Archbishop issues websites warning

UK Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols of the Catholic Church issued an official warning about the dangers of Facebook and Myspace especially regarding the impact of "transient relationships" on teens moral development. Check out the AP story I found at the Guardian online: Archbishop issues websites warning. Do you agree that SNS encourages a dehumanising of society?

Tweet Prayers to the Western Wall

According to the Arutz Sheva web site (an interesting site in itself if you want to gain greater insights into the Migzar/Religious Zionist online presence) posted an interesting article today called The Western Wall Enters the Twitter Age. An enterprising young Jew from Tel Aviv has taken it upon himself to post the tweeted prayers in the western wall. This extends already present services that allow you to email or sms prayers to the wall. For more info check out Alon's twitter page at: http://twitter.com/theKotel

Special Issue on Religion and Technology

Vit Sisler--whom I that the pleasure to meet recently in Chicago while he is on Fulbright at NWU-- and Robert M. Geraci have edited a special issue of the MasarykUniversity Journal of Law and Technology on religion and technology. The articles deal with a range of topics on the production of Islamic knowledge for European Muslim minorities on the Internet, such as Sisler's examination of marriage and divorce fatwas online,to an article providing a view of Jewish Orthodox views of the web . Copies of the articles are hosted on the web site Digital Islam which is also a vital resource for those studying Islam online.

Changes brought about by New Media and the Walkman: Context, Indvidualization and Mobility

Yesterday I was contacted by a journalist about making some comments on the 30th anniversary of the release of the first SONY walkman. As I pondered what impact this specific technology has had on our media landscape from my readings and observations I ended up talking with him about three key factors or changes: Context, Individualization and Mobility.

First the walkman freed music listening from being engage with in a certain place or space, you could listen to music on the bus, while going for a jog as easily as sitting in front of a larger stereo system. This mean how we consume media has changed.

Second the walkman encouraged a new level of individualization, I can listen to my music when I want not matter what others around me are doing. This has marked a greater sense of empowerment in individuals being able to control the media messages they want to receive.

Third music consumption no longer became a static practice, it was now mobile. That means where media was consumed was freed to a new level. This also started a blurring of the public and private as media device allowed for personal engagement in public space. However, those individual, mobile practices have repercussions for the public. Early walkman were not necessarily personal as you could often hear the sounds being played seep through the head phones. Similar to how people get forced into transgressing the space of a private phone conversation when someone next to them is talking loudly into their cell phones.

So in my way of thinking the walkman in many ways set the stage for our new digital media landscape and media consumer current practices. It also raises some concerns of how our media devices are culturing human behavior.

For the official version of the story check out the interview online.

Wikipedia bans Church of Scientology

Here is an interesting example of offline religious authorities attempting control religious perception online and its fallout. It seems the Church of Scientology subtly infiltrated the editorial system of Wikipedia in order to influence and control information shared on the site about the church. The result of this has been that Wikipedia had now banned contributions from all IP addresses owned or operated by the Church of Scientology and its associates. For more details check out The Register's article: Wikipedia bans Church of Scientology.

How Social Media is Like Ice Cream

Being a huge ice cream fan I just had to follow up a link sent out on the Association of Internet Researchers elist this morning about How Social Media is Like Ice Cream . What I found is a great video that explains in simple terms how social networks and media work (and a craving for mint chocolate brownie ice cream). Check it out:

iMuslims is coming

Amazon.com just sent me a notice that Gary Bunt's new book--iMuslims: Rewiring the House of Islam (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks)-- will soon be out. Bunt is well known for his work on documenting the latest uses of the internet and digital technology in the Muslim world Virtually Islamic and Islam in the Digital Age. His new book iMuslims seeks to look at how not only the internet has shaped Islamic practices and society but perceptions of Islam in a globalized information society. His work describes how new SNS sites are being used within Islam and how his over ten years of research highlight certain trends with Muslim use of the Internet.

According to a review in Publishers's weekly Bunt suggests, "..that Muslims have an “open-source” educational legacy. This open-source nature of Islamic theology inclines Muslims, possible more than other faith adherents, towards an online “rewiring” of their faith." I haven't read the book yet myself but it promises to be an important contribution for those studying Islam online. Bunt's blog Virtually Islamic provides a great source for info on the book and other info about Islam online, and he also he has an online bibliography for his book which is well worth checking out.

State of Belief on Religion Online

I was interview this past week for the radio show "State of Belief" hosted by Rev C. Welton Gaddy which seeks to cover positive topics on religion. In a 15 min segment we discuss how faith communities are making use of the latest in new media - from Twitter masses to Jewish Blackberry ("Jewberry) prayer books. Check it out here.

Religion in Virtual Worlds Study Group

I learned about an interesting study group on religion online that meets in Second Life. Here are the details for researchers who might be interested in joining.

