This is to announce an upcoming symposium and workshop being held on 6 Oct 2011 at Texas A&M University on new media, religion and digital culture. The Digital Religion Symposium & Workshop will explore how new media is shaping our understanding of religion in a networked society.
This event will feature presentations by recognized experts in this area:
Pauline Cheong, Associate Professor of Communication at Arizona State University, presenting her work on authority online especially as they related to Buddhist and Christian engagement with new media
Nabil Echchaibi, Assistant Professor of Mass Communication at University of Colorado-Boulder, presenting on Islam and the Internet and related issues of religious identity negotiation online
Christopher Helland, Associate Professor of Sociology of Religion at Dalhousie University (Canada), presenting on issues of ritual and authenticity related to Buddhist & Hindu online contexts
The symposium will be held 9am-1pm at 410 Rudder Tower on the campus of Texas A&M and will involve presentations by the 3 speakers followed by a panel discussion on what studying religion online has to teach us about social and religious life in an information society.
The event will also feature a workshop from 2:30-4pm at the Glasscock center library on Researching Digital Culture. This will be an opportunity for faculty and graduate students to learn and ask questions about methodological and ethical issues raised by doing online research in various internet and virtual world environments.
These events are free and open to the public, but reservations are required for the workshop and lunch.
RSVPs and inquiries related to this event can be directed to Heidi Campbell, Associate Professor of Communication-TAMU (heidic@tamu.edu).
