I’m Jacob Evans, and I’m excited to join Brilliance Labs as a research intern, working alongside Ahshuwah and Nate. I first encountered the organization at the 2024 Thank God for Bitcoin Convention, where Nate distributed materials describing cryptocurrency as a tool to expand Missio Dei to the uttermost parts of the earth. I found this concept intellectually compelling, particularly given my enrollment as a doctoral candidate in Anthropology at the University of Oxford.
My scholarly focus centers on technology and religion, examining how technological advancement reshapes religious understanding and practice. My doctoral research, conducted in partnership with Brilliance Labs, investigates cryptocurrency adoption within missiology—the study of Christian missionary work and strategy.
My previous research concentrated on cryptocurrency communities from technical and social angles. I concluded that behind digital systems exist actual individuals who transform abstract concepts into tangible experiences. This human-centered approach continues driving my doctoral work, shifting attention from broad cryptocurrency adoption patterns toward faith-motivated communities.
Integrating Christianity into cryptocurrency adoption analysis provides a unique way to examine cryptocurrency communities and emphasize human dimensions. I aim to challenge assumptions treating Christianity as self-evident, motivated partly by academic neglect of religious topics and partly by personal conviction.
My faith is central to my identity and work. I seek alignment between Christian principles—particularly serving vulnerable populations—and academic contributions. I believe in openly acknowledging faith within university environments rather than hiding convictions.
## Research Questions
My investigation pursues three primary inquiries:
1. How does cryptocurrency integration into Christian evangelism alter geographic constraints on missionary organizations and movement patterns for both long-term and short-term missionaries?
2. What theological and sociocultural justifications support cryptocurrency adoption within Christianity, including ideological and ritualistic dimensions?
3. How does this new spatial reality transform Christendom’s geographic dimensions, creating lived implementations of the Great Commission?
## Methodology
My approach draws from theologian Francis Young, connecting theological inquiry to anthropology through mutual interest in understanding questions which arise from the condition of people’s lives as they are lived. My methodology employs ethnography—examining intimate details of daily life including routine aspects. Ethnography emphasizes engagement with everyday existence rather than merely collecting data.
I am committed to protecting research data according to Oxford University’s Data Protection Policy, ensuring fair, transparent, and secure processing. Interested participants can contact me at jacob.evans@hertford.ox.ac.uk.