Week 3: Mediatization of Religion

In Hjarvard’s article, “The mediatization of religion: A theory of the media as agents of religious change,” he argues that the media has produced representations of our religious thoughts, for example, the media has given us images and meaning to the supernatural and as a result the supernatural world has become mundane (2008). Furthermore, not only fiction but non-fiction in the form of documentaries and reality television such as Ghost Hunters, Celebrity Paranormal Project and Scariest Places on Earth, are part of the supernatural phenomena that have caused familiarity with the supernatural (Hjarvard, 2008). The mediatization of religion “change[s] the very ideas and authority of religious institutions and alter the ways in which people interact with each other when dealing with religious issues (Hjarvard, 2008). Although media has changed the role of religious institutions, society is not necessarily headed towards secularization, as the religious themes in media have resulted in a re-sacralization that one does have to participate in institutionalized religion to have the same experiences. But there are issues associated with the mediatization of religion, as the media determines how one receives information on religious issues and represents religion in a certain way. This is problematic due to the biases media corporations have and the agenda they are attempting to promote. Also with audiences the consumption of media is passive because many do not question the content that is projected by the mainstream media.

Source: Hjarvard S. 2008. The Mediatization of Religion: A Theory of the Media as Agents of Religious Change. Northern Lights. 6,1. (RL)

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