Why blog?
Posted by Chris T. on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
That's the question Alexis asks in this post.
I've been blogging just about every weekday since 2002, with two or three breaks of a month or more — first about language, especially Slavic languages and literary translation from Russian to English, later including computational linguistics. During my last year of college, starting during a senior year seminar on religion and politics, I started blogging about Christian faith and public theology. This blog began after a hiatus when I started seminary.
The "why" has obviously evolved, but the two big reasons have remained the same. First, I love the relatively free exchange of ideas involved in this medium, where arguments get challenged in the comments, resources for growth are offered, and far less of it is restricted by the kind of credentialing and posturing that goes on in other contexts. That results in a lot of nonsense on the Internet, but it also means ideas can be challenged by a wider array of people, who bring amateur understanding of topics into conversation with experiences that don't often make it into the kinds of texts I read outside the blogosphere.
Second, I love having a forum to share interesting stuff I come across. That was what got me into blogging in the first place — I loved being able to share neat stuff about translation and linguistics with other folks who appreciated that. Now it's liturgical geekery and interesting theology — but the possibility to find folks who are as fascinated by this stuff as I am and can both appreciate the stuff I dig up and teach me new stuff is wonderful.
As for the rules, they're ever-evolving, but the basic principle I try to hold on to is finding a balance between the free exchange of ideas I mentioned above and being charitable to all involved. I never want this place to be a brutal free-for-all where syllogisms are more important than real justice, but I've also seen over the years just how fruitful it can be to provide a place where meaningful conversation can occur between folks who don't often sit down at the same table. That can be uncomfortable, but the results are pretty great — from the dialogues on liberal and conservative Christianity several years ago between this blog's predecessor and Wesley Blog to the kind of discussions we have here now.
So that's why I do this. It's personally enriching, good for my spiritual life, sometimes a very effective ministry, helps my writing… The two and a half years this blog has been going is the longest I've been at this without a long hiatus — so thus far, it's been good! 
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One Response to “Why blog?”
I like it for all those reasons, too. Actually, internet debate has helped me in many ways, I think. I’ve gotten much better at argument over the years, and can almost always find the weak spot in somebody else’s argument.
And it helps with writing, too. And I’ve met a lot of really nice people whose paths I would otherwise never in a million years have crossed. (You, for instance!
)
Actually, that’s been the nicest thing, in many ways - and I think maybe we aren’t aware of how psychologically beneficial it is to meet people online who have the same sorts of ideas; I remember very well what it was like to believe that I was completely alone in what I was feeling. Having friendly “soul-mates” is really a big deal, I think.
And I’m finally learning to keep my temper under control! (That only took about 20 years….)