Only recently, after becoming aware of echo chambers, did I realize that my earliest significant encounter with an echo chamber came by virtue of membership in the Church of Christ (CoC).
Churches of Christ are autonomous Christian congregations associated with one another through distinct beliefs and practices. Represented chiefly in the United States and one of several branches to develop out of the American Restoration Movement, they claim Biblical precedent for their doctrine and practice and trace their heritage back to the early Christian church as described in the New Testament. (Wikipedia)
Fiercely sectarian and dogmatic, the CoC was a perfect echo chamber. Our belief that we, to the exclusion of all others, were the one true church and our doctrine was unassailable, necessitated constant reaffirmation in our beliefs and constant vigilance for dissenting voices. As a result, in my experience, there was implicit prohibition of any literature, music, icons, or opinions that were not consistent with our beliefs. Only those with whom we were “in fellowship with” were given any voice. Any occasion of deviation would result in swift censure if not “disfellowshipping”.
2000 years of church history was unacknowledged. When our fellowship appeared in the late 18th century and came to believe they had restored the New Testament church, any history post 33AD until the present became irrelevant. Any contemporary voices from outside were suspect and mostly rejected.
Teaching and preaching emphasized our rightness (always Biblically) or attacked (also Biblically) our opposition (anyone who disagreed). As is the case when people reside in unhealthy echo chambers, our fellowship become isolated and voices become shrill and divisive. On the outside the CoC was characterized as “the church that believes they’re the only ones going to heaven”, among other things..
As Michael Hanegan observed, “With no space for diversity or generosity towards difference the only remaining postures are rabid defense and destruction of the Other”.
The CofC was characterized by debate, believing that ration and reason applied to the scriptures made their arguments invincible, debate became an art form. Ironically, differences arose internally and debates were also the weapon of choice in winning those disputes. As a result, internal differences created numerous factions, all of which asserted their rightness and narrowed the voices in their echo chamber to affirm their positions. Fractured and isolated, the CofC was on path to obscurity and possible extinction.
The CofC story is much deeper and complicated than just being illustrative of echo chambers. They are not extinct but still have vestiges of the characteristics that defined them in the past century. I use the CofC as an example of a “perfect echo chamber” because it is my heritage and I can speak with an authority I would not assume for other contexts.
Because religious beliefs are not only sacred and deeply held, and are almost infinitely varied, every religious denomination, sect, movement, et al creates their own echo chamber. However, not all religious echo chambers result in unhealthy outcomes. An examination of what differentiates healthy and unhealthy religious echo chambers can be helpful in understanding how to create healthier echo cambers in our divided and polarized society.
The journey of the CoC from a “perfect echo chamber” to a less toxic and more hopeful echo chamber parallels my personal journey. It is my intention to share and compare those experiences in my next post.