Religion in digital environments: the religious discourse and possibilities of dialogue in the perspective of Mikhail Bakhtin

Abstract

Religions have been facing great transformations in their liturgical structures. Transformations that are caused by a change in the communicational model. On one hand, they must admit that can´t stay in the traditional model, maintaining the forms of communication in which the intervention in the message is not perceptible. On the other hand, when venturing into another they use digital technologies. By asserting themselves in this new communication model, they must admit that are facing a new communicational reality that will change the ancient and traditional ways of making religion. In this way of making religion it is perceived that another way of dealing with the believer is opened, for this time the believer actively interfere in the message for the interactive possibilities given by the digital technologies. This interaction happens due to the dialogical proposal before a discursive process between individuals. This dialogical proposal is given by Bakhtin's theory of dialogism for religions enhanced by digital environments. It seeks to analyze religious discourse in digital environments in order to consider that in these spaces opens up a new possibility of religious doing in which all actively participate. A dialogical religious practice supported by Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of dialogism, as a constitutive element of language, becomes one of the objectives of this work. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how these traditional and conservative institutions view technological transformations. One can answer the question by entering into the universe of digital environments. These digital environments are the "indwelling" of several languages. These languages are understood from Bakhtin's reflections as languages used to communicate. The conception of language in Bakhtin establishes an interface with the technologies and their digital environments in which religious discourses "dwell". Based on the assumptions of the dynamics of language and interaction, this paper proposes that digital environments can be spaces for a dialogical religious make from the reflections of Bakhtin. These reflections may open new considerations for Religions Sciences. The relevance of the research is in the reflection of new religious phenomenon that, on the one hand, is the traditional and conservative religions solicitude while opening possibilities of extension of religious practices for those who consider themselves not very conservative and not so traditional religiously.