"This essay centres on the role of religion in the era of Covid-19. We juxtapose social media and religious practices in a way that challenges the conventional religion of the pulpit to deconstruct the myths and misconceptions around spirituality in the era of Covid-19. We show the transformation of... worship from physical worship places, particularly churches, to virtual engagements through social media. Through observation, close relations’ accounts, personal experiences and media perspectives, we analyze the politics that surrounded religious observances in the first 7 months of Covid-19 pandemic in Kenya. We make a case that, discoveries made in these seven and other months to come, will most likely influenced the myths and misconceptions about religion and religious practices in the country. From these accounts, we project a future that is likely to reap from the benefits of technology, and especially social media, which has revolutionized exchange of ideas, sermons, prayers and music. We challenge the very notion of pulpit religiosity, and the myths and misconceptions that religion cannot be without physical fellowships." (Abstract)
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" Una ricerca sul modo di comunicare della Chiesa, partendo dall’omelia, fino al web e ai Social, esplorando il mondo di radio, tv, cinema e teatro. L’opera è realizzata con la collaborazione di giornalisti ed esperti che la comunicazione la costruiscono ogni giorno dal di dentro. Ne risulta un...’analisi libera da schemi precostituiti, che mette in luce carenze ma anche prospettive di sviluppo nel modo di comunicare nella Chiesa." (retrocopertina)
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"Die strengen Einschränkungen [aufgrund der COVID-19-Pandemie], die wir als katholische Kirche solidarisch mittragen, machen vieles, das uns bisher vertraut und selbstverständlich war, zurzeit unmöglich. Eine der schmerzlichsten Erfahrungen dabei ist der Verzicht auf die gottesdienstlichen Versam...mlungen in unseren Kirchen. Umso erfreulicher ist es, dass es durch die modernen Medien möglich ist, vielen wenn auch fern vom Kirchenraum so doch nahe vor den Bildschirmen die frohe Botschaft zu verkünden und ihnen auf diese Weise Anteil zu geben an Christi Heilswerk. Daher gilt zunächst ein großer Dank all denen, die sich vielleicht zum ersten Mal auf dieses ungewohnte Terrain begeben, um mit Kreativität und missionarischer Bereitschaft zum Neuen diesen Dienst tun. Nachdem aber noch „kein Meister vom Himmel gefallen“ und „gut gemeint“ leider nicht immer automatisch gleich „gut“ ist, erscheint es ratsam, auf einige wichtige Grundregeln zu verweisen, die vom Referat für Gottesdienstübertragungen zusammengestellt wurden. Alle, die sich zum Streamen von Gottesdiensten aus ihren Kirchen entschließen, werden gebeten sich daran zu orientieren." (p.1)
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"The most mentioned religious groups include Muslims (Sunnis and Shiites). This is logical given that Islam is the majority religion in the three monitored countries. There is also a fair amount of content mentioning Christians in each country as well as Shiites and Sunnis in both Lebanon and Iraq. ...The report provides a first analysis of the nature of the conversation, while understanding the limitation of this research in providing a comprehensive overview of the narrative. Also, sectarianism and components were among the most popular concepts mentioned, often in claims that there are attempts at minimizing sectarian strife and appeasing the diverse segments of the population. The minimal coverage of certain topics pertaining to law, gender, the environment, science, and technology in their relationship with religion reflects the interests of the region and its governments. Social and political turmoil are perceived as more crucial for survival and worthy of attention. Social and political topics are more present in the public debate. As for the general discourse and tone of the narrative, they were mostly neutral if not even positive at times. Though it’s important to note that whatever points the authors aimed to make, they were rarely ever explicit." (Some of the key findings, p.8-9)
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"Este mapeamento foi estabelecido com os seguintes objetivos: contribuir com uma visão global na Pan-Amazônia, suas culturas, seus povos, superando visões fragmentadas e favorecer o testemunho de uma plena comunhão eclesiástica e de toda uma pastoral na bacia amazônica; oferecer um amplo panor...ama da presença, da identidade e da ação da Igreja na Pan-Amazônia; incentivar a cooperação com outras instituições nacionais e internacionais na preservação da identidade dos povos amazônicos. Mais especificamente, esse processo visa a favorecer a análise, a reflexão e o diálogo sobre a realidade socioeconômica, política e cultural-religiosa; a estimular uma visão Pan-Amazônica que supere a fragmentação; fortalecer o protagonismo dos povos indígenas, ribeirinhos, afrodescendentes e demais grupos para a elaboração de propostas para seu tecido sociocultural; a fortalecer a organização social e a transformação da realidade; a proporcionar uma base de dados para o planejamento de atividades educativas, organizativas e mobilizadoras de projetos e processos; a produzir mapas gerais e específicos da presença e ação da Igreja na Pan-Amazônia, entre outros." (Introdução, p.2)
