At Coram Deo Classical School, we strive to see our students be able to analyze things that have been taken for granted in their day to day lives. We want them to analyze the world around them and run it through the lens of Scripture, the only source of Truth. In English 101, students were challenged to examine liturgy through this prompt:
Liturgy can be defined as habits or routines one performs that establish and reinforce one’s basic beliefs. As Plato first argued, each of our habits can draw our souls towards virtues or towards vices. Recognizing that digital technology has become routine for the vast majority of us, Christian thinkers are beginning to notice the negative trends of so-called “digital liturgies” that can start to take hold of the mind and heart without us even realizing it.
Here are some excerpts of our students responses:
While routine, in beneficial ways, can provide efficient ways to complete essential assignments, routines or habits can be harmful through the dangers of digital liturgies. These liturgies can eventually take control of the mind and heart since their prevalence prevails over the beneficial aspects of digital consumption. For example, outrage is a frequently seen digital liturgy that often drives people to anger and hatred of ideas they do not particularly agree with. While in the real world, society typically engages in a friendly manner during disagreements, it is through this digital liturgy that the internet routine affects humanity’s natural tendencies. Similarly, the Liturgy of Authenticity serves as another prime example of the Internet developing ideas in society. The Authenticity Liturgy shows the ability of online participants to manufacture the notion that their truth is “the truth.”
Another separate digital liturgy is the Liturgy of Consumption. Consumption of content on the Internet separates us from the real world. While engaging in the content through a screen, man artificially places themselves in unnatural experiences separate from reality. Experiences held within the confines of the Internet ultimately take away from the enjoyment of the natural world, and this is why this liturgy is particularly dangerous for society today.
Plato’s soul progression also relates to the dangers of online habits. Plato argued that human souls are tripartite: appetitive, spiritual and logical. Humans are first driven by appetite (the desire for pleasures) followed by the spirit, which demonstrates emotions, and finally the logical which is responsible for reason, governing the other parts of the soul. Plato’s idea of the Progression of the Soul meant that with every decision a person makes, their soul is led down a certain path. The more good, truthful, and beautiful decisions someone made, the more virtuous they became and they went towards perfection and joy. They also became more inclined towards virtuous acts. When someone did more evil acts, the more corrupt and lost they became. This relates to the liturgies because they become more habitual and molded into our brains. The more you partake in a liturgy, the more inclined you are to keep falling into its snares.