Posting Peace - by Douglas S Bursch (Paperback)

About the Book

Why is everyone so angry online? Pastor and former radio host Douglas Bursch provides a spiritual examination of why social media divides us and how Christians can address polarization through a ministry of peacemaking. Unpacking how technology radically changes our communication, Bursch offers practical examples of how to handle online conflict in redemptive ways.

Book Synopsis

Why is everyone so angry online? The internet seems to have brought the world together only so we can tear each other apart. Social media platforms have become toxic and polarizing environments. Many of us are overwhelmed and disillusioned by endless online conflict and negativity. How did we get here, and what can we do about it?

The internet changes not only how we communicate but also what we communicate. Pastor and former radio host Douglas Bursch provides a spiritual examination of why social media divides people and how Christians can address polarization through a ministry of peacemaking. Digital media dehumanizes and disembodies us, dulling our ability to know when to speak and when to remain silent. But healthy online communication is possible through a constructive posture of reconciliation. Bursch offers practical examples of how to proactively manage social media and handle online conflict in redemptive ways.

Together we can change the discourse of online Christian communication. Discover how we can use social media in a positive, Christ-like manner.

Review Quotes

"Posting Peace is so thoroughly researched, so engagingly written, and so practically applicable that I plan to read it again--and share it with others when I do. Doug Bursch has the right combination of expertise, humor, wisdom, and compassion to give this important subject the Christ-centered perspective we all need right now. Put down your smartphone and pick up this book. Then when you go back to your social media feeds (we know you will!), you'll be better equipped to use them well instead of having them use you."

--Karl Vaters, teaching pastor of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, author of 100 Days to a Healthier Church

"Doug Bursch recognizes both the power of social media to shape us and the potential for us to shape our online engagement thoughtfully, deliberately, and well. In Posting Peace, he offers a vision for what social media can be as part of our God-given ministry of reconciliation--to be peacemakers in our face-to-face interactions and online. As he seeks to live this out, Doug invites readers to join him, and I gladly accept!"

--April Yamasaki, pastor and author of Four Gifts: Seeking Self-Care for Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength

"Drawing on research from experts in the field, Bursch argues that social media, by its very nature, tends to isolate its users from meaningful interactions, and that online connections are by nature superficial and transient. He uses Biblical allusions to support his assertion that Christians should value demonstrating the love of God in their social media interactions more than the "rightness" of their convictions. . . . A timely reminder of the need to model the behavior we hope to see in others, this text could easily be the basis for group study."

--Library Journal, Gail Eubanks, February 2021

"We've become a culture divided by a common technology. How in the world do we learn to find common ground again? Dr. Bursch's book Posting Peace is an absolute godsend and a must-read for any person seeking to exhibit the peacemaking ways of Jesus. I've always wondered, What if we took the Sermon on the Mount seriously in our digital environments? Finally, someone has shown us how. Bursch's lucid analysis, laser-pointed research, and witty and whimsical writing not only teach us ofdigital peacemaking, they model it. Buy, read, and do this book. Rinse and repeat. Every year."

--A. J. Swoboda, assistant professor of Bible and theology at Bushnell University and author of After Doubt

About the Author

Douglas S. Bursch is copastor of Evergreen Foursquare Church in Auburn, Washington. He serves on the US Doctrine Committee, International Doctrine Committee, and Education Commission of the Foursquare Church, and he has taught theology courses asadjunct faculty for Life Pacific College and Life Ministry Institute. He earned a DMin from George Fox Evangelical Seminary with his dissertation research focusing on social media. A former newspaper columnist and talk radio host, Doug has produced and hosted over 1,200 Christian radio broadcasts. He is the producer and host of the Fairly Spiritual Show radio program and podcast.