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"Este artigo integra pesquisas desenvolvidas em minha tese de doutoramento “A Educomunicação no Diretório de Comunicação da Igreja no Brasil: aprendizagem em perspectiva”, defendida junto à Universidade de São Paulo. Aqui apresentamos os documentos específicos produzidos pelas três prim...eiras Conferências Episcopais a avançarem no campo da comunicação no mundo católico. Buscamos tecer análise comparativa entre esses documentos, delineando contribuições que cada uma e o conjunto dessas produções trazem para o campo da comunicação e a prática pastoral da Igreja Católica na Itália, no Brasil e no Caribe." (Resumo)
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"This paper explores the interconnections of Hindutva fascist repertoires in India and quasi-orientalist discourses. History and common sense are re-written through audiovisual communications to appeal to one section of a dangerously split Indian public and a neoliberal-touristic sensibility elsewhe...re. Enlightenment rhetorics of progress, democracy and technological development are apparently embodied by WhatsApp groups, electronic voting machines and laws to protect cows. Voting—as a marker of democratic citizenship—becomes a masquerade protecting a resurgent far right Hindutva (Hindu fascist) regime under the aegis of Narendra Modi and the BJP. Caste Hinduism’s association of cows with deities, and the proscription on meat-eating in certain versions of religious practice, are used as pretexts for unimaginable violence against Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and working class/lower caste Hindus. Violence against those who dissent is rationalised as patriotic. Hindutva’s banal and spectacular audiovisual discourse overwhelms public communication. Its consequences are a form of vigilante citizenship that is marked on the bodies of dead victims and of vigilante publics ready to be mobilised either in ethno-cultural violence or its defence and disavowal. Meanwhile, attracted to India as an enormous market, Western governments and corporations have colluded with the Hindutva regime’s self-promotion as a bastion of development." (Abstract)
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"The media's coverage of religion is an important question, given the central role which news media play in ensuring that people are up-to-date with religion news developments. The book examines it in different countries. After an introductory section looking at trends in religion news in print, on-...line journalism, and as a subject of foreign news, the book surveys religion reporting in five key countries: USA, Russia, India, China, & Nigeria. The book then looks at media events through the cases of the election of Pope Francis, and the death of rabbis. The book addresses the question of the influence of religion reporting in politics; the impact of religion reporting upon religious identity; and the role of social media - through looking at case studies in France, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Israel." (Publisher)
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"First, we will introduce the international Catholic communication associations OCIC and UNDA through a short history of both organisations, exploring the activities they deployed, the most important developments during their 73-year existence, and look into their relations with the Church, organise...d laity and the broader field of local, national, international, and intergovernmental (media) organisations. In the second part of this report, we will introduce the OCIC-UNDA archives through a short history of the archives’ management and a detailed institutional history of the organisations that shaped them. Taking this into account, we will then analyse their structure, content and lacunas and evaluate their state of preservation. We will also provide an overview of the reference library’s contents with special attention to publications of OCIC, UNDA and their predecessors." (Introduction)
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"The television broadcasting culture of Pakistan was changed dramatically in 2002. The President, General Pervez Musharraf, introduced a policy of liberalisation that enabled controversial issues such as honour killings, adultery, stoning to death, domestic violence, marriage after divorce and homos...exuality to be increasingly depicted on screen. Women and TV Culture in Pakistan is the first in-depth analysis of this change in television content. Munira Cheema focuses on how 'gender issues' are dealt with on TV and examines the impact this has on female viewers. In Pakistan, television is often the only way in which women can access the public sphere (except through male guardians) and this book evaluates how TV content allows them to navigate their intersecting identities as Muslims, women and Pakistanis. At a time when religious conservatism is on the rise in the country, this book investigates why producers choose to focus on gender-based issues and the extent to which religion dictates social behaviour and broadcasting choices. Based on interviews with women viewers in Karachi as well as industry professionals including writers, directors and ratings experts, the research is a much-needed and original contribution to global television studies and gender studies." (Publisher)
