INTRODUCTION: RETHINKING THE ONLINE-OFFLINE CONNECTION IN THE STUDY OF RELIGION ONLINE

摘要

In one of the first edited collections addressing existential and philosophical perspectives on computer-mediated communication, Ess (1996, p. 9) stated, 'If CMC only partially effects the revolutionary transformations of values and social structures envisioned by its enthusiasts, then religion - as humanity's oldest expression of values and community - is likely both to impact and to be impacted by these transformations'. After a decade and a half of published research on religion online, we are finally able to begin to make some educated claims about the impact of the Internet on religious culture and social forms. In the initial waves of religion and Internet research, focus was often on how the Internet would drastically change religious practice and ideology, due to the growth of religious communities online and the integration of religious rituals and practices into digital environments. Much attention was given to the plurality of religious expressions online, particularly of fringe or secretive religious groups that were now able to achieve a public platform making them more visible (Hennerby & Dawson 1999; Fernback 2002).