Open Source Gospel Project

Preface

• I am neither a trained theologian, nor a professional computer programmer. But this is altogether fitting, considering the subject of this book.
• Talk about Martin Luther's proclamation of the "priesthood of all believers," contrasted with the the modern church: priests and ministers as "elite professionals" credentialed by seminaries, bible colleges, and ministry training programs.
• Post-modernism and decline of institutional religion as hopeful antidotes to centralized authority in the church.
• Return to ethos of early Christianity in house churches led by women, slaves, and other marginalized voices not in the power structures.

Free as in Freedom

• Start with stories.
• Brief History of Free Software & Open Source Movement
• Comparison of Open Source "Freedom" with Gospel emphasis on Freedom, and also ties to Liberation Theology.

Free Software Methodists, Open Source Baptists & FLOSS Presbyterians

I remember the first time I read the wikipedia entry for "emerging church." It was well written, balanced and thoughtful, and I was excited about the passion and harmony reflected among the words. And then I clicked on the link to the discussion page. Contributors were squabbling over word choice, calling each other ugly names, threatening to erase each other's work, and generally making a huge deal about a 1,000 word encyclopedia article. And I thought, "Ahhh. Finally, here is the church I know. Things aren't so different in open-source culture. In fact, the name "open source" is probably one of the longest running disputes and dividing lines. Coined in 1998 by Christine Peterson, it was a deliberate break from the older term "Free Software."

Code as Architecture, New Law

• Start with stories.
• Wikipedia as example, metaphor of changing content w/o changing code.
• What is the "Code" for Christians? Jesus? Scripture? Book of Order? All the above?
• What happens when the code changes? / response to charges of moral relativism
• Bring Lawrence Lessig into this chapter (Code, Free Culture)
• Compare/Contrast with John Calvin's three functions of law

The Cathedral and the Bazaar

• Start with stories
• Discuss Eric Raymond's book and it's implications
• Actual Cathedrals, actual bazaars and implications for a dying Christianity

Soft Security vs. Hard Security

• Start with stories
• Wikipedia, eyeballs vs. bugs ratio, and "Revert" button
  • Bugs as "sin" and role of community in undoing bugs
• Jesus and gospel message vs. Amercian desire for "safety and security" in wake of 9/11

Benevolent Dictator For Life

• Start with Stories
• Explanation of BDFL in open source projects
• Examples: Larry Wall, Linus Torvalds, Jimmy Wales, others (esp. females)?
• Role of Pastors as community leaders/gurus vs. "CEO" or other authoritarian models
• Survey of Jesus, Paul, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Barth, etc. as BDFLs

Forking a Project (reform & reconciliation)

• Start with Stories
• Open Source methodology and taboos about forking (ESR's Cathedral & Bazaar)
• Forks/Schisms in Christianity: Monasticism, East vs. West, Protestant Reformation
• Reconciliation in Christianity: Ecumenical movements, Taize, ELCA ???

Viral Copyleft (great commision)

• Start with Stories
• GNU License, OS Definition, Creative Commons
• Bring in Cory Doctorow as example in Sci-Fi world, also Radiohead
• Kingdom of God: Giving it away vs. hoarding
• Open Source Eschatology: Kingdom at hand among you
• Still spreading, bring in Malcom Gladwell's "Tipping Point"