Summarizing Heidi A Campbell’s Research on Religion and Church Online

Abstract

This paper provides a concise summary of Heidi A Campbell's research on religious community online and doing church on the internet. Over the last twenty-five years, Heidi A Campbell has studied what defines religious community online, the key traits of digital church, and the challenges that church leadership may face when using digital media. Campbell defines religious community as the building and maintaining of relationships through a social network that facilitates the pursuit of a common purpose related to their shared faith. Religious individuals may find this experience on a variety of digital platforms. What is common amongst the different manifestations of religious community online is people are drawn to them because of the relational aspect and the spiritual opportunities that online religious communities allow.