CONSTRUCTING RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE WITH THE HELP OF MASS MEDIA

Abstract

Abstract. Introduction. Religious communication has a complex structure; it is associated with religious traditions and canons, but must meet the requirements of time. It is transformed under the influence of technical means of transmitting information: the press, radio, television, the Internet, new media. The manifestations of religiosity become more varied, secular and religious communication are moving closer together. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to analyze the main characteristics of religious mass media and to identify their interrelation in the process of constructing religious discourse. Methods. The paper uses the approach of the Canadian philosopher Herbert Marshall McLuhan. The article is developing the thesis that communication methods and mechanisms for the transfer of information under certain conditions may be more important than the content of a communicative act. Results. Religious mass media meet modern requirements in the communicative sphere, but at the same time they have their own specificity depending on the religion that uses these mass media. Under the influence of the media, religious communication becomes networked and covers all aspects of public and private life. In official communication, religious mass media reveal themselves very organically, are fast and reliable means of mass dissemination of information, and in existential communication that is purely religious – prayer, confession, revelation – not all mass media can be adequately applied. Originality. The article shows that modern religious media actively interact with each other and create a kind of symbiosis that helps to increase the influence of mass communication on a particular person. The closest to the essence of religious communication is the new media, especially social networks, because they have a dialogically-massive nature of communication. Conclusion. The radio and the press are closed in interacting with other mass media. They maintain their communicative traditions and are a continuation of classical religious communication, since they are based on an oral or written word. Television religious discourse offers mass audience coverage and the need for unification of communication. The use of digital media draws religious issues into the field of mass communication and destroys the spatial, social and religious boundaries between people.