Religión en internet: convocatoria para publicación

Call for Papers

“Religions on the Internet – Aesthetics and the Dimensions of the

Senses”

Special issue of “Online – Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the

Internet”, due for publication in October 2010

We herewith invite scholars from Religious, Cultural, Social, Media

Studies and other related disciplines to hand in proposals for possible

articles which deal with questions of the aesthtics and sensual

dimensions of religions and rituals on the Internet.

When we look on the various representations of religious groups and

individuals on personal homepages, in weblogs, in virtual worlds or the

like and when we follow their communications on religious topics online,

the visual and auditive aspects of the medium seem to play a major role.

Using pictures, videos, icons, as well as music and other sounds, the

internet users can design a multisensual virtual environment which might

implicate its own notion of ‘aesthetics’. This might be the case in e.g.

a virtual Church environment which is embedded in an area with plashy

waterfalls and bird sound instead of organ music or for religious groups

in social networks who link to home-made Youtube videos, online games

and other homepages. But we also must not forget the connection to these

sensual dimensions that refer to and rely on the (offline) bodies of

religious practitioners. Religions and rituals on the Internet might

most probably provoke emotional or other physical reactions.

Furthermore, in transfer processes between the offline and online realm

there might be a redefinition of what seems to be an ‘appropriate’

design for religious settings.

As the aesthetic and sensual dimensions of religions and rituals on the

internet are so far a mostly neglected area of research, we call upon

theoretical and methodical reflection as well as on empiric studies

referring to these topics. We are looking forward to receive the title

and a short abstract (max. 250 words) of the planned article until 31st

of March 2010.

Further important dates and deadlines are:

April 15th: Notification on the acceptance of your proposal by

the editors

August 31st: Submission deadline for full article

September 15th: Deadline for comments, requests of revisions by the

editors (if

necessary)

September 31st: Submission deadline for revised articles

November, 1st: Publication of the Online Journal

Please send your abstract to the following Email-addresses:

Simone.Heidbrink@zegk.uni-heidelberg.de

Nadja.Miczek@zegk.uni-heidelberg.de