My Review
Late last year, Douglas Estes, New Testament professor at Western Seminary, posted at a few well-known blogs some thoughts from his upcoming book about virtual or online churches—SimChurch. His arguments there weren’t well developed or supported, but he attributed that to the blog format, which is a plausible defense.
At the time I was eager to read his full treatment on the subject, but didn’t have the chance. I was recently able to borrow a copy and sat down with it. The result has been one of the most frustrating reading experiences of my life. He redefines many terms and concepts in an unconvincing attempt at persuading the evangelical mainstream that these virtual churches need not be associated with physical institutions; online meeting—tele-presence—is just as “real” as physical presence.
