The Digital Public Square Christian Ethics in a Technological Society

We now inhabit a digital world. Social media has changed and challenged some of our most basic understandings of truth, faith, and even the idea of a public square. In The Digital Public Square, editor Jason Thacker has chosen top Christian voices to help the church navigate the issues of censorship, conspiracy theories, sexual ethics, hate speech, religious freedom, and tribalism. In this unique work, David French, Patricia Shaw, and many others cast a distinctly Christian vision of a digital public theology to promote the common good throughout society.

Jason Thacker (PhD in progress, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as chair of research in technology ethics and director of the research institute at The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. He also serves as an adjunct instructor of worldview and apologetics at Boyce College in Louisville, Kentucky.

Part 1: Foundations
1. Simply a Tool? Toward a Christian Philosophy of Technology and Vision for Navigating the Digital Public Square Jason Thacker
2. Once More, with Tweeting? Bracketing a Public Square from the Perils of Notoriety Bryan Baise
3. The Wild West of Tech Policy: A Convergence of Optimism and Pessimism in the United States Nathan Leamer
4. The Global Digital Marketplace: Engaging International Technology Policy from a Christian Perspective Patricia Shaw
5. Can the Government Save Us from Ourselves? The Legal Complexities of Free Speech and Content Moderation David French

Part 2: Issues
6. Free to Believe? The Case for Religious Freedom and Free Expression in the Digital Age Joshua B. Wester
7. Defining the Limits of Hate Speech and Violence: Dignity, Truth, and Speech in the Digital Public Square Brooke Medina
8. Content Moderation and Suppressing Speech: Are There Limits on Talking about Sexuality and Gender Online? Jeremy D. Tedesco and Christiana Kiefer
9. Should We Ban Pornography Online? Navigating the Complexities of Objectionable Content in a Digital Age Bonnie Kristian
10. Dangers in the Digital Public Square: Navigating Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation in a Post-Truth Age Jason Thacker
11. Centralizing Power and the Heavy Hand of the Regime: The International Challenges of Technology and Human Rights Olivia Enos

Part 3: The Church
12. Following @Jesus: Christian Discipleship in the Twenty-First Century Jacob Shatzer
13. The World Is Watching: Proclaiming Truth and Maintaining Our Witness in the Digital Age Keith Plummer