Praying through mobile phone: Reconfiguring religious practices in a Catholic praying group through WhatsApp

Authors

  • Marco Túlio de Sousa Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4013/fem.2018.202.07

Abstract

The text discusses the transformations of religious experiences of a society in a verge of mediatization (Gomes, 2016; Martino, 2016) based on a case study (Braga, 2008) that investigates a religious WhatsApp group created by Catholics to pray for each other. The research includes two moments: an analysis of the group’s interactions during a week and an interview with the creator of the group. The raised pieces of evidence indicate the joints between religious rituals and other practices and media dynamics make emerge new forms of religious experiences permeated by mediatic processes. New bonds are created and crosses between pop culture, entertainment, and prayers run in a fast and fragmented pace. This new communication scenario establishes challenges for religious institutions in the face of the public protagonism assumed by the laity in the network and also for those who, among the creative experiments, try to understand the actions that best suit their needs.

Keywords: mediatization of religion, amateur, WhatsApp’s group of pray.

Author Biography

Marco Túlio de Sousa, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Doutorando em Comunicação pela Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (Unisinos), mestre em Comunicação pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Ufmg), graduado em Jornalismo pela Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (Ufjf). Bolsista do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).

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Published

2018-08-04

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 2 (2018): May/August

Section

Articles

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