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"Esta investigación aborda el papel de la comunicación digital en la configuración de la fe religiosa, en un contexto cultural predominantemente mediático que, a través de las nuevas tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación, podría estar acelerando el apogeo de La sociedad del esp...ectáculo profetizada por Guy Debord (1967). Indagar de qué modo la sociedad del espectáculo interfiere o no en la comunicación digital de la fe religiosa, tomando como referencia el estudio comparativo de cuatro sitios web en dos países de América Latina (Brasil y Colombia) y de diferentes denominaciones religiosas (católico y neopentecostal), constituye el propósito de esta tesis doctoral, enmarcada en los estudios cualitativos sobre media y religión, con el recurso de la etnografía virtual y del análisis de contenido. Los resultados de esta pesquisa sitúan el espectáculo de la fe religiosa a través de cinco categorías analítico-interpretativas: Religión y sociedad; Iglesia y poder; Iglesia y marketing; Religión y mediatización; y Fe y espectáculo." (Resumen)
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"Is there an inevitable global violent clash unfolding between the world's largest religions: Islam and Christianity? Do religions cause violent conflicts, or are there other factors at play? How can we make sense of increasing reports of violence between Christian and Muslim ethnic communities acro...ss the world? By seeking to answer such questions about the relationship between religion and violence in today's world, Ziya Meral challenges popular theories and offers an alternative explanation, grounded on insights inferred from real cases of ethno-religious violence in Africa and the Middle East. The relationship between religion and violence runs deep and both are intrinsic to the human story. Violence leads to and shapes religion, while religion acts to enable violence as well as providing responses that contain and prevent it. However, with religious violence being one of the most serious challenges facing the modern world, Meral shows that we need to de-globalise our analysis and focus on individual conflicts, instead of attempting to provide single answers to complex questions." (Publisher)
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"This Guide aims to help practitioners make sense of monitoring and evaluation as applied to inter-religious action in peacebuilding. It aims to support good practice among people who are involved in commissioning or contributing to such efforts, whether they be religious, secular or a combination o...f both, to maximize peacebuilding learning and effectiveness. Therefore, the audience for this Guide is anyone who is involved in the design, monitoring or evaluation of inter-religious peacebuilding programs or initiatives. These users include interreligious peacebuilders, evaluators, practitioners, and leaders who are tasked with commissioning an evaluation or who are managing learning and evaluation processes, as well as donors (public and private) who are involved in funding and evaluating inter-religious action for peacebuilding. Thus, a wide range of people and organizations might make use of this Guide. Throughout the Guide, we indicate which sections might be most useful for which audiences. For purposes of simplicity, we will flag sections for three (overlapping!) overall categories of users: Inter-religious peacebuilding implementers; Internal project managers or monitoring and evaluation specialists; External evaluators." (p.5-6)
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"The aim of this report is to illustrate, on the basis of online hate speech examples from six countries - Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain -, patterns of cyber hate against four communities. The topics that will be subsequently analysed are: antisemitism, antiziganism, h...omophobia and anti-Muslim hatred. Each section will follow a similar pattern by first offering a definition of the central terms, analysing the context and transnational trends and then highlighting country-specific aspects. The label "country specific" should not imply that those aspects are in any way country exclusive. However, they show different emphasis and peculiarities in the participating countries. This transnational analysis is complemented by national reports de-tailing the information and cases provided by the participating organisations." (Introduction, p.8)
