"This study investigates how Islamic fundamentalists groups in Indonesia use Twitter to communicate with their stakeholders to achieve organizational goals. Based on previous work, three main functions of the use of social media by organizations were examined: spreading information, building and mai
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ntaining communities, and mobilizing for action. Based on an analysis of 2000 coded tweets from 20 Islamic fundamentalist accounts in Indonesia, the results showed that using Twitter for spreading information is by far the most frequently used function for Islamic fundamentalist groups in Indonesia, followed by community building and mobilizing for action. Our analysis of the effect of the different uses of Twitter shows that in terms of reach (i.e. retweets), there is an advantage in using Twitter to spread information compared to calling for action in terms of retweeting and – to a lesser extent – to building a community." (Abstract)
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"Wie kann Theologie zu Technik und KI beitragen? Der Technikdiskurs ist aufgeladen mit religiösen Motiven, und Technologien wie Roboter fordern die Theologie, z. B. das Menschenbild, die Ethik und die religiöse Praxis, neu heraus. Der Sammelband erforscht aus theologischer Perspektive die drängen
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den Themen unserer Zeit. Dazu begibt sich die Theologie in Dialog mit den Technikwissenschaften. Untersucht werden die Veränderungen des Menschenbildes durch Roboter, Religiöse Roboter, Optimierung des Körpers, medizinische Technologien, Autoregulative Waffensysteme und wie die Theologie durch die Technologisierung transformiert wird." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"Die CONTOC-Studie hat in ökumenischer und internationaler Ausrichtung die digitale kirchliche Praxis unter den Bedingungen der Corona-Pandemie im Frühsommer 2020 erforscht. Dieser Band dokumentiert die Rahmenbedingungen und Umfrageergebnisse in den beteiligten Ländern. Daran schließen sich Pers
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pektiven zu den zukünftigen Herausforderungen für die digitale Angebotspraxis und das Selbstverständnis der kirchlichen Akteur*innen an." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"Digital Religion: The Basics explores how digital media and internet platforms are transforming religious practice in a digital age and the impact this has had on religious culture in contemporary society. Through exploring six defining characteristics of how religion is acted out online, including
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multisite reality, convergence practice, networked community, storied identity, shifting authority, and experiential authenticity, the book considers how digital religion both shapes, and is influenced by, religion offline. Questions asked include: How is religion being performed and reimagined through digital media and cultures? In what ways do the practices of religion online merge or correspond with shifts in perspective taking place in offline religious practice? How do the key findings of religion online reflect broader social, cultural, and structural practices observed within mobile, networked society?" (Publisher description)
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"La aparición de los contenidos referidos a la cultura digital en el texto recientemente aprobado por la Asamblea Sinodal (2023), es un verdadero acontecimiento. Y lo es por varias razones: en primer lugar, porque contiene asuntos fundamentales que conciernen al desarrollo de la cultura digital que
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forman parte de la vida de la sociedad y del contexto de la Iglesia. Esto significa que las reflexiones que se proponen no son algo que se esté iniciando o se avizora para un futuro, así sea próximo. Inciden en la vida de las instituciones, los sistemas de relaciones y la existencia cotidiana de los diversos actores de la sociedad. En segundo lugar, porque aparecen en el cuerpo de la declaración sinodal, por lo menos en dos grandes sentidos: el primero, las ideas expuestas en el capítulo 17 del Informe tienen una unidad conceptual, un manera de ver el tema y por tanto, de definir su identidad, y el segundo, porque son contenidos que no deberían leerse aisladamente, sino en conexión con la variedad de temas que conforman la riqueza del texto. Las dos perspectivas de lectura establecen, a su vez, vínculos con un debate más amplio sobre el impacto que las tecnologías tienen en muchos ámbitos de la vida humana y con la incidencia que desde hace tiempo han empezado a tener en la vida de la Iglesia." (Resumen)
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"This study aims to examine how active users of social media in relation to their religious values and commitments evaluate the construction and byproducts of religion online. The results show that there are three main repertoires related to the use of social media and religiosity in Turkey: religio
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sity as religious duties, religiosity as interpreting Islam and religiosity for managing impressions. The results can be evaluated together with the secularization theory, that is, discourses about being religious ‘warn’ individuals about the negative consequences of social media use, while offering an alternative to the positive ones." (Publisher description)
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"Les pages qui suivent sont le fruit d’une réflexion impliquant des experts, des enseignants, des jeunes professionnels et leaders, des laïcs, des membres du clergé et des religieux. L’objectif est d’aborder certaines des principales questions concernant la manière dont les chrétiens devr
