Symbol and Ritual Online 1
Symbol and Ritual Online: Case Studies in the Structure of Online Religious Rituals
A few minutes spent conducting even a cursory search of religion on the Internet will
produce pages upon pages of results catering to all manner of religious inclinations. Gods and
goddesses, prophets and mystics, have arrived in cyberspace en masse, and data indicates we are
seeking them out there with zeal. As our quest for spiritual fulfillment continues to find new
energy in cyberspace, it is critical to investigate the impression that Internet culture can bring to
our religious identities, communities, forms, and practices. Religion in cyberspace is a
phenomenon that needs to be taken seriously because of the significant
if often invisible
role
religion continues to play in contemporary life.
At the same time that religion remains an important force in society, the Internet has also
materialized as a phenomenon, tool, and space shaping many areas of culture (Campbell, 2005,
p. 309). One may assume that two such powerful forces inevitably must spill over into each
other. Yet computer use in religious practice has remained largely an undeveloped area of
inquiry. Those who have undertaken such inquiries argue that as religion moves into the online
environment, it is critical to examine the ways in which the Internet functions as a mediator of
religious experience
for a change in the performance of religion holds potential change for
religious sensibilities (Hadden & Cowan, 2000; Dawson, 2000).
Demographer George Barna predicts that the Internet will in time fundamentally change
the nature of worship among Christians; further, millions of people with no faith community will
take to practice and worship in cyberspace by the end of the decade (cited in Pew Internet, 2001).
Far from draining traditional religious practices of their sacred meanings, as many detractors will
argue, online rituals can potentially provide meaningful experiences for those seeking new ways
of practicing their faith. I agree with Internet researcher Christopher Helland (2000) when he
Page 1 of 29 
Convention