Role of Media and Technology in Facilitating New Religious Movements - Research Paper Example

Role of Media and Technology in Facilitating New Religious Movements Introduction Fast paced technological advancement and wide usage of media in all its forms have recently reshaped and deformed religious landscape. In the contemporary society, Religion and religious movements must adapt suitably to navigate through the new developments in the world of technology and media. Notably, in the wake of new media landscape, old constructions of religious authority, religious identity and practices are thus changing almost every day.1 As a result of adaptation of religion in the new digital age, many religious movements come up. Moreover, with the widening spread of media and internet technology, the constantly growing numbers of users who are shaped by this digital culture tend to expect mobile accessibility to almost everything.2 This document presents the various roles media and technology have played and are playing in facilitating the development of new religious movements. In this light, it explains the usage of some key concepts used or referred to most frequently in the paper. To attain the stipulated objective, a set of research questions would be handy to achieve that end. Under such, some research questions that acted as a guide in the paper are also presented. Key Concepts Explained Key word: Religion; Ideology, or globalization; mass media; In the present paper, religion would be viewed as a phenomenal institution that exists within a particular social, cultural setting and so it is a product of a particular culture and human community.3 Under such, religion would be viewed in relation to other social institutions, social beliefs and practices. The term ideology would be used as a body of doctrines or set of thought that acts as a guide to an individual, a social or religious movement or a religious institution.4 The term Media and mass media would be used to encompass all forms of communication communicated to a large group of people both formal and informal, right from a handmade sign to an international news network.5 Globalization is used as Urban in his famous book to refer to the process of social interaction and integration among people from different nation worldwide aided by modern information technologies such as internet and other medium of communication inclusive of social networks.6 Research Questions How do the contemporary social institutions influence religious beliefs in the modern society? Religion can be said to be shaped by other beliefs and practices around it, how do technology and media shape religion? What is the impact of media and technology on religious practices? The contemporary society is right in the middle of powerful forces of media and communication revolution. Within a short span of time since the innovation of internet and social media, a lot of revolution has since taken shape in human social, political and religious life. Notably social media can be said to be within its infancy stage yet it has made quite dramatic strides on how people of new generation interact and communicate.7 To catch up with reality, religious congregation has also made vigorous religious steps to adapt to this reality. It must be noted that the fast growing technological know-how and media spread, facilitates emergence of new religious movements. Lawrence observed that a global embrace of media and internet technologies by religious ministers to go about their daily ministerial work of attending to their congregations has helped reshape remarkably the perception of religion.8 As such the different perception that different people have towards religion has led to mushrooming of various religious movements. The emerging religious movements thus make use of media and technology to hunt for followers. Competitively therefore religious movements, cults, sects or affiliation that are currently coming up in the contemporary society are investing heavily on the use of media to widen their coverage and so get more followers.9 Additionally, this absorption of these new advanced tools of ministry has also reconfigured the very fabric of society for congregations in the postmodern context. It is note worthy that adaptation to technological advancement is no longer considered a luxurious move by religious organization but a necessity.10 This has resulted into the birth of more technologically advanced religious movement and a rebirth of the old ones. The old religious movements, sects or cults have since gone digital so as to efficiently deliver to the technological savvy congregation. To those religious sects, cults or movements that have shown little or no sign to adapt to the rapidly spreading digital age, they are left behind and the congregants tend to switch to more advanced churches or religious affiliations.11 According to Urban Hugh, media and technology have made social mobility and geography to give birth to conglomeration of cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.12 With the coming together of different people from different religious background, a carefully crafted secularism will inevitably emerge as a new commonality within the plurality setting. Within such a setting of globalization created by cyber space and advanced technology, many ideologies are inevitable to be born. For Nobutaka, many secularists and some non-believers have come to the argument that religion and science are to them fundamentally one- that the two are fundamentally incompatible. Further they argued that this oneness of religion and science extend profoundly to the relationship between religion and technology.13 Arguably, technology presents more immediate solutions to more immediate and pressing human problems than religion can. In other words, technology presents on-to-the button solutions to various human situations. From the foregoing premise one can easily work on the assumption that education and training behind technological advancement and science is the likely cause of religious skepticism.14 Such skepticism leads to the skeptical approach to the assumption that technology provides solutions to human needs and so rule out on faith based religion and religious movements, but however it gives birth to another conception of religion. Technology therefore becomes a new religious movement on its own15. This atheistic attitude can be attributed to secularism and the individualistic approach to daily problems.16 Humanity have resorted to trust their creativity and innovation to get solutions to the daily problems rather than on the divine providence provided by religion.17 Although in their philosophical thoughts, Kant and Leibniz assumed the existence of God, they represented a secular humanistic path18. Leibnizian approach reduced everything to more of a code which to him was an underlying language. This code, when accessed would grant access to the universe as it really is. To Kant, religion acts as a regulative ideal to supplement human thoughts and religious attitude necessary to arrive at truths about the world.19 However, to him no human being would ever know the will of God and so believing in him without the slightest attempt to know the will of God, humanity can achieve higher goals. Therefore, to Kant, beliefs about metaphysical truths apart from the actual knowledge about the world can easily free human mind to pursue science unimpeded by religious dogma and fanaticism.20 The media in it diverse forms have contributed in the preservation and spread of such schools of thought as secular humanism. And the result is science based faiths and treatment as religions and religious movements, for example