Digital media is changing the ways in which religion is practiced, understood, proselytised and countered. Religious institutions and leaders use digital media to engage with their congregations who now are not confined to single locations and physical structures. The faithful are part of online communities which allow them a space to worship and to find fellowship. Migrant and mobile subjects thus are able to be connected to their faith -- whether home grown or emerging -- wherever they may be, providing them with an anchor in unfamiliar physical and cultural surroundings. As Asia rises, mobilities associated with Asian populations have escalated. The notion of ‘Global Asia’ is a reflection of this increased mobility, where Asia includes not only Asian countries as sites of political independence, but also the transnational networks of Asian trans/migrants, and the diasporic settlements of Asian peoples all over the world. This collection features cutting edge research by scholars across disciplines seeking to understand the role and significance of religion among transnational mobile subjects in this age of digital media, and in particular, as experienced in Global Asia.
Author Bio
Catherine Gomes is an Associate Professor in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University. Her work contributes to the understanding of the evolving migration, mobility and digital media nexus. She is a specialist on the Asia-Pacific with Australia and Singapore being significant fieldwork sites.
Lily Kong is the President and Lee Kong Chian Chair of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University. Her research focuses on social and cultural change in Asian cities.
Orlando Woods is an Assistant Professor of Humanities at Singapore Management University. His research interests span religion, digital technologies and urban environments in/and Asia.
