There are five traits of networked religion. The five are convergent practice: personalized blending of information and rituals; multi-site reality: embedded online-offline connections; networked community: loosely bounded social networks; storied identity: fluid and dynamic identity construction; shifting authority: simultaneous empowerment and challenge of authority (Networked Society).
My case study was on the top 10 Christian leaders (Church Leaders). I asked questions like: do the top 10 Christian leaders all tweet on the same topic? Do they all tweet the same amount? Are they all trying to tweet to a certain audience? I believe that shifting authority best represents my case study. Shifting authority focuses on the rise of new religious gatekeepers, spokespeople and authority structures online. Twitter allows anyone to be a religious tweeter and to have authority online. Shifting authority also says leaders seek to solidify their position in new sources like Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest to legitimize and influence. Twitter is a place that many people can put their beliefs about Christianity, or their religion online. I think the best example of this is a tweet from Terry Storch on September 24th. Storch tweeted, “The people you comfort determine the level of excellence you achieve.”@leadershipfreak - Removing the Lid on Your Org attached was a link to a lid. Terry Storch is not very well known but is a top Twitter leader. Like shifting authority says, Twitter can help bring a new religious gatekeeper. Twitter can provide a place for people to tweet 140 characters to influence or legitimize people on their beliefs.
Sources
Campbell, Heidi. ( November 9, 2011). Understanding the Relationship between Religion Online and Offline in a Networked Society. Oxford Journal. Retrieved: November 18, 2013.
Church Leaders.com Top 100 Christian Leaders to Follow on Twitter.
Retrieved September 10, 2013. http://www.churchleaders.com/find-your-ministry.html
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