Training Church's Pastors for Life: Informations Mission of Church in Next Years. Problems and Prospects of Studying Media Software in Spiritual Schools

Abstract

New methods of mission have emerged in every historical time. In times of apos­tles it was a spoken word, transferred through different areas of the globe by apostles in per­son or their followers. They made big letters and sent them to Christian communities. The more complex the society became, the multiple types of promoting information about Christ and His Church opened up. In the Middle Ages, for example, not only texts WERE present, but also visual art, musical compositions, many hours long mysteries (and sometimes even many days). Nowadays Information can be transmitted in different ways. Today at the same time we can see a picture with text on it, hear background music - and all this available on the screen of a small device. A per­son receives a clear signal with a packed meaning. What are the prospects for the mission of the Church in such a setting? What skills should clergymen acquire in order to be able to missionize their contemporaries? What problems do we face educating future church and clergy members in theological schools? Ph.D. in Sociology Evgeniya E. Zhukovskaya analyzes the problem field of the Church mass media and presents four vectors of information-based society which influence com­petency of pastors in the 21^st century.