The digital and the divine: a critical exploration of the intersections of spiritual practice and new technologies

The Australian Bible Society has recently produced a copy of the bible in text message style and format -- it is designed to be loaded on a computer and blue-toothed to a compatible cell phone and then broadcast to one's bible study or Christian youth group. This is the latest in a long and complicated relationship between technology and religion in the "West," one which began with Johannes Gutenberg's printing press. Today, the largest online genealogical service is run by a Christian institution, the Catholic church has its own text message service, religiously inspired blogs, chat rooms, and groups within virtual worlds flourish in the United States and globally. Technology and software manufacturers are catering to the ways in which computational devices might support religious practices, producing religion-specific technologies and experiences. Given the ways in which religious practices are intimately woven into the fabric of daily life in many parts of the world, it should not be surprising that new information and communication technologies (ICTs) might support a range of non-secular activities. Yet, the critical literature is surprisingly sparse on this subject. In this talk, Dr. Bell revisits some of these instances of techno-fied spirituality, with an ethnographic sensibility. She considers some of the existing practices and devices, across the mobile and internet spaces -- is interested in both institutional and individual strategies around these various computational platforms and devices. How do religious uses of technology suggest very different path(s) for technology envisioning and development?

Biography