Up-side down Civility
A critique and analysis of the network society must consistently remember the reality and power of injustice and domination
by Christine Parker
Zadok Perspectives Issue No. 64
Winter 1999

Introduction

Christine Parker
Christine Parker is Postdoctoral fellow in Lawe at the University of new South Wales. She researches in the areas of law and social theory, legal ethics and corporate social responsibility. She lives in Sydney and attends Petersham Baptist Church.

CHRISTIANS ARE OFTEN VERY slow to think in a principled way about the spirituality of our everyday lives, and most especially about our responsibilities and potential as citizens to influence our societies. The church has usually been a step behind major social movements. David Batstone's "Twenty Essentials for Citizens in a Network Society" challenges Christians to think about the particular challenges and opportunities participation in the contemporary global, information society brings us. Whether his precise diagnosis of the nature of the network society is correct or not, his attempt to understand the society in which we live and the potential for citizenship within it should challenge Christians to be better citizens of God's new society in the way we work out our citizenship in this society.

The emergence of the 'network society' will prompt Christians to face two major challenges and opportunities: firstly, the potential use of the tools of the communications revolution to have a global impact in bringing God's kingdom and friendship to our world; and second, the implications of social change for the world's downsiders bearing in mind that ultimately our citizenship is of an 'upside down kingdom' with a God who will not rest until he or she has searched out the one sheep who is in trouble cut off from the other 99 who are safely networked in their pasture.