Description
This book offers a critical and systematic survey of the study of religion and digital media. It covers religious engagement with a wide range of digital media forms and highlights examples of new media engagement in all five of the major world religions. From mobile apps and video games to virtual reality and social media, the book:
• provides a detailed review of major topics including ritual, identity, community, authority, and embodiment;
• includes a series of engaging case studies to illustrate and elucidate the thematic explorations;
• considers the theoretical, ethical, and theological issues raised.
This unique volume draws together the work of experts from key disciplinary perspectives and is the go-to volume for students and scholars wanting to develop a deeper understanding of the subject area. Thoroughly updated throughout with new case studies and in-depth analysis of recent scholarship and developments, this new edition provides a comprehensive overview of this fast-paced, constantly developing, and fascinating field.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction to the Study of Digital Religion PART 1: Themes in the Study of Religion and New Media 2. Religion 3. Ritual 4. Identity 5. Community 6. Authority 7. Embodiment PART 2: Thematic Case Studies 8. Religion: Finding Your True-Self: YouTubing the South Korean Temple Stay A Little Birdie Told Me Something About Religion: Religion on Twitter 9. Rituals: A Case Study in Digital Religion: That Dragon, Cancer Prayer App Rituals: How Islamic Participants Engage with Technological and Religious Affordances in Muslim Pro 10. Identity: #EmptyThePews: Ex-evangelicals identity on Twitter "The Niqab is a Beautiful Extension of My Face": Niqab Adoption as Meta-Conversion in YouTube Lifestreaming Videos 11. Community: Dual Production for Dual Publics: Chabad’s Inward and Outward Online Presence Stillness on the Hillside: Worship Online with British Quakers 12. Authority: The Passive-Aggressive Haredi Campaign against the Smartphone Maintaining and Establishing Authority on Facebook: A Case Study on Catholic Priests 13. Embodiment: Gamified Embodiment Experiences in Indian Video Games The Digital Afterlife PART 3: Reflections on Studying Religion and Digital Media 14. Theoretical Frameworks for Approaching Religion and Digital Media 15. Ethical Issues in the Study of Religion and New Media 16. Theology and the New Media
