Thursday, November 10, 2011

Authority Online

The particular online context in which issues of religious authority is raised is the context of blogging. Blogging has become a form of media that has brought many users. Since the Internet and media has gotten more advanced, online context in which authority is raised has brought issues. Before the development of media authority has historically been marked
as having a contentious relationship with the development of newer communication
technologies (Cheong). Since blooging has became a way of expressing ideas online, it has brought up the issue of who has more authority, people who use online religion or offline. Based on Cheong reading the use of online religious activities has become problematic for the communities and it is being sustained and reframed by online practice, in ways that support traditional views and outcomes of authority (Cheong). The assumption that seems to ring true about online authority based on blogging is that it has become problematic to the communities. Based on the expressing of feeling and building relationships through blogging it has taken away from the traditional way of attending a service. Authority is said to arise from sacred tradition so therefore is becomes problematic to the communities (Cheong). Based on Cheong's reading authority has been framed in relation to the Internet.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Christians use of online church

The individual Christian involvement in online church will either
influence orrelate to how Christian identity is perceived. I will explore
the influencethat online church has on Christian identity and how users who
use the onlinechurch are perceived. I will also explore whether the use of
online church forChristians will have a negative effect, positive affect, or
possibly both ontheir Christian identity. The advancement of media has had a
huge impact on theway this society identify them. The Internet and the way
Christians use onlinechurch will have an effect on the way some people
perceive Christian as areligion. Some may say that using the online church
is not the same asattending a traditional service and people may not get the
same affect. Somepeople believe that attending a traditional a face-to-face
service is moreeffective then viewing an online service. Others believe that
using onlinechurch can help people in their everyday lives as far as
building relationshipswith people who believe in the same thing, praying for
others, and being ableto have a type of social network where many people can
get involved. Because ofthe way people may perceive Christian identity based
on the use of onlinechurch, it may influence Christian’s involvement in
using it.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Authority Online

This week we are exploring how religious authority has been framed in relation to the Internet, and the debates regarding the extent to which the Internet facilitates new forms of religious authority or changes the relationship between traditional religious leaders and their community members. In class on Tuesday we discussed the complexities related to how authority is approached, understood and constituted in digital culture. It was noted that it is important to carefully consider what specific form of authority (i.e. role, structure, ideology or text) is being challenge or empowered in any given online context.

In considering the reading by Cheong we were introduced to two key assumptions about the nature of authority online. The first is that religious authority is being eroded by online religious activities and this is highly problematic for religious communities. The second assumption is that offline religious authority is be being sustained and reframed by online practice, in ways that support traditional views and outcomes of authority. In our discussion we also considered a third reality, the extent to which both assumptions are true and how one can evaluate this dialectic, in which mediated religious authority is affirmed and undermined simultaneously through online religious practice.


In this week's blogging assignment you are asked to describe a particular online context or medium in which issues of religious authority are raised.  Which of these assumptions seems to ring true or best related to this particular context and why? Draw from the Cheong's reading to back up your claims.