Time: May 22, 2009 from 8am to 9:30am

Location: Second Life

Organized By: Beth Davies-Stofka Event

Description:Religion in Virtual Worlds Study Group

The Religion in Virtual Worlds Study Group meets on the 3rd Friday of the month at 8:00 AM Second Life time.The May meeting will take place on May 22nd (in order to avoid overlap with end-of-semester duties). The agenda is Buddhist Death in Second Life

Dr. Beth Davies-Stofka presents the educational goals and strategies behind the Second Life Bardo Game. Designed by members of the Center for EduPunx, the Second Life Bardo Game creates the "in between" state of the dead person as described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead, challenging the player to find her way to enlightenment.There are a few design issues that we need help resolving, and we'll present those to the group.

Discussion: would you like to use this game in your classroom? What questions or considerations concern you? How can we help?Religion in Virtual Worlds Study Group meetings normally last an hour and a half, but feel free to come late and leave early!

All are welcome. All meetings are held on the Front Range Island. Front Range Island is private, so please RSVP in advance with your avatar name to beth.davies@frontrange.edu.

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you on May 22nd!

Next meeting: June 19. Agenda will be set at the May meeting.

Patheo and Religion Online

Patheos.org is a relatively new web site that seeks to be an interactive site devoted to the exploration and discussion of religious belief and experience. They have assembled an impressive list of experts and advisors for the site which offers on only info on different religious traditions but place for interaction, debate and special topics discussion. This week the topic in the Public Square forum is Religion on the Web. They offer an impressive range of article from why Catholic spiritual mentors need to take Facebook seriously to a reflection on what What Muhammad would advise Muslims to do about the internet. I was interview for one of three lead article in the section, one specifically titled Religion 2.0 that looks at the future of religion in an internet world. With so many interesting pieces the site and this week's public square discussion is especially worth checking out.

Kid's morals in Virtual Worlds: online morals match offline

I recent came across an interesting research article which talks about kid's morals in virtual worlds. In the article, Gender, race and morality in the virtual world and its relationship to morality in the real world, researchers from Michigan state university argue that children’s offline moral behavior and attitudes is largely carried over in their behavior and beliefs online. The team's systematic interviews with over 500 young people found that morality online was related to morality offline, confirming the finding of many researchers that the online and offline social (and religious/moral) context are intimately interconnected. For more info check out the full article:

Jackson LA et al (2009). Gender, race and morality in the virtual world and its relationship to morality in the real world. Sex Roles DOI 10.1007/s11199-009-9589-5

CFP: Church and Mission in a Multireligious Third Millennium

I just got an e-announcement for who looks like a very interesting conference coming up in 2010. The Church and Mission in a Multireligious Third Millennium conference seeks to bring together especially scholars from the Nordic context to discuss issues a variety of related to issues of ecclesiology, ecumenism and missiology. The participant includes some of my friends and research colleagues including LeRon Schults, Knut Lundby and Goran Larrson.

One of the core themes is the "Church in Cyberspace." In this section they welcomes papers examining the relationship between church, mission and the new media, especially the Internet. How do the new media affect the ways in which the church operates? What impact do secularization, globalization and multireligiosity have on the church in cyberspace? Does the Internet offer new alternatives to traditional approaches to mission? Can church and congregational communities be built in cyberspace? If you are interested in more information contact, Peter Fischer-Nielsen at pfn@teo.au.dk

A Science and Religion Primer Online

It is a bit of shameless self-promotion but I wanted to announce the website for my most recent book went live today. A Science and Religion Primer is an introductory guide to dialogues in science and religion and functions as a hybrid between a dictionary, encyclopedia and annotate bib. While this is only tangently relevant to the study of religion and new media it does have some interesting entries on topics such as technology and posthumanism (written by yours truly). If you are interested in the current debates on science and religion or are trying to get your head around such topics as the Duhem Quien Thesis or Mind-Body problems in science check it out!

Monasticism Online

I just learned of a new form of digital monasticism. Prayerbuddy.org describes itself as "ubiquitously digital spiritual community in which daily contact and familiarity are the rule" It seeks to create the sociological resemblance of monastic community in a networked form. Prayerbuddy helps member become part of a small online community (of about 8 members) that seek to they follow a simple rule of life in which they engage in classical practices (including daily prayer, lectio divina, spiritual journaling & spiritual direction) supported by technology. This digital monastic life also encourages new forms of interconnection such as "Perpetual, Wireless, Semantically Rich Presence To One Another" and "Semi Monthly Spiritual Conference Centered Around A Meal". So those who have always desired to fulfill their monastic inner calling of live as a contemplative, but can't live without your wireless no worries, prayerbuddy can help you marry the two!

4 days till Internet Evangelism day

This coming Sunday some evangelical churches will highlight the potential of the Internet , by holding an 'Internet Evangelism Day'. The organizers see that the Web is a God-given tool for outreach, and provides help for Christians to use it effectively. They encourage
churches to build a presentation into their services or other activities on or near that day. Their website also serves as a year-round online resource guide with many ideas for web outreach and strategy . Internet Evangelism Day also offers an online self-assessment questionnaire, enabling churches to enhance their websites to reach out into the community. "Your church website is a 'shop window' for your community," says IE Day coordinator Tony Whittaker. The questionnaire creates a free evaluation report to highlight areas of a site that can be developed.

