The world is flat

Thomas Friedman's new book The World is Flat is fascinating isn't it?


It of course restates what Giddens, Castells, himself in Lexus and the Olive Tree, et al have said about globalization, the networked society, and all the implications of globalization on the economy, national and self identity. Doubtless, Friedman has some updated insights.

More interesting to me are the implications of changing conditions in the world for the church, its identity and its mission. In a flatten-ed out world where there are exchanges of old myths and stories and the propogation of new interactively mediated myths (such as narratives found in MMORPGs), can the claims of particularity be upheld in a way which is not arrogant while remaining compelling and persuasive?