Preaching the Gospel in a Digitalized World through Proper Communication Skills: Considering Urban Catholic Churches in Nigeria

Abstract

Man is a homo loquens (speaking being). This special characteristic of man which is founded on his being an animal rationalis (rational animal) makes him more so a homo communicans (communicating being). His ability to communicate hinges on the fact that he lives in a community and consequently uses language as vehicle for the transmission of thought. However, with the progress in the society, especially in information technology, there came an improvement in social communication. Sequel to that, since communication is the life-wire of every relationship and organization, the upgrade in communication technology resulted in a drastic enhancement in social communication. In the human relationship it is a sine qua non because lack of it signals a rupture. In the work of evangelization, the use of digital technology has also continued to aid and facilitate the propagation of the faith in no small measure. The researcher therefore unravelled the effects of the use of digital technology and proper communication skills in preaching the gospel in the Catholic churches located in urban areas. In this research, the descriptive methodology was used to expose the intricacies in the use of digital technology especially in the spreading of the Good News and making it reach to the remotest part in the urban areas in obvious adherence to the fact that faith comes through hearing. Through the analytic approach, the researcher made a critical evaluation of the impact of digital technology on evangelization. The findings helped in making adequate recommendations.