KOMUNITAS VIRTUAL KRISTEN Era Baru Eklesia dalam Konteks Virtual dan Kontribusinya Bagi Kebebasan Beragama di Indonesia

Abstract

This article highlights the ecclesiological side of virtual communities that are emerging in the West and recently began to flourish amid the daily life of the people of Indonesia. Virtual community is a community that exists among some people who exchange informations, meanings, symbols, and goals, via the internet or often called ICT. If in the Western countries, a virtual community can be easily developed and integrated with a Christian service, as evidenced by the availability of a variety of online Christian community website, publication of books and research on Christian’s virtual communities, in Indonesian Churches, the virtual community is relatively less developed. There is a gulf between theology and religious life to the culture of communication that developed in society.There are many factors. The authors assume that the condition is caused by a lack of space for theological discussion (which is commonly used as a reference in the praxis of the church) that encourages the Church’s spirit and courage in exploring and integrating Christian ministry among the information and communication technology advances. To analyze the potential and challenges of the virtual community of Christians in the context of Indonesia, the author highlights the relationship between the concept, the theological basis, and the media’s role in the growth of ecclesia community in the New Testament, especially the letters of Paul 1 Corinthians 12:27, and compare them with the values and meanings that appear in the Christian’s virtual community interaction. Author made a dialogue on theological critical review to the ecclesiology themes of the New Testament, which the sources obtained from books, articles, and journals, with a critical review of the virtual community of Christians from Debbie Herring and Michael J. Laney’s research. The Dialogue appeared in three issues: theology of body in 1 Corinthians 12:27, sense of community,and community relations with the media. This three critical spotlight,hopefully, would help readers, especially the church, in understanding therelationship of the church in the traditional concept of Christian virtualcommunity, and to encourage the development of Christian service in a creative and innovative which “technology friendly” and harmonious in the hybridity of actual and virtual spaces. Christian virtual communities, as well as the New Testament ecclesia community, can be an alternative solution form for a new community in the middle of the actual context of the church that wrestle with issues of religious freedom.