“Digital religions”, a series of talks and debates for reflecting on the transformation of religious practice in the digital age
On the evening of 13 and 14 February a debate on spiritually and the digital world will take place at the event “Digital religions: technological and digital transformations”, organised by Barcelona City Council's Religious Affairs Office (OAR) and the Research Centre on the Sociology of Religion (ISOR), within the framework of the CHANSE project “Digital Islam across Europe: Understanding Muslims’ Participation in Online Islamic Environments” (***). This series of talks and debates invites reflection on how religious and spiritual communities address the current challenges posed by digitalisation, which young people are driving the digital transformation and what impact it has on religious practice.
The event will be taking place at the Pati Llimona Civic Centre, in the Ciutat Vella district. The inaugural lecture will take place on Thursday 13 February, delivered by two experts, followed by an academic round table; this will be followed on Friday 14 February by a round table featuring a panel of young religious influencers and a space for dialogue with young online service users and representatives of Barcelona’s religious community.
The activities are free of charge but capacity is limited. PRIOR BOOKING REQUIRED! (Practical information at the end of the news item) See the programme HERE (Catalan)!
During the lockdowns digital environments became spaces for debate and reflection for all of society, and evidently, also for religious and spiritual communities. The progress and exponential growth of digitalisation have marked a turning point in our everyday lives, and the fast pace of change obliges us to reflect on our relationship with these innovations and this new paradigm.
Technological and spiritual transformations
At the event “Religious freedom within the framework of interculturality” organised by the OAR, with the collaboration of the Museu Etnològic i de Cultures del Món (MUEC) in February 2023, now two years ago, Míriam Díez, moderator of the round table on “Digital communities, online religions” stated that: “The effect of the internet has changed the lives of religious communities. This represents a huge paradigm shift from traditional religions to online religions. It is not simply the transfer of the community to the digital world, but rather another kind of interaction. The virtual world has become a space for creating communities, an alternative to in-person communities. This makes it necessary to adapt technology in a coherent manner and remaining faithful to the message and the values of the community. Digital tools also offer the possibility and an opportunity to exercise the right to religious freedom.”
Currently, digitalisation is leading to profound changes in all aspects of our lives, including the way in which we experience religion and spirituality.
New technologies can open up opportunities to reach more people, make religious faith more accessible and even create new forms of community. The dissemination of religious messages through social media and pre-recorded services have created new dynamics. On the one hand, this can increase the visibility of beliefs and enable more people to access the faith, particularly those who are unable to participate in a community in person. But it also opens a new window for reflection on the social relationships generated through these technologies. Attending evangelical services or Buddhist meditations online, for example, also opens up a discussion on the concept of community The traditional religious community is based on physical presence, on direct exchange and personal connection. But virtual services, prayers or meditations can offer greater accessibility, particularly for people who for physical, geographical or social reasons, are unable to participate in person. Or simply because this new dynamic fits in better with their way of life. Is it, then, another kind of spiritual community or simply an extension of the traditional religious community?
At the same time, the dissemination of messages via social media and other platforms challenges traditional forms of religious authority. The virtual space is a setting where we see the emergence of new actors to be taken into account in the practice of various communities. Here we find influencers of various faiths with thousands of followers. In what way do they coexist with or alter the religious practices that are carried our in person?
A critical look at technological innovations needs to consider not only their benefits and advantages, but also the possible risks which could lead to the community becoming more disconnected, a reduction in the personal experience of faith, or even the creation of new hierarchies and power dynamics based on access to technology. Another important point is the issue of “superficiality” when it comes to consuming religious content via social media. This could reduce faith to a rapid consumption of information and lead to a disconnection from the depth and commitment that many of us associate with serious and personal religious practice. This invites us to think about how we can integrate digital innovations so that they strengthen rather than dilute the deeper and more human aspects of religious faith and interpersonal relationships. What are some of the biggest challenges we face when it comes to managing this balance between tradition and innovation in the religious context?
Lastly, it is important to apply a perspective that takes age and gender into account. Because they have been socialised in the digital age, young people are the preferred users of digital platforms, which could create a generational divide. We are seeing the emergence of groups of young people who create online communities where forms of relationships are generated and issues are discussed (sometimes anonymously) that are not as prevalent in traditional environments. Some of these groups, for example, in the Catholic community, have moved on to become more formal movements. Likewise, in many traditions, the digital environment is a space where women feel more free to discuss issues related to specific concerns, to feminism and questioning gender relations within their community, and a space where new female role models can emerge.
Event “Digital religions: technological and spiritual transformations”
The event will take place on the evenings of Thursday 13 and Friday 14 February and will be presented by the commissioner for Citizen Relations and Cultural and Religious Diversity, Sara Belbeida. It will be led by Avi Astor, who has a doctorate in Sociology from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), is a member of the Research Centre on the Sociology of Religion (ISOR) that co-organised the event, and is head researcher of the Spanish team for the project “Digital Islam across Europe: Understanding Muslims’ Participation in Online Islàmic Environments”. This ambitious project explores the social and religious impact of Online Islamic Environments-OIEs on various Muslim communities across Europe. The project includes research teams that work in five different European countries, the United Kingdom, Poland, Sweden, Spain and Lithuania.
Highlights from the event programme for “Digital Religions: technological and spiritual transformations” include the inaugural lecture, which will take place on Thursday 13 February. Its title is “Algorithms, influencers and religious authority in cyberspace” and it will be delivered by Gary R. Bunt, a writer and academic specialising in research on Islam and Muslims in cyberspace, and Fouad Gehad Marei, a researcher specialising in transnational Islamic movements and material and digital religion.
Also on Thursday some of the results from the project “Digital Islam across Europe” will be presented. At the same table, other academic studies will be presented and a discussion will be held, offering an academic perspective on the various phenomena surrounding the use of virtual spaces for religious practice and knowledge, and the challenges and opportunities the digital world presents.
On the second day of the event, 14 February, we can follow the round table on “Religious influencers: faith in the digital age”, where a discussion will be held on the religious practices undertaken by young influencers of various faiths and the way these coexist with or alter in-person religious practices, in order to establish a connection between this in-person religiousness and online religiousness. One of the participants will be Hajar Hniti who has more than fifty thousand followers on Instagram.
The day will continue with a space for dialogue with young online service users and representatives of religious communities, focusing on the perspective of young online service users from different religious communities. They will be sharing their thoughts on the possibilities digital space offers for religious practice and knowledge, and the problems and challenges posed by the use of social media.
During the event, there will also be room for a participative dynamic focused on digital space as an opportunity for interreligious dialogue.
Practical information
- DAY: 13 and 14 de February 2025
- TIME: 5.00 pm – 8.30 pm
- VENUE: Pati Llimona Civic Centre – Sala Maria Aurèlia Capmany (carrer del Regomir, 3)
- REGISTRATION: Free activity. Limited places. Prior booking required at: activitatsoar@bcn.cat Please indicate:
- Full name
- Email address
- Entity (where applicable)
- Number of tickets In the case of entities, a maximum of five people per entity can register. You need to provide the names and surnames of all the people attending.
- Day attending:
- 13 February
- 14 February
- Both days