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Institutional Innovation and Tradition: Understanding Changes and Continuities in Religious...
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Institutional Innovation and Tradition: Understanding Changes and Continuities in Religious Leadership, Communication, and Technology Ethics

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2024) | Viewed by 4573

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Pauline Cheong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85287, USA
Interests: communication technologies and culture; authority and community; religion; globalization
Prof. Dr. Ilona Nord

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Protestant Theology and Religious Education, University of Wuerzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
Interests: practical theology; media, culture and religion; religious education and didactics of religious education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rationale and background:

As developments in digital religion, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), and new technological advancements continue to grow with potential effects on the landscape of religious collectives, there is a pressing need to explore the multifaceted implications of historical and contemporary changes to religious authority, organizational communication practices, and ethical frameworks. While committing to missional advancement, religious coalitions are responding to social and technological dynamics, including changes in church participation and conceptions of religious identity and ecclesiology. Moreover, virtual and A.I. applications raise questions for the potential of religious organizations to expand their visibility, engagement, and architecture, as well as enhance the instruction and experiences of faithful practitioners and seekers. Deepening the understanding of the practices and trends of religious institutional innovation and tradition will help contribute to individual and societal levels of adaptation and flourishing.

Scope and Objectives:

This Special Issue aims to bring together international and interdisciplinary scholarly contributions that examine broad intersections of religious organizations, polity, authority, and ethics. We invite original research papers, theoretical and theological perspectives, empirical studies, multi-method inquiries and diverse voices that address the following themes, among others:

  1. Changes and continuities in religious leadership and governance: Exploring the sense-making, roles, responsibilities, and risks faced by religious leaders and structures.
  2. Mediated communication and ministry: Analyzing the implications of digital platforms, social media, virtual worlds, A.I. and automation on the negotiation of authority, agency, or decision making within religious organizations and groups.
  3. Ethical implications of technological integration: Investigating religious beliefs, ethical dilemmas, theological concerns, and value commitments related to the adoption and operability of technology in religious contexts.
  4. Culture, power dynamics and inclusivity: Examining how social and technological changes facilitate organizational operations and intelligence/s, related to processes of inclusion and exclusion as well as human and societal flourishing.
  5. Engagement and community building: Assessing technology applications in fostering the rise of, decline and/or inconsistencies in community, participation, and belonging among diverse religious denominations.
  6. Economics, marketplace investments and competition: Evaluating religious groups’ fundraising, accounting practices, management of finances, secular partnerships and contracts with technology and third-party companies.
  7. Religious education, knowledge sharing, and digital literacy: Exploring changes and continuities in religious instruction, and integration of technology into religious or affiliated education programs, curricula, and pedagogical practices.
  8. International communication and global engagement: Presenting diverse, multi-scalar studies that explore the management of technological changes within and/or between religious networks and institutions.

Submission Guidelines:

Manuscripts should be original, unpublished works and adhere to the journal’s submission guidelines.

Submissions will undergo a double-blind peer-review process to ensure scholarly rigor and relevance to the Special Issue theme.

Please indicate in your submission that your manuscript is intended for the special issue on “Institutional Innovation and Tradition: Understanding Changes and Continuities in Religious Leadership, Communication, and Technology Ethics”.

Authors may send their initial abstract submission (500 words) by July 15th, to receive feedback by July 30th, 2024.

Deadline for manuscript submission: October 31st, 2024

Notification of acceptance/rejection: November 31st, 2024

Expected publication date: One to three weeks after manuscript acceptance.

Please submit your abstracts and inquiries to Guest Editors Prof. Dr. Pauline Cheong <[email protected]> and Prof. Dr. Ilona Nord <[email protected]>, and copy the Assistant Editor, Ms. Joyce Xi <[email protected]>.

We welcome contributions from scholars, researchers, and practitioners across various disciplines who are interested in advancing our understanding of the complex interplay between technology, religious organizations, leadership, authority, and ethics.

We look forward to receiving your submissions and engaging in fruitful dialogue on this stimulating topic.

Prof. Dr. Pauline Cheong
Prof. Dr. Ilona Nord
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • religious organizations
  • innovation
  • leadership
  • communication
  • ethics
  • artificial intelligence
  • technology
  • agency
  • authority
  • community

