[Air-l] another panel for AoIR 8.0 - religion online

[Paul Teusner]

Hi everyone,

I know this is very short notice, but a couple of us guys are putting a
panel submission together for the AoIR conference this year. If you think
you may have an idea to present in the panel, please email me offline with a
150-200 word abstract that fits this panel theme below. It hasn't yet been
submitted for approval, so we need contributions by next Monday (29
January).

PLAYING RELIGION?

Blogs and social networking sites are allowing more and more people to
publish their thoughts, attitudes and aspirations about religion for the
world to see. The result is an explosion of online forums and communities
for users to access resources to develop a religious identity. Early
research into online religious identity and community has focused on
religion online as separate from offline religious practice, allowing
critics to suggest that virtual religion leads to the fragmentation and
corruption of religion. But how is religious identity actually played out in
these new web locations? Do users of blogs and social networking
applications come online to construct alternate religious identities, or to
seek an identity that coheres with experiences and practices offline?

This panel will present research into how individual and communal religious
identity is played out in online places such as blogs, wikis and social
networking sites, considering the new tools available to users to perform
religion online and the extent to which offline faith practices may
influence and be influenced by it.

paul teusner
fishers, surfers and casters
www http://www.teusner.org/
skype callto://paulteusner