How Theology and Faith Practices Shape Digital Culture

GoNeDigiTal Conference 2022

Call for Papers

Online, 7-9 July 2022

Proposals due: 8 April 2022

A significant body of work is emerging that engages with how religious faith and practice is shaped by digital technologies, media, and cultures. From the influence of digital technology and media on faith communities, to the shaping of religious faith and theology by digital technology and contexts, and through to significant changes with respect to theological education, spiritual formation, religious authority, and ethics there are many ways the religious landscape is being changed. But what about influences in the other direction? How might theology, faith and practice influence and shape our technologies and media, and the digital cultures we find ourselves in? And, what might genuine and enriching dialogue between theology, faith, and practice and digital technology, media, and cultures look like?

This conference, hosted by the Global Network for Digital Theology, seeks to explore the impact of religious faith, practice, and theology on the digital world in both global and local contexts. We welcome papers for this conference in the following areas:

• Religious and theological reflection and impact on concepts of the “metaverse”;
• Theologically-informed wisdom for human flourishing in online contexts;
• The experiences of faith communities during COVID-19 informing reflection on physically-gathered, virtually-present, and hybrid expressions of faith communities; 
• Religious perspectives on digital technology and disability;
• Interaction of theology and education with digitality;
• Theology and faith influencing technological imagination, design and implementation;
• Ethical reflections on ‘big data’ and the impact of the algorithmic shaping of digital culture; 
• Freedom, rights, and responsibilities in digital spaces;
• Theology in dialogue with truth-telling, authenticity, and the construction of identity in digital spaces;
• Theologies of liberation in digital contexts;
• The decolonising of digital spaces;
• And theological, religious and other reflections on particular aspects of digital technology, media and culture.

Abstracts of 250-300 words should be submitted by 8 April 2022 to sgarner@laidlaw.ac.nz