Fourteenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

In today’s hyper-connected world, cyberspace has become a thriving hub for communities, shaping and redefining the ways individuals express, practice, and interact within their faith traditions. Some scholars have often addressed the need for understanding online religious communities in relation to their physical counterparts or offline religious practices, others examine how the Internet alters concepts of identity and community, as well as how these communities become inherently intertwined with networked behaviors. This paper delves into cyber spiritual practices done by traditional and contemporary spiritual communities by fostering a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between digital space as a public space and religion in Turkey. The goal of this research is to investigate the ways in which new-wave spiritual communities navigate and shape their identities in online environments, considering the socio-cultural, technological, and religious dimensions at play. The motives behind that the utilization of digital platforms and how spiritual communities facilitate and shape the spiritual expression, community building, and ritualistic practices on digital space will be analyzed thematically through the lens of local courses, seminars, community meetings, cross-platform instant messaging (IM) service groups, and online events. While some are established by pre-existing physical communities, others are entirely internet-based, with members potentially never having the opportunity to meet in person. This paper explores and conceptualizes the augmented landscape of spiritual identity and community, by examining these intersections, I contribute to scholarly discourse, explore innovative approaches for navigating religious environment in the digital age.