Using Christianity as a marketing platform on emerging media

Christianity has a long history that often became intertwined with the development of modern day media. This paper aims to draw a comparison between the use of Christianity as a marketing device during the Middle Ages and modern times. Using McLuhan’s timeline of media epochs we are able to trace the changes of media through human history. This timeline provides us the means to analyze the ways in which Christianity was used as a marketing device to advance the adoption of new mediums. The Middle Ages’ reliance on Christian networks to spread information enabled Gutenberg to gain widespread adoption of his printing press. The recent transition to the electronic age also shows how new mediums can use this same network to perpetuate messages. In modern times the electronic age has reproduced an environment conducive to the spread of Christian messages. Social media networks like Twitter exhibit increased interaction levels among prominent Christian leaders. The comparison of these two periods in time showcases the strength of the Christian network, even today. Furthermore it provides evidence of the prediction made by McLuhan that the interconnectedness of the electronic age would bring about a new type of oral tribe culture. This global village brought about by the Internet allows ancient communication practices to flourish once more.