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"Esta pesquisa tem por escopo averiguar como se dá a construção da identidade do sacerdote católico no ciberespaço no contexto da intersecção entre comunicação, cibercultura e religião. Considerando que a identidade é construída por meio de narrativas, a investigação tem por objetivo a...nalisar as identidades produzidas no ciberespaço a partir dos recursos técnicos disponibilizados na ambiência digital, mais especificamente no site pessoal do sacerdote. Inicialmente, a investigação busca, na filosofia, a fundamentação teórica da identidade a partir dos pensadores da antiguidade: Heráclito, Parmênides e Aristóteles, e da modernidade: René Descartes, David Hume e John Locke. Em seguida situa a identidade no contexto da cultura, recorrendo a autores como Stuart Hall, Anthony Giddens e Zygmunt Bauman, cuja realidade abarca as invenções técnicas no campo da comunicação, que queremos aprofundar auxiliando-nos dos estudos de Marshall McLuhan, Douglas Kellner e Dominique Wolton e especificamente o ciberespaço, nas sendas de pesquisadores como Pierre Levy, Lucia Santaella e André Lemos. Sopesando que o objeto de análise, no contexto do ciberespaço, é a identidade do sacerdote católico, a segunda parte da investigação visa situar o sacerdote na instituição “Igreja Católica” e a aprofundar a relação desta como a comunicação, buscando referencial teórico nos Documentos da Igreja e em pesquisadores como Joana Puntel, Antonio Spadaro, Jorge Miklos e Moisés Sbardelotto. Por fim, na terceira parte, a investigação, por meio de método qualitativo, analisa sites de quatro conhecidos sacerdotes da mídia brasileira (Pe. Reginaldo Manzotti, Pe. Marcelo Rossi, Pe. Juarez de Castro e Pe. Fábio de Melo), no sentido de delinear como são construídas e desconstruídas suas identidades nas estratégias programadas da plataforma digital." (Resumo)
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"It is our sincerest hope that this guide will have provided you with a greater understanding about online child sexual exploitation. We hope it has also given you a clearer realisation of the important role that you and your faith community can play in helping to prevent and end this crime. Togethe...r, we can combine the spiritual maturity, influence, expertise and authority you carry as leaders in your community, with the technical experience gained from policymakers, law enforcement and child-focused experts to ensure this violence stops." (Conclusion, p.36)
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"The scope of this paper is to present an innovative internal communication strategy applied to non-profit organisations, such as religious institutions. Strategic communicational principles led to the design of a Vocational Pastoral Teams Kit, implemented in the north of Portugal, to reinforce the ...consciousness of a Christian vocation in the local community. The Vocational Kit was implemented by the Diocesan Secretariat for Vocation - an active entity, part of the Portuguese Catholic Church, an organisation dedicated to promote awareness of the vocational meaning of life. This Kit is part of a communication plan conceived to motivate the priests in their mission, to reinforce their interaction with local members of the community connected to the local churches. The priest is the main promoter, his task is to advise catechists; animators (youth groups, preparation for Confirmation, Acolytes); parish community (pastoral family, charitable pastoral) and Christian religion teachers. In order to promote a better understanding of this case study, a theoretical framework will be developed based on Organisational Communication and Strategic Communication theories that highlight insights about the internal dimension and the local contexts. Operational concepts such as communication plans and the key factors for their implementation were also discussed. The results of the strategic communication plan will be shared along with the main conclusions that stress the value of an inside out vision on strategic communication for non-profit organisations." (p.169)
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"This report outlines the international human rights standards and processes related the protection of freedom of expression and religious belief, and discusses regional trends and challenges. The nine country case studies include the stories of many people across the region struggling to defend fre...edom of expression and promote an understanding of free expression that this is consistent with the expression of religious views. Some of the stories are horrifying – people are being killed for what they believe and say while exercising their rights to express that belief. It also provides an overview of the relevant laws and standards which impinge on people’s rights in each of these countries. It is a challenge to governments in the region to recognise their responsibility to protect the rights of their own citizens. The Jakarta Declaration set out in this report is a stirring declaration of the responsibilities, not just of governments but of all the relevant actors. It set out a clear path to the essential task of protecting rights to free expression in the region and ultimately, to the protection of religious belief itself." (Andrew Puddephatt, p.8)
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