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The Digital Sanctuary

Spirituality, Faith, and Ritual in the Metaverse

The Digital Sanctuary cover

The Digital Sanctuary

Spirituality, Faith, and Ritual in the Metaverse

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Pre-order. Available Apr 15 2027
$72.00 RRP $90.00 Website price saving $18.00 (20%)

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Description

The Digital Sanctuary explores how the metaverse is reshaping religious beliefs, values, and communities.

The metaverse is still being formed, but many purposes for it have been proposed, including as a space for redefining religious culture. Therefore, this book asks: When digital heavens are constructed, what gods are invited? What rituals are performed? And can a realm of bits and algorithms truly house the timeless human search for transcendence? In this book, Marco Adria examines the metaverse through four theoretical lenses – media affordances, tetradic theory of kinship, media angst, and mediated God – to illustrate the complex and novel nature of the metaverse as a growing venue for religious activity. Case studies and the results of a new focus group provide fresh insights into the social meaning of religious practice in the metaverse.

Ultimately, this text investigates both the potential challenges and opportunities for the metaverse to either unite or divide global faith communities, reflecting on the evolving relationship between humanity, technology, and the divine to explore what's next for online religious experiences.

Accessibility Information

Additional accessibility information

  • PDF/UA-2, 1.4
  • accessibility@bloomsbury.com

Hazards

The publication contains no hazards

Support for non-visual reading

Has alternative text descriptions for images

Navigation

  • Page list to go to pages from the print source version
  • Elements such as headings, tables, etc for structured navigation
  • All or substantially all textual matter is arranged in a single logical reading order

Table of Contents

List of Terms
Acknowledgements

Introduction: The Digital Sanctuary: Persistent, Immersive, Interconnected
1. The Convergence of Faith and Technology: A Short History
2. A Media Ecology Perspective
3. New Medium, New Social Environments: The Tetradic View
4. Theology (and God) in the Digital Sanctuary: Making and Maintaining New Worlds
5. What a Faith Community Requires and What the Digital Sanctuary Makes Possible
6. Listening to the Future: A Focus Group
7. Change and Continuity: Case Studies of the Digital Sanctuary
8. A New Paradigm: The Ethics of Virtual Spirituality
9. Becoming Virtual: The Sensorium and Its Biases
Conclusion: How to Worship in the Metaverse

Appendix: Focus Group
References
Index
About the Author

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published Apr 15 2027
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Pages 192
ISBN 9798216371489
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Illustrations 4 bw illus
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Marco Adria

Marco Adria is Professor Emeritus and Lecturer of…

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