fishers, surfers and casters

The newest edition of Studies in World Christianity focusses on material religion. It has an article by Ryan Torma and me on materiality, aesthetics, and digital religion. Check it out.

Someone forgot to tell me, so I had to look for myself. I’m happy to announce that my PhD thesis is available for view/download at the RMIT library, via this link: http://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/view/rmit:6138.

I understand that to cite the thesis, this is the reference to use:

Emerson Teusner, P 2010, Emerging church bloggers in Australia: Prophets, priests and rulers in God’s virtual world, PhD Thesis, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University.

Nadja Miczek and Simone Heidbrink are (according to an email received from them) happy to announce the release of the special issue of “Online – Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet” on “Aesthetics and the Dimension of the Senses”! (Please see: http://www.online.uni-hd.de/.)

When we look on the various representations of religious groups and individuals on personal homepages, in weblogs, in virtual worlds or the like and when we follow their communications on religious topics online, the visual and auditive aspects of the medium seem to play a major role. Using pictures, videos, icons, as well as music and other sounds, the internet users can design a multisensual virtual environment which might implicate its own notion of “aesthetics”.

As the aesthetic and sensual dimensions of religions and rituals on the internet have long been a neglected area of research, we called upon theoretical and methodical reflection as well as on empiric studies referring to these topics. – And many renowned scholars answered with interesting and inspiring articles with which we hope to contribute and give some impulse to the still ongoing discussion on the different theoretical, methodical and methodological approaches to “aesthetics and the dimension of the senses” in the context of religion and religious practice online.

Introducing the Journal of Technology, Theology, and Religion!

~ an online journal, edited by Joseph F. Duggan ~

Theologians and theorists interested in religion are beginning to address technology on their own terms as a community-enabling tool. Religious community has surfaced through a variety of different dimensions, including online church opportunities, digitized diaspora, and the application of diverse modes of theological criticism to new technologies. JTTR’s articles in the first six months will reflect popular interests among theologians such as virtual church, Facebook, cyborgs, and identity formation through cyberspace. We invite submissions on these and related topics, such as faith and video games, global connectedness and religious communities, online pedagogies and religious education, divisions created by technology use, religious attitudes toward technological innovation, ecology and sustainability, nanotechnology, genetic technology, and more.

Our international editorial board includes Albert Borgmann, Heidi Campbell, Debbie Herring, Noreen Herzfeld, T. R. B. Hutchings, Athina Karatzogianni, Lerone Martin, Sanjoy Mazmudar, Carl Mitcham, Pedro Oiarzabal, and Brent Waters. Thirty percent of our readership comes from 20 countries outside the United States.

JTTR can publish essays of any length, although most submission should be approximately 20-25 manuscript pages. Please follow Chicago Manual of Style.

Send articles, reviews, or queries to the JTTR editor:

Joseph F. Duggan, jfd AT techandreligion DOT com

Visit the journal at www.techandreligion.com.

See the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/techandreligion.com.