Religious media theory : understanding mediated faith and Christian applications of modern media

Abstract

Uskonnollinen kokemus on yhä enemmän teknologiavälitteinen: kokemus pyhästä saadaan mediasta niin sanotun rituaalisen mediankäytön kautta. Medioitu uskonto ei ole vain amerikkalainen ilmiö, vaan myös Suomessa on hyvin laaja ja järjestäytynyt uskonnollisen median järjestelmä, ja evankelis-luterilainen kirkko on keskeinen toimija mediamarkkinoilla. Tällaisiin tuloksiin on päätynyt Taisto Lehikoinen journalistiikan väitöskirjassaan, joka on ensimmäinen laaja perustutkimus aiheesta.- Media tarjoaa uskonnolle sen kaipaaman pääsyn suuren yleisön luokse, koska maallistuneissa länsimaissa kirkossa käynti on usein vähäistä. Uskonto tuottaa myös vahvoja mediapersoonia, joista Paavi on näkyvin esimerkki, Lehikoinen selvittää.

The study presents basic research into the recently formed field of studies on media and religion, and it generates universal descriptions and explanations as well as more operational models on religious media communication, for the first time in the field. The source material is taken from various Christian traditions: the Roman Catholic church, the Mainline Protestant tradition, the Evangelical Protestant tradition, and Eastern Orthodoxy. The primary data is based on Internet-material as well as drawn from interviews of key persons in Finland, Italy, Russia and the USA. The scope and setting is exceptionally large in order to be able to provide comprehensive and valid data for theory construction. The study is an inter-disciplinary effort that draws from the fields of sociology, media studies, cultural studies and theology. The study has a strong phenomenological orientation with an attempt to line up various traditions and case studies for comparison. The so called 'snow-ball' method is used; it is used both to trace the borders of the phenomenon and to gather material as well. It is also important to note that a particular Internet-methodology has been introduced. The study produces various descriptions, explanations and models, which together form a Religious Media Theory. The results show that religion and media technology are highly compatible, and that the most important factor in explaining religious media communication is the particular theological view of the given tradition. The second determinining factor is the national setting, which determines the actual outlook of the system of religious media communication. The study also shows the connections of religious media theory to mainstream media theory. The overall systematics and levels of religious media communication are presented in one synthetic model. Mediated religion is a counter-strategy of institutionalized Christian religion to secularization. Through mediated religion, institutions seek to re-establish their relevance and universal authority. In all traditions there is a high degree of convergence taking place as they each move to utilize and capitalize on the positive aspects of virtual religiosity and virtual religious communities. In the future, religion is moving towards becoming an increasingly technological phenomenon