Book Review: Heidi A. Campbell. 2020. Digital Creatives and the Rethinking of Religious Authority. Routledge.

Author(s) Helena Lipková
Contact Helena Lipková, Charles University, nám. J. Palacha 2, Praha 1, 116 38, CZ. E-mail: Helena.Lipkova@ff.cuni.cz
Issue CyberOrient, Vol. 18, Iss. 1, 2024, pp. 73-77
Published October 31, 2024
Type Book Review
Abstract The book Digital Creatives and the Rethinking of Religious Authority makes a valuable contribution to the study of how religious authority is evolving in the digital age. The author synthesizes previous research and introduces a new framework for categorizing types of religious authority in digital spaces. Building upon Anderson’s earlier typology, Campbell significantly advances this framework through her original empirical research, which is based on a series of qualitative interviews with Christian religious digital creatives (RDCs). Campbell identifies nine distinct manifestations of RDCs, demonstrating how each type, through their actions, enacts media-making narratives and engages in technological apologetics. Her approach offers a systematic and more nuanced classification and conceptual understanding of diversifying religious authority, reflecting the current plastic religious landscape and setting her work apart from previous studies. The book serves as a useful resource for scholars, offering insights and inspiration for further studies on the transformation of religious authority in new, hybrid spaces.
Keywords religious authority, digital creatives, church, religious community, Christian
DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/cyo2.46