Religion and the Internet: A microcosm for studying Internet trends and implications Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • This article argues that paying close attention to key findings within the study of religion and the Internet, a subfield of Internet Studies, can enhance our understanding and discussion of the larger social and cultural shifts at work within networked society. Through a critical overview of research on religion online, five central research areas emerge related to social practices, onlineoffline connections, community, identity, and authority online. It is also argued that observations about these themes not only point to specific trends within religious practice online, but also mirror concerns and findings within other areas of Internet Studies. Thus, studying religion on the Internet provides an important microcosm for investigating Internet Studies contribution in a wide range of contexts in our contemporary social world.

published proceedings

  • NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY

altmetric score

  • 2.5

author list (cited authors)

  • Campbell, H. A.

citation count

  • 47

complete list of authors

  • Campbell, Heidi A

publication date

  • August 2013