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aient aborder les réseaux sociaux. Elles ne sont pas censées être des “lignes directrices” précises pour le ministère pastoral dans ce domaine. On espère plutôt promouvoir une réflexion commune sur nos expériences numériques, en encourageant les individus et les communautés à adopter une approche créative et constructive qui peut favoriser une culture de bon voisinage. Favoriser des relations pacifiques, significatives et bienveillantes sur les réseaux sociaux constitue un défi susceptible de générer une discussion dans les milieux académiques et professionnels, ainsi que dans les milieux ecclésiaux. Quel genre d’humanité se reflète dans notre présence dans les environnements numériques? Dans quelle mesure nos relations numériques sont-elles le fruit d’une communication profonde et véridique, et dans quelle mesure sont-elles simplement façonnées par des opinions incontestées et des réactions passionnées? Quelle part de notre foi trouve des expressions numériques vivantes et réconfortantes? Et qui est mon “prochain” sur les réseaux sociaux?" (Page 5)
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"L’avvento dell’era digitale ha interessato sempre più il settore di ricerca delle scienze della comunicazione con notevoli ricadute anche in campo catechetico. Questo libro prova a rispondere all’esigenza di formare una nuova figura di catechista chiamato ad interagire con i “soggetti digi
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tali” che, in misura sempre più significativa, vanno emergendo dall’attuale contesto sociale e culturale. Il testo esamina i cambiamenti in atto e tenta di descrivere gli influssi che stanno generando sulle nuove generazioni. Infatti, sono proprio i media digitali ad aver condotto ad un inarrestabile mutamento delle dimensioni cognitive, affettive, comunicative e comportamentali del soggetto." (Retrocopertina)
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"Providing detailed case studies, this book explores the vibrant digital expressions of diverse groups of Muslim cybernauts: religious clerics and Sufi mystics, feminists and fashionistas, artists and activists, Hajj pilgrims and celebrities. Together, these stories span a vast cultural and geograph
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ic landscape, including Indonesia, Iran, the Middle East, and the United States. These case studies are contextualized within the backdrop of broader social trends, including racism and Islamophobia, gender dynamics, celebrity culture, identity politics, and the shifting dynamics of contemporary religious piety and practice. Authors examine a wide-range of digital multimedia technologies as primary ''texts." These include websites, podcasts, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube channels, online magazines and discussion forums, and religious apps." (Publisher description)
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"This volume contains a collection of 12 chapters discussing the theme of the book, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the implications that this crisis holds for the church in the future. The main matter being examined in this book is the ecclesiological challenges and opportunities present
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ed by digital technology in relation to its widespread use in the life of the church during the health crisis. The book is divided into three sections. “The first part re-examines traditional vocabulary and understandings of digital church. The second section explores specific examples of ecclesiological shifts during the pandemic. The final section looks to the future of the Church in the digital age, offering insight and recommendations for a way forward.” One of the highlights of this book is that it gathered the wisdom and insights from scholars from a variety of disciplines and theological traditions as well as geographical and cultural backgrounds. Thus, the theology of the Church in the digital age being considered and deepened in this volume is not of a particular denomination, but of Christianity taken as a whole." (https://www.asianresearchcenter.org)
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"Sacred Cyberspaces reveals how long-standing conflicts over power, influence, and legitimacy within religious organizations are being waged in the digital realm. Oren Golan and Michele Martini describe the tensions that arise as religious groups seek to reach the faithful in online spaces where tra
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ditional clerical authorities have less expertise and control. Focusing on the Catholic world, they examine the rise of devotional digital entrepreneurship and the roles of lay religious webmasters: the video makers, app developers, and web designers who devote their lives to evangelization and who literally run the show. The book also explores the nature of religious experience as it pivots to online platforms: cyberculture, prayer, ceremonies, pilgrimage, proselytization, and the relation to the transcendental. From live-streaming at world-famous sites in the Holy Land to the Instagram feed of Pope Francis, Sacred Cyberspaces evaluates the contemporary media strategies of the Catholic Church and sheds light on the future of religion online." (Publisher description)
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"Il volume, nato dall’esperienza dei 150 video tutorial dell’Associazione Webmaster Cattolici Italiani (WECA), offre un cammino in quattro tappe per riflettere, scoprire, condividere sui social e pubblicare sul web l’esperienza di una Chiesa che, appunto, è presente anche nel mondo digitale.
