Religious life in the digital space in Vietnam: Theory and research findings

Abstract

Internet, smartphones, and social media have made the digital space an essential part of life, including religious life in Vietnam. Research on religion in the digital space in Vietnam is a new field, still lacking comprehensive studies and solid theoretical foundations. Based on the proposed integration of Stig Hjarvard’s theory of the mediatization of religion and Evolvi’s hypermediacy theory as an analytical framework, and employing data collected through document analysis, surveys of the digital presence of religious organisations, and case studies of online communicaion channels of Buddhism and Catholicism, this article contributes to reaffirming these two theoretical perspectives and demonstrates that media is governing and shaping religious institutions whilst the digital space is increasingly becoming an indispensable component of religious life.