Becoming Catholic Through Media Ecology with Dr. Chase Mitchell
About this episode
Dr. Chase Mitchell discusses his journey to Catholicism and the influence of media ecology and Ignatian spirituality on his discernment process.
Today’s guest, Dr. Chase Mitchell, is an associate professor of media and communications at East Tennessee State University, where he teaches courses in multimedia production and media theory. He’s also a recent convert to Catholicism, having entered the Church this past Divine Mercy Sunday. Host Eric Clayton has been talking with Chase for a few months now about the role Ignatian spirituality and media ecology played in his own discernment to become a Catholic. It’s a fascinating story—and one he’s written about, both for Jesuits.org and the Jesuit Media Lab. On media and its effects on our society, Chase writes: “In an age of total mediation, [that is, our lived experience is fully affected by media] the task is no longer simply to analyze environments but to discern within them — to recognize where Christ is present, where the spirits are at work and where one is being called to respond. Media ecology, in this light, becomes not only a theory of communication, but a pedagogy of attention ordered toward love.” We knew a conversation with Chase on the pod would be a valuable one—and we weren’t wrong. If you’re interested in reading more of Chase’s work, check out the links…
People in this episode
Host: Eric Clayton
Guest: Dr. Chase Mitchell
Topics covered
- Catholicism
- media ecology
- Ignatian spirituality
- discernment
- communication theory
Keywords
- Catholicism
- media ecology
- Ignatian spirituality
- discernment
- communication
- media theory
- multimedia production
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: East Tennessee State University, Jesuits.org, Jesuit Media Lab
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