Most research is truly "re-search" — rediscovering things that have long been known but were discarded and forgotten. This is especially true in the field of human communication. Technologies change, but the fundamentals of good, true, and beautiful communication are age-old.

Here are some of my current research interests:

Vocation, Calling and Faithfulness
One of the most mysterious forms of communication is God's call to us to take up particular kinds of work, enter specific relationships, or serve some institutions and persons. The Hebrew and Christian scriptures are filled with examples of God's calls to individuals and even nations — such as the call to Abraham to sacrifice his son. Yet today few people claim to hear God's voice so clearly. So how can we gain an understanding of God's call to us as distinct persons living in particular times and places? One of my recent books, Here I Am: Now What on Earth Should I Be Doing?, addresses this subject for a general readership. I also published online an annotated bibliography on this topic. Could it be that we all are called to enjoy life? To love others as well as ourselves? These kinds of basic human "intuitions" — if that's the right word — might reflect the fact that our callings are not so hidden from view. Perhaps God speaks to us in through such basic human desires regardless of our failure to act upon them as well as we would like..

Religion and the Media in a Democracy
Modern democracies rightly value pluralism and eschew theocracy. At the same time, however, democracies thrive when personal and shared faith promotes essential virtues, such as honesty, civility, respect, patience and even love. How can the media take religion seriously without supporting one sect over another one? How should religious groups use both mainstream and their own, tribal media to advance the common good? I take up these issues in Christianity and the Media in America: Toward a Democratic Accommodation (East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, Rhetoric and Public Affairs series, 2003).

How to Write Christian Nonfiction Books (Faithcrafting)
Writing nonfiction books is an art. Writing nonfiction Christian books without being preaching is a special art? How can Christians write faithfully for book publication, beyond personal journaling? I call such faithful nonfiction writing "faithcrafting" and lead workshops on the topic. I also consult with authors on their manuscript proposals and publisher or agent query letters. Visit the faithcrafting website and blog to find out more.

Using Presentational Technologies (e.g., PowerPoint) in Worship
Along with other scholars, lay leaders and clergy at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at Calvin College, I am studying the use of presentational technologies (such as PowerPoint, film and video) in worship. I am interested not just in using such technologies "effectively," but also in using them "appropriately," or what I call "fittingly." In my view, many congregations are rushing after new digital projection technologies without any clear sense of how such devices can nurture good and right worship. For an overview of the questions guiding my research, read a brief article I wrote for Reformed Worship. My last book on this topic is High-Tech Worship? Using Presentational Technologies Wisely (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2004). Currently my colleague Mary Hulst and I are working on a follow-up book aimed directly at pastors and church teachers.

Virtuous Public Speaking — "Servant Speaking"
During the last 30 years I have spoken to hundreds of civic groups, churches, professional conferences, trade associations and the like. One of my recent books is a practical, short, introduction to the the standards of good public speaking — which I call "servant speaking." The book, An Essential Guide to Public Speaking: Serving Your Audience with Faith, Skill, and Virtue, includes a public website that uses video and audio clips to demonstrate such servant speaking. I also created a private, teacher-only website with free support materials for use with the book. Contact me for more information if you are a teacher and plan to use the book.

A Theology of Communication
Although communication is crucial to the religious life, modern theologians have not examined it as seriously as one would expect. I developed some preliminary thoughts on this topic in my book Communicating for Life: Christian Stewardship in Community and Media. Now I am looking more deeply into the topic. In particular, I seek to discover what the nature of God's communication tells us about human communication. Ironically, most research does just the opposite: projecting forms of human communication into God's communication. We humans try to fashion God in our own image, as the Hebrew scriptures depict so tellingly.

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