Welcome back, Pilgrim. Here’s what’s happened in town since you’ve been away…
Welcome back to the Reformer Newsletter, where we can take a dive into various projects and activities from around Web3 and across the Christian community. You have joined this network to contribute to our collective mission of building for Christ’s Kingdom, and we will use this newsletter as a platform to enable that.
Around Web3
Chase Chapman on Digital Cities: A prominent DAO theorist and operator, Chase offers an interesting take on the difference between networks and true digital cities, arguing that sovereignty unlocks new frontiers of possibility.
Luke Burgis on the Three-City Problem: While Burgis is more of a philosopher than a crypto thinker, he is a brother in Christ and a shrewd cultural commentator. His piece for Wired magazine introduces the thought technology of the “New Fremen,” which has already sparked the imagination of the Reformers team as you’ll see below.
And, of course, the Ethereum merge is coming soon… maybe! This has been teased for years, but if you search “Ethereum Merge Date” there is a live counter to tell us when the Ethereum blockchain will switch from a proof-of-work to a proof-of-stake consensus protocol. The current estimation is just 2 days away on September 15, 2022. There have been gallons of digital ink spilled on this topic, so DYOR and get ready for what’s coming next in the world of ETH.
Around the Kingdom
FaithTech Asks: Is Crypto Worth a Christian’s Time?: The author of 1 John told his readers to watch out for false prophets and “to test the spirits to see whether or not they are from God…”. To take an expansive view of this warning, we must regularly take an objective look at the work being done in the name of the Kingdom. Web3 is full of faux-evangelists, and this article from FaithTech provides a solid guide for the crypto-curious Christian by outlining three case studies within web3. As it outlines pros and cons of the crypto systems being developed, I’d challenge us to not view the negatives as a reason to avoid and abandon crypto, but as proof that we need more of Christ’s influence in this space!
Pr0ph3t on Wielding Desert Power: A response from our very own Pr0Ph3t to Luke Burgis’ piece mentioned above, going deep on the need for Christian builders to understand their role outside of the City. It’s time to get comfortable with hardship, and adapt to isolation, so that we can be fit tools in God’s service.
Reformers Essay Series- NEW ESSAY RELEASED!
The Reformers community is a network of Christ followers who believe there is an opportunity to spread Gospel Truth by using the next generation of digital tools we have available, commonly referred to as “web3” or “crypto” tools.
A prevalent narrative in the web3 space is “Bitcoin fixes this” or “crypto fixes that.” While it is great to see people trying to fix all-too-real problems, it is unfortunate to see them going about it with the wrong mindset. These creations made by the hands of men cannot save us on their own any more than a golden calf could deliver Israel from the Pharaoh. To rely on any tool we created to solve our problems for us is both idolatrous and lazy.
We know that the problems which plague humanity can be washed away through the true Gospel message of faith, hope, and love. We overcome lazy and passive reliance when we recognize that Christ fixes this. After all, we the Church are the Body of Christ, so the recognition is a call to action for us to use the systems around us to spread the Gospel, bless our neighbors, and build for the Kingdom.
Check out the article Christ Fixes Systems of Violence and Depravity in the Reformer Essay Series on Mirror. If you like it, please support by subscribing directly on Mirror or collecting a copy of the article as an NFT for 0.01 ETH.
The Call
The Reformers is a community of Christ followers who want to continuously explore new tools which can extend the reach of His Kingdom. If you want to lean in and support that mission, check out a Reformers NFT, become a patron of the community, get news and updates to start building with us, and help us run this race with endurance.