Meyer's theory of "Sensational Forms" (Meyer 2012) and the role media is
having on shaping religious experience is important to help understand
the future of religion in modern society. According to Meyer,
sensational forms and modern media have created easy accessibility for
an individual to express theor religion. Whether this be expressed in
view of the public or in private, the ability to do this has created not
only a connection between an individual and their God but also a
connection between fellow worshippers through a "shared experience"
(Meyer 2012).
Meyer discussed various types of sensational forms , including the
broadcasting of Pentecostal ceremonies and its capacity to "not only
generate but also heat up and intensify religious feelings". (Meyer
2012). However the mass production of icons and deities in its many
forms i.e. paintings and physical objects, is a particularly intriguing
aspect of this discussion. The lines between the sacred and profane in
modern society are blurred (McDannell 2012). Through popular culture,
many icons and deities have become fashionable commoditios rather than
being used strictly for religious purposes. This immediately raises a
number of questions:
1. Will the flooding of popular icons and deities to the general market eventually
undermine the value of common and easily available icons for purposes
of worship?
2. Many icons and deities are seen in everyday life.
a) Does this influence individuals to reinforce faith?
b) Has this increased the number of individuals
finding faith for the first time?
c) How
much does this, consciously or unconciously, influence individuals
when changing faiths,
if at all?
By closely following the current and emerging media and watching trends
and patterns, the effects of the amalgamation of religion and media in
modern society will provide a greater inderstanding of the direction
religion will take into the future.
REFERENCES
McDannell, Colleen. "Scrambling the Sacred and the Profane." In Religion, Media and Culture: A Reader, edited by Jolyon Mitchell, Gordon Lynch and Anna Strhan, 134 - 145. London and New York: Routledge, 2012
Meyer, Birgit. "Religious Sensations Media, aesthetics, and the study of contemporary religion." In Religion, Media and Culture: A Reader, edited by Jolyon Mitchell, Gordon Lynch and Anna Strhan, 159 - 170. London and New York: Routledge, 2012
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