Religion and the internet
'Faith 2.0' was a one-day conference held at Durham University on 21 April 2011. It was organise by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), Durham University and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.
The conference offered new perspectives on how the accelerated sharing of information and proliferation of ideas affects religion in different parts of the world. It explored one of today's most pressing questions: how has religion been impacted by information technology and how has the public sphere in turn been influenced by this interaction?
Opening address
Emma Murphy, School of Government Affairs, Durham University,
Ruth Turner, Chief Executive, Tony Blair Faith Foundation a
Joanildo Burity, Director of Faith and Globalisation Programme, Durham University
Religious identity
How should we understand the nature and activities of online faith-based communities?
Heidi Campbell, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University;
Professor Lorenzo Cantoni, Vice-Director, the Institute of Public and Educational Communication
Brenda Brasher, Visiting Assistant Professor, Tulane University
Andrew Graystone, Director, Churches’ Media Council.
Moderator: Rev Dr. Peter Phillips, Director of Research, Centre for Biblical Literacy and Communication, Durham University.
Building new communities
How has the internet created space for new religious communities to come together?
Simon Jenkins, Founder and Editor of “Ship of Fools”, Author, Designer & Cartoonist
Scott Thumma, Professor of Sociology of Religion, Hartford Institute for Religion Research
Lorne L Dawson, Professor of Sociology, University of Waterloo
Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham and Vice-Chair, the Labour Party
Ambassador Miguel Diaz, US Ambassador to the Holy See
Moderator: Heidi Campbell, associate professor, Texas A&M University.
Building new communities video
Keynote speech
The keynote speaker was Catherine Wybourne, also known as the ‘digital nun’. Her speech highlighted both what she saw as the positives and negatives of internet communities.
Sister Catherine Wybourne, Holy Trinity Monastery
Religious authority and the growth of online extremism
Rev Canon Robin Morrison, Bishop's Adviser for Church and Society in Wales
Joshua Fouts, Co-author of Carnegie Council Report “Digital Diplomacy: Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds"
Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan, Scientist, Lecturer & Activist
Gary Bunt, Senior Lecturer in Islamic studies, Higher Education Academy, University of Wales Trinity Saint David
Moderator: Lorne L Dawson, Professor of Sociology, University of Waterloo
Religious authority and the growth of online extremism video
Press articles
The internet as a sacred space, The Guardian
Church web use increases, Religious Intelligence
Interview: Sister Catherine Wybourne untanglingtheweb.com
