Pagan Religions in Five Minutes - Suzanne Owen
45. Do Pagans Use the Internet for their Religion?
Pagan Religions in Five Minutes - Suzanne Owen
Franz Winter [+]
Vienna University
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Franz Winter has received Ph.D.s in Classical Studies (1999) and Religious Studies (2005) from the University of Vienna, and a Habilitation in Religious Studies (2010) from the same university, after having studied and done research at the Universities of Graz, Salzburg, Vienna, in Rome, at Boston University (Fulbright), and in Tokyo and Kyoto. He currently teaches at the University of Vienna and works at the Austrian Bundesstelle für Sektenfragen in Vienna. Among his major areas of interest are the history of contact between Europe and Asia from antiquity to modern times, new religious movements in East and West, history of Buddhism, Western Esotericism, religion and the media.
Description
This chapter explores how Pagans use the Internet for self-presentation, online rituals and member engagement. Pagans have been interested in the Internet since its early days, which coincided with the emergence of many Pagan movements. The lack of religious buildings for rituals made it easy for Pagans to transition to online platforms. However, challenges exist, such as establishing authenticity in a movement focused on restoring older traditions.