Scientology. Differently put, human beings have come to have a lot of trust and faith on empirical observations - a basis provided by science and technology rather than the idealistic beliefs propounded by faith based religions. Moreover, atheists have even criticized theists for their failure to deal with evidence that have shown floppy results in meeting.21 Further, the discussion on media influence on facilitating the mushrooming of new religious movements premeditates the premise that religious experience is somehow mediated through human practices, language, symbols and material culture.22 Moreover, religion find is outfits and outlook within a particular cultural background within which it tailors its practical outlook and practices. Take for instance, children born within a fundamentalist Islamic group say, Al Qaeda- which has strong a foundation within Islamic religion- the child will grow to maturity knowing that it is through the ‘holy war’ that society can be liberated.23 Medium of communication have seen to it that such extreme ideologies are kept and communicated through history. And through such medium be it electronic media and internet, the public perceptions of religious beliefs, practices and representation can easily be reshaped resulting into new grouping and regrouping of religious cults and movements.24 Another factor worth consideration in this discussion is how or what role the media and technology have in promoting faith, molding young people’s faith.25 Media in all its forms constitutes an enormous influence on how people think as well influencing their perception and attitude toward religion and religious practices. Notably, media and mass communication medium increasingly influence and shape the various approaches through which religious movements communicate with the wider public sphere.26 Through media adherent share ideological frameworks and strategies that should be adopted by religious movements and affiliations to promote they and their diverse concerns. An atheist for instance can easily access any medium of communication and so spread his or her ideological orientation within a short time and so create a following.27 The next thing we will know is that the conceived idea had given birth to a fellowship, a religious sect. Additionally, lack of common understanding of the sacred texts which are interpreted by different scholars has also been noted to result into new religious groups. By the use of these mainstream media- news and entertainment, different idealist report and represent different aspects of religious beliefs, practices and affiliations in a more pluralist, secularized and multi-cultural societies.28 The result will be the birth of different religious movements. Borrowing from Salem and Mourtada reference to uprising of 2011 in Arab country where social media accelerated protestation. Social media acted as accelerating agents since it aided protesters to hold online discussions and so organize and stage uprising against some particular political leader.29 As such media and technology has become a strong agent of mobilization of followers from all walks of life. Brasher adds that social media plays quite a pivotal balance in fueling or scaling connections between adherents as well as disseminate courage, awareness and sympathy30. Again, the availability of easy access of internet and cyber space, some religious movement have emerged amongst those we would call ‘cyber communities.’ In their book, Lorne Dawson and Douglas Cowan asserts that internet accessibility by people enable them to share prayer requests through social media i.e. Facebook, surf religious websites or even tweet about a past sermon.31 Thus media creates a platform for online worship services and more a virtual fellowship hall or between Sunday gathering services. Subsequently the result would be creation and thriving of online community which only meet virtually.32 A good example of such religious movements is what Brasher noted in his book about London Internet Church. This particular religious movement encompasses global community which meets online to worship, enquire, encourage one another as well as pray together.33 This point toward another arguable shore which concedes with Vries’ pointed argument about technology being considered as a religion. Technological impact on religion and religious movements Essentially, religion has been mandated to offer a moral framework for technology to flourish. As such, Dawson and Cowan noted in their work that religion has the responsibility of anchoring a moral bearing in the wide sea of constant development and technological advancement.34 Philosophically, religion offers a metaphysical model for technology in and through which it can be understood. That is to say that religion provides a cosmological vision which encompasses all things that are seen and unseen, known and unknown, believable and unbelievable.35 Again religious movements and affiliations under the shepherd-ship of their respective ministers have the obligation of seeing to it that their religious movements never lose the anthropocentric focus of religion. However, the ethical outlook that religion had since been viewed with has drastically eroded as humanity tend to embrace and use technology for religious purposes.36 Media and technology have recently been abused by many religious movements to spread contrary ideologies and win followers. The constantly emerging religious sects and movements have quite modified and disguised intentions up their sleeves.37 Conclusion The rapidly widening media usage and technological advancement, many religious movements are born as a result. These movements, sects or cults tend to adapt to the digital age and so use these efficient mediums to execute their end goals of their existence. Media and internet technology have facilitated the formation of such association as cyber religious communities which are essentially online based. Moreover, the rapid advancement in science and technology have also resulted on skeptical tendency towards faith based religion in favor of empirical observable religion such as Scientology. Differently put, the spread of secularized humanism has put to question the reliability of faith based religion in solving human immediate problems. However, we must also note the negated technological and media influence on religion. Technology and media have facilitated the up surging of many Islamic affiliations and fundamentalist movements. These movements have used religion to cause destructions and mayhem in the contemporary society in the name of Allah. Bibliography Brasher, Brenda E. Give Me That Online Religion. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. 2004. Dawson, Lorne L. and Cowan, Douglas E., (eds). Religion Online: Finding Faith on the Internet. New York: Routledge. 2004. Lawrence, Bruce B. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Religions Online. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha Books. 2000. Nobutaka, Inoue “Media and New Religious Movements in Japan” Journal of Religion in Japan. Tokyo, Japan: Kokugakuin University. 2012. Salem, F. and Mourtada, R. “Facebook Usage: Factors and Analysis.” Arab Social Media Report. Dubai: Dubai School of Government. 2011. Urban, Hugh (2000) ‘The Devil at Heaven’s Gate: Rethinking the Study of Religion in an Age of Cyberspace’, Nova Religio 3: 268–302. Vries, Hent de. Religion and Violence: Philosophical Perspectives from Kant to Derrida. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 2002. Whelan, Christal. "Shifting Paradigms and Mediating Media: Redefining a New Religion as "Rational" in Contemporary Society." Nova Religio: 54-72. Read More