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With long dreadlocks past his shoulders, standing at about six foot three and delivering a passion-filled lecture, he commanded respect and authority. Unlike other courses I attended late during undergrad, I consistently arrived on time for his class and sat near the front. The lectures were dynamic and resonated with me as a preacher’s kid (PK) who grew up in a church on the Southside of Chicago.
When I was a student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Professor Kornegay taught a course that explored the intersections between race, gender, sexuality and religious traditions of the African diaspora. It was a controversial course among my peers, because it challenged many of the beliefs consistent within the dominant narratives of Christianity. Professor Kornegay challenged us to think critically about the birth of Christ and the contributions Africans made to Biblical stories.
As a PK raised in a Black conservative church, the assignments and lectures changed my perspectives of African spiritual practices.
We read and discussed books by prominent scholars of religion, race, and sexuality. Cornel West, Kelly Brown Douglas, James Cone, and Gayraud Wilmore were among the authors on the syllabus. After class, I attended office hours to continue conversations with Professor Kornegay.
Over time, my professor became the person all men need in their lives—a mentor, and friend.
Last week, I finished EL Kornegay’s book, @nd Every Eye Shall See Him: Faith Technology and the End-Time Church. As the title suggests, it discusses technology and how churches can make use of it to meet their needs. Reading Kornegay’s words transported me back to the classes I enjoyed in undergrad.
The text is full of interesting Biblical interpretations, with references to the internet and other forms of technology. At location 80 of the kindle version, Kornegay states:
We must see it within the scripture that technology is from God and technology is being used by God to, once and forever more, fulfill the scripture!
Kornegay’s thesis is that church leaders should use technology as an instrument to spread their messages and build community. This idea, extracted with references to verses in Matthew, Acts, Revelations and other chapters of the Bible, make Kornegay’s book an interesting read.
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Similar to my experiences as Professor Kornegay’s student, some of the ideas expressed in the book challenged me to think about the validity of religion to understand the world today. In the final chapter of the book, he makes comparisons between the Ampersand, @, and the “mark of the beast” as described in Revelations.
Evidence of this claim, according to Kornegay, is revealed in our reliance on the internet to communicate, conduct business, shop and handle other affairs that often mandate an email address to access products or services. We wear it on our bodies in the form of smartphones and display it on our foreheads in our memories. This theory is one of the many discussed in the book that caused me to pause and consider their merit.
As with any book, there are strengths and weaknesses. The book does a great job of using the Bible to support how the church can use modern instruments to advance their missions. Every chapter quotes a verse or references a Biblical character to provide evidence of his claims. Kornegay’s book does not give a significant number of concrete examples of how religious organizations are using technology today. More analysis of the tools available and in current use might resonate more with leaders of religious organizations.
When I was an undergraduate student, I didn’t have a vision for the work I am doing today. I was a PK hoping to graduate from college, get a job, convince a woman to marry me, and have a few kids. With humility, grace, a loving family, and a community of elders who surrounded me, I have accomplished these professional and personal goals.
I am grateful for Professor Kornegay and others who believed in my potential when I did not believe in myself.
If you are a church leader or someone with interests in religion and technology, I recommend EL Kornegay’s book, @nd Every Eye Shall See Him: Faith Technology and the End-Time Church. Due to our relationship, my critique of his book may be biased. But I do believe my feedback offers insight into Kornegay’s contributions to understanding leadership, religion, and the potential of modern tools.
For an understanding of how I approach my personal and professional life as it relates to my experiences in church and college, explore my course Personal Development 100, which is designed to provide simple strategies to enhance our abilities to address life’s complicated challenges.
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This post has been republished to Medium.
Photo Credit: iStock