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Un percorso che, soprattutto alla luce dell’esperienza della pandemia, propone come «abitare il digitale» con consapevolezza e formazione senza perdere di vista la continua evoluzione degli strumenti e delle piattaforme digitali. Così da proporre una copertina del libro “interattiva”, con la presenza di un QR Code e lo sviluppo di un algoritmo che accompagnano e ne arricchiscono la lettura con contributi multimediali sempre aggiornati. Prefazione di Papa Francesco." (Publisher description)
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"The contributions of this special issue are grouped in three sections: context, theoretical framework and empirical research. The first articles set up two important dimensions of the context we are living in that have to be definitely improved if we want to take advantage of the positive sides of
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Covid-19’s effects to bring about real social relations and a good communication of science [...] The following articles deal with three important core components needed to set up a theoretical framework, from which this issue intends to start a serious scholarly conversation around the lessons learned from the Covid’s impact on social communication: (1) how a person knows and shapes his/her judgment in practical affairs when s/he is critically involved in them, (2) why and how science has surrendered to technology in the last decades, (3) and how practical knowledge is socially shared [...] The context and theoretical framework having been set up, the issue enters into the empirical part of our research: several papers examine the news coverage of the Church dealing with the pandemic in a good sample of newspapers around the world, one paper looks at how social media have engaged in the response to the pandemic by the Catholic Church, and another at how local churches have managed the challenges of the pandemic [...] The analysis of worldwide media coverage aims to find out how the mainstream press has portrayed the role of Christian churches and other religious bodies in dealing with the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. All researchers have broadly shared a common qualitative methodology: looking for the frames and inducing the topoi (common places) underlying the resulting frames of the examination of news and editorial items." (Pages 2-4)
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"In terms of the pastoral challenges presented by ICT, this paper demonstrates the need for the Church and her pastoral leaders to skillfully and wisely navigate the realm of technology in order to put this gift granted by God to the best use. This demands that pastoral leaders and faith communicato
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rs have a good grasp of the various dimensions if ICT - the social, economic, political, ecological and spiritual short-term and long-term implications for the Church and for the world." (Conclusion, page 40)
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"Die vorliegende Pilotstudie kontextualisiert zunächst das Phänomen, das sich hinter dem Begriff „Digitale Communities“ verbirgt im Feld der wissenschaftlichen Begleitforschung und nimmt begriffliche Schärfungen vor (Kap. 2). Im Zentrum stehen dann die empirischen Ergebnisse der Befragung der
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Followerschaft der 13 christlichen Influencer*innen auf Instagram (Kap. 4) und die daraus ableitbaren Steckbriefe der 13 Instagram-Profile (Kap. 9). Schließlich werden Einsichten, Fragestellungen und Ausblicke vorgestellt, die sich aus der Interpretation der empirischen Ergebnisse für die evangelische Kirche, ihre kirchliche Praxis und ihr Digitalisierungsbestreben ergeben (Kap. 5). Eine Einordnung der Ergebnisse aus Sicht des yeet-Netzwerkes nimmt Lilith Becker als Leiterin des Netzwerkes vor (Kap. 6) und eine praktisch-theologische Einordnung PD Dr. Sabrina Müller und Mag.Theol. Alina Knapp (Kap. 7)." (Einleitung)
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"With the prohibition of religious gatherings by the Philippine government to help curb the spread of the COVID-19, the Catholic Church had to close its doors to the public and instead hold masses and other activities online, primarily utilizing the livestreaming features of Facebook. The study prob
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ed how select parishes in the province of Bulacan engaged their parishioners online in light of the quarantine restrictions imposed in the area. Specifically, the study explores the concept of social communication as embedded in a new culture that is shaped by digital communication, in the context of the engagement of the Catholic Church and its faithful through Facebook during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by ideas regarding social communication by Eilers, participatory culture by Jenkins, and COBRA typology by Muntinga, Moorman, and Smit, as its theoretical lenses, this study utilizes a multi-method approach to achieve its objectives. Qualitative focus interviews were conducted with social media managers of Facebook pages of three parishes, as well as for parishioners who follow the selected parish Facebook pages. Data obtained from the content analysis and Facebook insights of the top performing posts of the parishes selected were also analyzed. Findings show that social media has changed how the Church communicates, and thus has forced the evolution of the concept of social communication. Given the size and scope of the various social media pages, they offered the Church viable fora for its visibility and evangelization. Moreover, although social media cannot totally substitute face-to-face gatherings, especially in-person worship, social media can support the Church’s community in a myriad of ways such as providing information about the parishes’ events, activities and advocacies, and allowing a space for the parishioners to engage in dialogue. Viewing communication as one that leads to communion or unity of its community, the current digital culture reshapes social communication as one that fosters a greater sense of participation in the creation and sharing of information among its members." (Abstract)
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"This essay establishes the four phenomena that have characterized the pandemic and digital communications. This refers to infodemic, which is the abundance of information and difficulty to manage it; hypersensitivity, indicated in classifying actors as heroes and villains; the development of atypic
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al cycles, which refers to the alteration of behaviors and habits among the population; and disinformation, understood as the presentation of false events with the purpose of manipulation. This work focuses on Jesus as the Communicator par excellence and empathy. Communicators must be empathetic before posting content, in order to guide digital platform users to find what they are seeking for. Therefore, empathic communication is more than speaking kind words of encouragement, sympathy, and consolation. It requires concrete actions as evidence of solidarity, trust, and support. A comprehensive pastoral communication plan for the digital age reflects this paradigm of communication and is cemented in real actions through empathy as a legacy of truth and loving your neighbor." (Abstract)
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"Este trabalho apresenta uma reflexão inicial sobre o conceito de influenciadores digitais, considerando as perspectivas anteriores dos estudos de celebridades, com objetivo de propor novas dimensões para a análise desse fenômeno circunscrito no ambiente da fé. Buscando apreender os fenômenos
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socioeclesiais gerados a partirdos processos interacionais em rede, pretende-se discorrer sobre métodos capazes de ajudar a compreender os elementos teológicos e comunicacionais que compõem o campo específico dos influenciadores digitais da fé." (Resumen)
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"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
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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 [...] 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." (Publisher description)
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