Heidi Campbell
This paper seeks to address how religion fits into the larger domain of Internet
studies and why studies of religion within CMC need to be given more attention.
An argument is made for the need to take religion online more seriously, not
just because it is an interesting phenomena or a popular use of the Internet,
but also because religion continues to be an important part of contemporary
life for many people. A summary of the growth and development of religion online
is presented along with an overview of how religion has been approached and
studied on the Internet. This review shows what CMC studies of religion might
offer in approaching research questions related to authority, identity construction
and community online. It calls for recognition of the contribution and possibilities
that under-represented areas within interdisciplinary research, like religion,
might offer Internet studies as a whole.