Theoretical Frameworks for Approaching Religion and Digital Media

What count as “new media” change as times go by. The research on media and religion has moved from one-way mass media to networked media, from analogue to digital technologies. The theoretical approaches displayed in this chapter follow the same paths. They all started out with analogue mass media, later trying to grasp digital networked media. The proliferation of these Internet technologies also has an impact on religious practices and beliefs. This chapter aims to provide students and scholars with an overview of key theoretical approaches to the study of religion and media, with a focus on the now dominant and still evolving digital media. It explores the following questions: what are the key theoretical approaches employed in the study of religion and new media? How do these theories influence questions and topics in digital religion research? This, it is hoped, may work as a lens for interpretation, especially for studies of new media engagement and interaction by religious users and communities.