Define soundbyte5/24/2023 So bringing the message to the people in their language and way of working is important. But what is more important to me, much more important than conversion, is that he opened a dialogue between the West and China in theology, philosophy, art, and culture. I was just reading about Mateo Ricci’s embrace of mandarin culture and Confusius when he went to China in the 1500s. On the other hand, people such as the Jesuits have always approached spreading the word by using and adapting to the culture they are in. Ideas have so many nuances and gradiations within them that sound bites simplify and erase. I believe that both the past presidential elections have been won on sound bites. Their proliferation has made public officials even more base talking heads. When I first read this post I thought about how much I dislike the little digestible sound bite. I just think that we need to ponder how such a tool could be a gift. Isn’t that what our preaching and proclamation of the Gospel should be? I’m not sure of how to answer these questions. My question, however, is this: if people are now used to sound bites (and I’m not saying that that is universal) would it not behoove us to pay special attention to the way we craft the messages that we communicate (in Church, in publishing, in speeches or written statements, in blogs, etc.)? Might we not have authentic “sound bites”? The definition above refers to sound bites as “direct-to-the-people” phrases. Most people who use the term lament how our society has gotten addicted to sound bites and how that addiction has spread to our churches and theology. When reading about sound bite theology online, there is a definite negative connotation associated with the term. Sound Bite Theology - I’m having a difficult time finding a “formal” definition of this online, but basically it can refer to brief chunks of theology that summarize particular matters of faith (also related: pop scholarship and theology lite). Their influence is such that the use of sound bites is now commonplace throughout those parts of the world that are strongly influenced by the media, i.e. 1988: “This has been the election of the ‘sound-bite’… Through a crafty choice of venues and irresistible one-liners, George Bush has been relentlessly associated on the television news with simple, feel-good themes.” By the mid-1980s we had a new breed – the spin doctors. This continued with later US elections – The Independent, Sept. It soon became the vogue to stage events specifically for the opportunity to provide quotable lines for media exposure, often timing them to be picked up by popular TV news programmes. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” (In a speech near the Berlin Wall, 1987.) The success of Reagan and others in obtaining valuable exposure by providing the media with what it wanted lead to a flurry or marketing and speech writing activity. Ronald Reagan was adept at coining these media-friendly, ‘direct to the people’ phrases. Anything more than that, you’re losing them.” Another example, Time, June 1983: “TV’s formula these days is perhaps 100 words from the reporter, and a ‘sound bite’ of 15 or 20 words from the speaker.” For example, the Washington Post, June 1980: “Remember that any editor watching needs a concise, 30-second sound bite. The first known printed citations come from that period. This originated in US media circles in the 1980s. Sound Bite - A short and easily remembered line, intended by the speaker to be suitable for media repetition. The following two paragraphs are adapted from. So, ever interested in the origin of things, I looked up when “sound bite” was first used. The term “sound bite theology” seems to keep popping up in whatever I’m reading lately.
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