The Digital Social: Religion and Belief (Religion and Society) (Religion and Society, 69)

The edited volume aims to present a critical analysis of the current state of research on religion and belief systems in the realm of the 'Digital Social'. The rapid expansion and democratization of digital technologies in conjunction with the significant shifts taking place within the practices of religion and belief through digital technology demand a critical examination across the social sciences and humanities. These changes call for an overview of not only our current methodological tool box but also the epistemological and ethical considerations that researchers must contend with. The proposed volume provides a critical framework that recognizes that the social, and therefore the religious, cannot be fully understood without recognizing how the digital world actively constitutes notions such as identity, social networks, embodiment, and social institutions. While some specific methods will be discussed, the volume's emphasis remains on the critical epistemological and logistical considerations that are needed when undertaking this form of research. Contents 5 Introduction and Overview 7 Part 1: Digital Methodologies of Religion, Belief and Myth 31 A Virtual Trinity 31 Studying Religion and YouTube 55 Studying Muslim Identity Online in Post-9/11 America: Results and Implications for Accessing Stigmatized Minority Groups 73 Part 2: Digital Worldviews 99 “Crap, we needed a god . . . ”: Religion, Videogames, and the Digital Social 99 Emotion, Ritual and Rules of Feeling in the Study of Digital Religion 116 Shari’a in Cyberspace: An analysis of Australian and US Internet Sites 135 Part 3: Digital Public Spheres 159 Public Atheism and ‘Islamophobia’ on Twitter 159 The Study of Post-Secularization through the Digital Social 184 ‘No life’ Eschatology: The Incorporation and Avatarisation of Digital Eremitism 203 Index 225