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An autoethnographic exploration of virtual worship : exploring religious experience in cyberspace

Dissertation (MA (Digital Culture and Media))--University of Pretoria, 2024.

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Other Authors: Brittz, Karli
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2024
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Brittz, Karli
author_browse Brittz, Karli
author_facet Brittz, Karli
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2021 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MA (Digital Culture and Media))--University of Pretoria, 2024.
format Thesis
id oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/98243
institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:36:26.674Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/98243 An autoethnographic exploration of virtual worship : exploring religious experience in cyberspace Brittz, Karli kudahschizy@gmail.com Chizhande, Kudakwashe UCTD Virtual worship Sacred spaces Offline gathering Immersion Autoethnography Sustainable development goals (SDGs) SDG-04: Quality education Humanities theses SDG-04 SDG-10: Reduced inequalities Humanities theses SDG-10 SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure Humanities thesis SDG-09 Dissertation (MA (Digital Culture and Media))--University of Pretoria, 2024. Technology has revolutionised the traditional concept of worship and impacted the understanding of spirituality. The rise of the internet and digital technologies has revolutionised how individuals interact with each other and their surroundings, including religious spaces. This autoethnographic exploration delves into the experience of virtual worship and how the digital revolution is transforming spiritual experiences. Based on my personal experiences and observations, I have investigated the world of virtual worship and discovered the unique religious experiences it offers in cyberspace. It also reveals the potential for technology to facilitate religious experiences through virtual sacred spaces and discusses the possibility of these online experiences replacing worship in physical reality. I have discovered that virtual worship provides advantages such as connecting with a global community of believers and the convenience of participating in religious activities from the comfort of their own homes. However, there are also possible drawbacks, including a lack of intimacy and connection with the physical world. This exploration highlights the intricate and evolving relationship between technology and spirituality and how virtual worship shapes our religious experiences. The study contends that virtual worship cannot substitute offline gatherings, but that online and offline spiritual practices can be used since they are vital in their different capacities. Furthermore, the study emphasises that while virtual worship experiences hold immense value as they allow flexibility and accessibility, they may lack some embodied aspects of worship, such as physical presence and shared space. Overall, this autoethnographic exploration provides valuable insights into how virtual worship experiences impact religious practice and suggests that digital technologies could complement physical worship spaces rather than replace them entirely. Thus, the study expands on the scholarship of digital culture and virtual worship by considering an autoethnographic experience of the phenomenon. Visual Arts MA (Digital Culture and Media) Unrestricted Faculty of Humanities 2024-09-17T06:31:31Z 2024-09-17T06:31:31Z 2024-09 2024-02 Dissertation * S2024 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/98243 en © 2021 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Virtual worship
Sacred spaces
Offline gathering
Immersion
Autoethnography
Sustainable development goals (SDGs)
SDG-04: Quality education
Humanities theses SDG-04
SDG-10: Reduced inequalities
Humanities theses SDG-10
SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Humanities thesis SDG-09
An autoethnographic exploration of virtual worship : exploring religious experience in cyberspace
title An autoethnographic exploration of virtual worship : exploring religious experience in cyberspace
title_full An autoethnographic exploration of virtual worship : exploring religious experience in cyberspace
title_fullStr An autoethnographic exploration of virtual worship : exploring religious experience in cyberspace
title_full_unstemmed An autoethnographic exploration of virtual worship : exploring religious experience in cyberspace
title_short An autoethnographic exploration of virtual worship : exploring religious experience in cyberspace
title_sort autoethnographic exploration of virtual worship exploring religious experience in cyberspace
topic UCTD
Virtual worship
Sacred spaces
Offline gathering
Immersion
Autoethnography
Sustainable development goals (SDGs)
SDG-04: Quality education
Humanities theses SDG-04
SDG-10: Reduced inequalities
Humanities theses SDG-10
SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Humanities thesis SDG-09
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/98243