Earlier today we reported that social scientists are looking at online societies as helpful representations of real-world ones; now, a Rome-based Jesuit magazine called La Civilta Cattolica reviewed by the Vatican Secretariat of State before publication has released an article identifying virtual worlds as an important new frontier for evangelism.

According to the Catholic News, which also identified "great dangers to faith" in virtual societies, Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro says it is not "possible to turn a blind eye to this phenomenon, or offhandedly pass judgment glorifying it or condemning it."

Spadaro surmises that the widespread popularity of online worlds may be a reflection of humanity's need to become better people by seeking another life, and that with so many users finding meaning in the intangible world, "at heart, the digital world may also be in its own way considered to be mission territories."

Spadaro also fears that people might become alienated from reality in an imaginary world, where the transient nature of identity fosters a "spontaneity that knows no limits or discretion."

Though the article suggests that residents of worlds like Second Life, which was its primary focus, might soon see more churches, missionaries and informational pamphlets, Spadaro also had some interesting insights, as he wondered if those who "[opt] for the simulated" might be expressing "a kind of diffidence and resignation" regarding real life -- and he also wondered whether online worlds, by creating low-risk environments where everything is "under control and reversible," make the real world seem frightening and result in "worrying emotional and affective consequences."

[Via CatholicOnline]