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  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 469 KiB  
Article
The New Normal in Pastoral Care: The Enduring Legacy of Media Appropriation in the Post-Pandemic Roman Catholic Church
by Giulia Isetti, Michael de Rachewiltz and Harald Pechlaner
Religions 2025, 16(1), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16010090 - 17 Jan 2025
Viewed by 654
Abstract
By leveraging 20 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2020 and 2024 with parish priests and laypeople with an office in the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone (Italy), this paper explores the enduring legacy of the pandemic in terms of digital engagement in Roman Catholic pastoral activities. [...] Read more.
By leveraging 20 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2020 and 2024 with parish priests and laypeople with an office in the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone (Italy), this paper explores the enduring legacy of the pandemic in terms of digital engagement in Roman Catholic pastoral activities. Additionally, it investigates the impact of ICT and AI on religious authority. A comparison of the two waves of interviews shows that in the new normal, there has been an acceleration of the adoption of ICT and AI, primarily for internal communication purposes. However, faithful engagement and interaction through new and old media have remained one-way, reinforcing current ecclesiastical power hierarchies. Despite some inherent theological limitations to a more participatory use of ICT, the presence of pockets of innovation in extra-sacramental activities points to future possibilities for empowering laypeople and engaging with the faithful without compromising Church doctrine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Institutional Innovation and Tradition: Understanding Changes and Continuities in Religious Leadership, Communication, and Technology Ethics)
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26 pages, 268 KiB  
Article
Gender Dynamics in Online Religious Leadership in Nigeria: Investigating How Digital Platforms Shape Communication, Authority, and Influence
by Bukola L. Oloba and Anne M. Blankenship
Religions 2025, 16(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16010005 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 550
Abstract
This study explored the role of digital platforms in shaping gender dynamics within Christian religious leadership in Nigeria. Historically, religious leadership in Nigerian Christianity has been predominantly male-dominated, with women often relegated to subordinate roles despite their significant contributions as preachers, healers, and [...] Read more.
This study explored the role of digital platforms in shaping gender dynamics within Christian religious leadership in Nigeria. Historically, religious leadership in Nigerian Christianity has been predominantly male-dominated, with women often relegated to subordinate roles despite their significant contributions as preachers, healers, and founders. The advent of digital platforms has introduced a new paradigm, offering both male and female leaders with avenues to expand their communication, authority, and influence. Utilizing mediatization theory, this research investigated how online spaces allow women to bypass traditional patriarchal structures, engage broader audiences, and influence religious narratives. Through in-depth interviews with twenty religious leaders across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and comment analysis from online community interactions, the study identified eight main themes that reveal the complex interactions between gender, authority, and influence in both digital and offline contexts. The findings suggest that while digital platforms provide women with increased visibility and opportunities, male leaders retain a higher level of authority and reach, even in online spaces. The study highlights the dual nature of digital media as both liberating and limiting for female leaders, presenting an environment where empowerment coexists with persistent gendered expectations. This research contributes to understanding how digital platforms impact gendered access to religious authority, revealing the ongoing struggle for gender equality within Christian leadership in Nigeria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Institutional Innovation and Tradition: Understanding Changes and Continuities in Religious Leadership, Communication, and Technology Ethics)
12 pages, 256 KiB  
Article
Anonymity and Digital Islamic Authority
by Avi Astor, Ghufran Khir-Allah and Rosa Martínez-Cuadros
Religions 2024, 15(12), 1507; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121507 - 10 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1161
Abstract
Much of the literature on digital religious authority has focused on spiritual “influencers” and the challenges they pose to traditional religious hierarchies and structures of authority. Less attention has been dedicated to religious websites, social media pages, and digital feeds whose popularity and [...] Read more.
Much of the literature on digital religious authority has focused on spiritual “influencers” and the challenges they pose to traditional religious hierarchies and structures of authority. Less attention has been dedicated to religious websites, social media pages, and digital feeds whose popularity and influence do not hinge on the personalistic qualities of their creators. There is a wide assortment of generic religious reference sites that, although developed and managed by largely anonymous webmasters and administrators, command significant audiences and exert substantial influence on religious interpretations and practices. We argue that anonymity affords certain advantages for bolstering visibility and influence that have hitherto received insufficient attention in the literature on religion, authority, and cyberspace. In contrast to spiritual influencers, who draw attention to their personal biographies, credentials, appearances, and connections to enhance their legitimacy and authority, individuals or groups who administer religious reference sites commonly employ alternative strategies that involve concealing personal identities, experiences, and affiliations. Their aim is to come off as neutral, impartial, and free of ideological baggage that might bias their interpretations. This facilitates their efforts to frame the content they share as a form of universal religious truth that transcends ideological and sectarian differences. Our analysis centers on websites and social media pages that provide guidance to Spanish speakers on Islamic theology, jurisprudence, and piety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Institutional Innovation and Tradition: Understanding Changes and Continuities in Religious Leadership, Communication, and Technology Ethics)
10 pages, 267 KiB  
Article
Coming to a Head: Digital Contestations over Sacred Sites in Aotearoa New Zealand
by Michael J. Toy and Michaela M. Richards
Religions 2024, 15(12), 1483; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121483 - 5 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1006
Abstract
The religious landscape of Aotearoa New Zealandis a dynamic and shifting field. One of the most riveting dimensions of religion is blooming via an indigenous Māori renaissance, which is displayed in a struggle over narratives, language, and tikanga (protocol) around sacred sites. In [...] Read more.
The religious landscape of Aotearoa New Zealandis a dynamic and shifting field. One of the most riveting dimensions of religion is blooming via an indigenous Māori renaissance, which is displayed in a struggle over narratives, language, and tikanga (protocol) around sacred sites. In the digital age, social media platforms have become sites of negotiation, contestation, and the clarification of Māori religious authority in relation to sacred places. One of the hallmarks of digital culture is the flattening of traditional modes of hierarchical authority. In this article, we explore the discourse in an online news article’s comment section debating tikanga around nudity on the summit of Taranaki Mountain, a place widely regarded as sacred to Māori. This project follows the work of Neumaier and Klinkhammer in tracing the contours of what we identify as a form of mediatised interreligious contact between settler secularity and Indigenous Māori. Using this frame, we argue that this case study affords a deeper understanding of Māori perspectives, settler appeals to secularity, and the digital environment shaping and forming these points of contact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Institutional Innovation and Tradition: Understanding Changes and Continuities in Religious Leadership, Communication, and Technology Ethics)
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