"Divided into five parts, the Handbook opens with a state-of-the-art overview of the subject’s intellectual landscape, introducing the historical background, theoretical foundations, and major academic approaches to communication, media, and religion. Subsequent sections focus on institutional and
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functional perspectives, theological and cultural approaches, and new approaches in digital technologies. The essays provide insight into a wide range of topics, including religious use of media, religious identity, audience gratification, religious broadcasting, religious content in entertainment, films and religion, news reporting about religion, race and gender, the sex-religion matrix, religious crisis communication, public relations and advertising, televangelism, pastoral ministry, death and the media, online religion, future directions in religious communication, and more." (Publisher description)
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"The first handbook on global media ethics; provides a valuable resource for teaching media ethics in a global era; addresses all major approaches to global media ethics; contains contributions by leading, internationally recognized authors in the field of media ethics." (Publisher description)
"This volume breaks down disciplinary walls in numerous ways. First, it combines information about the intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, and societal levels of communication into a single resource. At the intrapersonal level, new issues are raised about communication between individuals and deity
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: Why is religious experience difficult to explain in rational terms? Why is silence more sacred than spoken prayer in some religious communities? What is the nature of “thought communication” in religious meditation? Why is the use of profanity justified in some religious circles? How does idolatry reinforce religious customs and values? Why was chanting one of the first forms of religious communication?
Religious information is also exchanged between individuals at the level of interpersonal communication. This volume identifies rituals that have not been adequately analyzed in terms of communication aspects: Why do some sects require public confession? Why is body decoration an acceptable form of worship in some religious groups, but not in others? How does dance communicate the sacred through metaphoric movement? What are the multiple forms of communication with the dead? Why are feasts a form of religious worship in all major religions? How does the study of organizational communication apply to religion?
This volume also aids study of mediated communication to larger groups both inside and outside religious denominations. Throughout history, technology has simultaneously aided and impeded communication processes; this also applies to religious culture: How did religion change during the historical transition from orality to literacy? How did printing contribute to the diffusion of religious values in the world? Why have religious novels grown in popularity? Is television considered a religious medium? How has the Internet affected religious congregations and communities? What is religious media literacy?
These are only a few of the questions addressed by this encyclopedia. Articles also deal with (1) concepts such as information, communication, and censorship, (2) denominations which exhibit different communication practices, and (3) the various media used in religious worship. Entries were contributed by scholars from various disciplines, including religious studies, communication, anthropology, sociology, ancient studies, religion and modern culture, theology, and many others." (Introduction, page xiii-xiv)
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"Cet ouvrage innovateur et unique cristallise l'état actuel de la réflexion sur le témoignage de foi chrétienne dans les médias. Les conférenciers provenant d'universités, de médias et de diverses sphères religieuses et professionnelles, donnent à l'ouvrage une dimension interreligieuse et
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multiculturelle très riche. Être témoin de foi chrétienne, qu'est-ce à dire ? Le livre explicite d'abord le témoignage tel que vécu par les chrétiens de la primitive Église et par les croyants et croyantes d'aujourd'hui. Puis, l'ouvrage tente de discerner la relation proprement dite entre le témoignage de foi chrétienne et les médias : qui sera témoin ? de quoi ? où ? quand ? comment ? à cause de quoi ? en vue de quoi ? et avec quelles conséquences pour les religions ? Somme toute, y a-t-il compatibilité ou incompatibilité entre médias et foi ? Certains intervenants remettent en cause des aspects de cette présence, d'autre l'acceptent conditionnellement, bon nombre y croient fermement, et même jusqu'à prôner le côté révolutionnaire de médias religieux parallèles dans le contexte mercantile actuel. Voilà un matériau de réflexion complètement neuf, qui ouvre des perspectives inédites sur la présence de la foi chrétienne en pleine culture médiatique du XXIe siècle." (Description de la maison d'édition)
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"This is the first book to bring together many aspects of the interplay between religion, media and culture from around the world in a single comprehensive study. Leading international scholars provide the most up-to-date findings in their fields, and in a readable and accessible way. Some of the to
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pics covered include religion in the media age, popular broadcasting, communication theology, popular piety, film and religion, myth and ritual in cyberspace, music and religion, communication ethics, and the nature of truth in media saturated cultures." (Publisher description)
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