so much in this essay.
Mary's focus is on England and democracy, which is as it should be since England can be arguably called the birthplace of Modern democracy.
Another thing happened in Europe during the 16th century after the invention of the printing press and during the Reformation. It was labeled the 30-Years War. I am not trying to make a direct comparison, God help us, to where we are today, or in the possible future, but someday Brexit may become a National Holiday. If nothing else the following is a short history refresher.
Grok-
The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) resulted in an estimated 4 to 8 million deaths, including both military and civilian casualties. The wide range is due to varying historical accounts, with some sources citing up to 12 million when factoring in indirect deaths from famine, disease, and displacement. The war's devastation, particularly in the Holy Roman Empire, wiped out roughly 20–50% of the population in some regions. Precise numbers are hard to pin down due to incomplete records and the chaotic nature of the conflict,