A Virtual Sacred Space

Abstract

The growth of technology in the last few decades has made the church opts for technology to comply with the social distancing policy during the Covid-19 pandemic that forbids worshipping on-site. Technology allows churches to worship, conduct church events, and have fellowship online. That situation leads to the ongoing theological discussion on the possibilities of having a virtual sacred space for the people of God to experience His presence. This topic has sparked a growing interest among theologians and since this topic connects faith issues and technology, it might open further interdisciplinary discussions among scholars from various expertise. This paper argues that to join and contribute to the discussion, the topic of sacred space for worship should be addressed theologically. From a systematic theology point of view, this paper attempts to elaborate that there is a wide opened possibility for Christians to worship through a virtual sacred space. That position does not mean that this article advocates uncritical usages of the internet; it rather affirms that while the internet could be used for devastating negative causes, it could still also be used for the glory of God. Since there is nothing in the creation that God could not consecrate for His sacred purpose, there is no legitimate theological reason to invalidate the possibility of a virtual sacred space.