The ‘Logic’ of Mediatization Theory in Religion: A critical consideration of a new paradigm

The concept of mediatization was introduced to research on religion a decade ago by several scholars of communication: Hepp, Hjarvard and Sá Martino. The approach is controversial and has been debated in religious studies and beyond. This article critically analyses the core elements of mediatizatio...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marburg Journal of Religion
Main Author: Krüger, Oliver
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Philipps-Universität Marburg 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:Online Access
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The concept of mediatization was introduced to research on religion a decade ago by several scholars of communication: Hepp, Hjarvard and Sá Martino. The approach is controversial and has been debated in religious studies and beyond. This article critically analyses the core elements of mediatization theory in religion. These elements are the dating and measurement of mediatization, the secularization and the concept of ‘banal religion,’ the understanding of ‘religion’ and of ‘media,’ and the process of deterritorialization. This analysis questions the empirical evidence for and the theoretical consistency of the mediatization approach. Finally, some alternative research perspectives are presented.
DOI:10.17192/mjr.2018.20.7699