The Networked Congregation Report

The Alban Institute has just released an interesting report entitled, Networked Congregations: Embracing the Spirit of Experimentation which seeks to analyze the challenges and possibilities being confronted by religious congregations in the digital age. The report is linked to an event I participated in a year ago at the Alban institute, but it is more than just a synopsis of the events topics. Rather Andrea Useem has woven together a number of interesting interview and in-depth personal narratives from people like Jeff Kivett and David Ambrose at Lifechurch.tv, pastor-blogger Rick Lord, Lisa Colton of Darim Online, Greg Atkinson of Church 2.0 and others. If you are interested in exploring the question" What does the digital age mean for religious congregations?" I encourage you to check this out!

Chag Sameach & the Facebook Haggadah

Passover Blessings to you. It's the time of year when Jews ready their passover tables and pull out their haggadahs. The haggadah is the story of the Jewish exodus read by families during passover as a mark of communal rememberance and there are are multiple online versions of the haggadah such as the do-it-yourself open source haggadah. But this year a new and very playful one was brought to my attention called the the Facebook Haggadah which has to be one of the most creative versions I have seen recently. According to my friend Barry Wellman you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this, but he says it helps.

A Study of Christian participation in online communities.

I recently got an email from a student at the The University of Illinois at Chicago who is trying to survey Christians' opinion and participation in online communities. I volunteered to help him out by posting his call for survey respondents here. So...if the shoe fits, I encourage you to take time to respond to the call below...
------------------------------------------

Hello everyone.
I am heading up a research project at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The project measures Christian opinions and participation in online communities.We need your help.

We need respondents to the following survey: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/112059/ec-involvement-in-online-communities-1

The survey is hosted on a professional online survey service. The survey is anonymous, so your privacy is protected.Participating in the survey is completely voluntary. The benefits of completing the survey are data for present and future research, as well as personal satisfaction. You may also request a copy of the research report once the survey has been completed. Your participation would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your time.--

Kyong James Cho
Department of Communication
University of Illinois at Chicago

CFP: Chapters on the Internet and Apocalyptic Belief

I saw this CFP and thought that this might be of interest to some readers...

Network Apocalypse: Visions of the End in an Age of Internet Media

This edited collection of work by international scholars would document how Internet communication is creating, adapting, and recreating beliefs about an imminent mass transformation resulting in the end of human history. How are ancient prophetic beliefs faring in our everyday lives as they have become technologized by network communication? How do religious communities sharing these beliefs use the Internet? Are everyday religious believers empowered or disempowered by Internet technologies? Are gender, ethic, and racial divisions being broken down or reinforced? How are text-based prophetic traditions adapting to the more dynamic and fluid understanding of the Word in our digital age?

The answers to these questions are important for scholars from a wide range of disciplines working on questions about how the Internet is changing some of our most powerful and recurring religious beliefs.Each chapter of this book will focus on a specific sample of discourse that features apocalyptic beliefs. Comparative and theoretical chapters are also welcomed. Methods may be quantitative, qualitative, or a combination of both.

Chapter topics might include by are not limited to:Christian, Islamic, Jewish, or other traditional apocalyptic expression online;specific apocalyptic groups using the Internet;online prophecy and/or prayer practices;apocalyptic games, gamers, or gaming;apocalyptic expression in virtual worlds;apocalyptic communication via mobile communication technologies;new apocalyptic religious movements using the Internet;apocalyptic ideas or discourses that rely on theories of technology including concepts of “Gaia-mind,” “singularity,” and etc.

Please submit the following documents via email to Rob Howard (rgh@rghoward.com) by May 1, 2009:
1) a preliminary title for the proposed chapter
2) a 100-250 word abstract of the proposed chapter
3) a current CV

The successful abstracts will form part of a book proposal submitted in response to a request from Sheffield Phoenix Press for a series titled “The Apocalypse in Popular Culture.” Full texts will be requested at a later date. Sheffield Phoenix Press is an academic press specializing in topics of religion that is seeking to expand its catalog on apocalyptic belief in contemporary society.

Robert Glenn Howard http://rghoward.com/
University of Wisconsin -- Madison
Associate Professor, Department of Communication Arts
Associate Chair, Folklore Program

Getting Centered Online

We are now coming to the end of week 5 of Lent and I have found it a week where centering prayer has helped keep me sane during a hectic time. Center or Contemplative prayer is a form of christian meditation. While many sites provide detailed explanations of the practice I have only found one so far that offers a guided virtual experience. At Contemplative Prayer for Everyone run by the Trappist of St Benedict's monastery offer audio teachings, a short online course on lectio divina and a contemplative prayer chapel, which takes you through a 2o minute guided reflection intended to help you center down and still one's self in prayer. So if you are looking for a Monastic guide online to assist you in your prayer time check out this site.