Faith, culture, and technology have converged into what is now known as the mediatisation of religion. This term refers to the increasing influence of the media and media narratives on how religious beliefs and practices are understood, practised, and disseminated in contemporary society. Research on religious mediatisation has always captured the interest of the scientific community, as reflected in recent studies (Korpics, Béres and Hommer, 2023; SteRpniak, 2023; Halafoff, 2020; Bastien, 2020; Sbardelotto, 2016). However, in the current context of a digital and hyperconnected society, new questions see themselves being raised. Therefore, in this Special Issue of Religions, we invite researchers from various fields of knowledge to offer valuable perspectives on the mediatisation of religion, with the aim of addressing and discussing these topics of interest to society.
Our aim is to foster critical and multidisciplinary reflection on the relationships among media, faith, culture, spirituality, and religious practices. This Special Issue of Religions aims to be a theoretical and empirical meeting point for scholars and researchers interested in exploring how information and communication technologies influence, transform, and even construct religious experience in a contemporary context. It seeks to promote a rigorous and well-founded dialogue, as well as present an interdisciplinary and interreligious view on the topic of religious mediatisation. Moreover, its aim is to contribute to the understanding of faith, spiritual practice, and religious identity in a ‘liquid modernity’ (Bauman, 2003), techno-humanist (Sanguinetti, 2023), mediatised, and networked context that faces multiple questions.
The mediatisation of religion, which encompasses the growing influence of the media and media narratives on the understanding, practice, and dissemination of religious beliefs in contemporary society, constitutes a phenomenon of interdisciplinary interest. This field of study, involving disciplines such as sociology, communication, theology, education, philosophy, and cultural anthropology, seeks to understand the complex interactions among faith, culture, and technology in the modern era. To enrich our understanding of this phenomenon, it is relevant to consider the concept of ‘mediations’ in the current technological context and from a philosophical perspective, inviting us to explore the depth of the word and the idea of ‘logos’. This philosophical approach strengthens our understanding of religious mediation and leads us to reflect on its nature and scope. Moreover, the inclusion of philosophical anthropology can offer invaluable insights by raising fundamental questions about human nature. The human need for beliefs, as noted by Ortega y Gasset (1970), leads us to explore the phenomenon of religion and its contemporary implications from a broader perspective. The meaning of life, along with the phenomenon of meaninglessness, also emerge as relevant themes in this context. Religion, in its role of providing meaning, deserves a phenomenological analysis that examines its role in today’s society. Likewise, ethical and existential challenges invite us to reflect on the impact of religion and mediatisation on our daily lives.
We welcome contributions to research areas that may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Audiovisual narratives in religious mediatisation;
- Rites, rituals, and liturgies in the digital age;
- Digital spirituality;
- Artificial intelligence and religion;
- Mass media and religion;
- Public cyberspace and religion;
- Social media, religious influencers, and evangelisation;
- Technology in the service of interreligious dialogue;
- Digital transcendence and spirituality;
- Intangible religious heritage in the digital age;
- Content analysis of online religious media—messages and religious narratives;
- Influence of networks on religion, analysis of social media platforms, and messages conveyed;
- Secularization and mediatisation— the transformation of religious practices and influence of the media;
- Digital media of the church;
- New digital spirituality;
- Media images of religious leaders—religious influencers;
- Encyclicals and pastors regarding media;
- The role of technology in religious experience and transcendence;
- Interreligious dialogue, interculturality, and plurality of faith;
- Religious philosophy, philosophical anthropology, and networked society research.
