»We Could All See That God Works Even Through Social Networks«

The Impact of Increased Use of Digital Technologies on Select Slovene Religious Groups

Authors

  • Aleš Črnič
  • Taja Fortuna

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35469/poligrafi.2024.467

Keywords:

Covid-19 epidemic, digitisation, Roman Catholic Church, Islamic community, Hare Krishna

Abstract

The paper presents an analysis of interviews with representatives of three Slovene religious communities: the majority Roman Catholic Church, the established minority Islamic community, and the newer and smaller International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The study seeks to understand how these communities adapted to the complex challenges of the COVID-19 epidemic, specifically how they were aided by digital technologies; and the short- and long-term impacts on their religious lives. We find that forced domestic worship significantly increased the use of technology, although with some notable differences among the three communities. Generally, digital technologies did not prove to be efficacious substitutes for in-person religious activities, but simply as emergency tools during an extraordinary situation. After the epidemic, hybrid worship continues mostly where digital tools complement in-person activities.

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Published

2024-12-24

How to Cite

Črnič, Aleš, and Taja Fortuna. 2024. “»We Could All See That God Works Even Through Social Networks«: The Impact of Increased Use of Digital Technologies on Select Slovene Religious Groups”. Poligrafi 29 (115/116):141-62. https://doi.org/10.35469/poligrafi.2024.467.

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 115/116 (2024): Negotiating Religious Plurality • Pandemic and the Digitisation of Religious Life

Section

The COVID-19 pandemic and the accelerated digitisation of religious life

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Copyright (c) 2024 Taja Fortuna

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