The impact of digitization on the religious sphere: Televangelism as an example

Abstract

Televangelism as one example of digital media technology is popular as a media of preaching recently. Televangelism is a hybrid genre of religion and entertainment which can be the manifestation of 'infotainment' predominance in contemporary media culture. Televangelists use digital media technologies, such as the Internet, DVDs and blogspots to popularize their programmes. They, therefore, raise their popularity and are granted a 'celebrity status' by having thousands of fans and followers on social media networks. The findings show that Televangelism becomes popular among Muslim youth audiences because they perceive it as a new form of religious expression which is considered 'modern' in appearance and relevant to their everyday lives. For them, Televangelism is also a manifestation of the individual change. This study shows that with the rise of literacy rate and the availability of modern digital media, religious knowledge became accessible to large community. The internet has become a new paradigm where voices can compete for the authority. The cyberspace and internet have become one important platform where religious can be disseminated, contested and negotiated easily. Therefore, televangelists have become influential figures to some Muslim audiences, especially the youth in middle classes. The use of digital media by televangelists has helped popularize their discourses. The findings also shows how the sermons and texts of particular televangelists can possibly relate to dominant (capitalist) ideologies, how structures of power are represented in their discourses and what their texts may reveal about the socio-historical contexts of Muslims in the twenty first century.