資訊科技與宗教：迷你的社會學想像

Information Technology and Religion:A Mini Sociological Imagination

本文探討資訊科技與宗教之間的關係。首先描述宗教組織如何運用傳播媒介與資訊科技，包括印刷、電影、廣播、電視、網際網路、行動電話與虛擬實境等。其次探討資訊科技對宗教組織與宗教活動的影響，主要概念包括中心化、去中心化、中介化與去中介化，焦點則放在資訊科技是否促成制度性宗教的去中心化與去中介化，同時有助於新興宗教擴展勢力與影響力。這裡的答案是肯定的，也是否定的。許多制度性宗教已能善用網際網路，網際網路並未瓦解主要宗教的組織階層。新興宗教也能夠充分利用資訊科技，減少傳教佈道的成本，包括時間與金錢等。最後本文針對資訊科技與宗教的關係，整理出三種觀點，分別是神學論者、科技享樂主義與馬克思主義。這三種觀點各有其所見，亦各有缺點，值得論者進一步研究的參考。

The paper explores the relationships between information technology and religion. Firstly, the paper describes how religious organizations have been using mass media and information technology, such as print, cinema, radio, television, Internet, cellular phone, and virtual reality. Secondly, the impacts of information technology on religious organizations are explored, with the concepts of centralization and decentralization as well as intermediation and disintermediation. The focus is put on whether information technology has helped to generate the effects of decentralization and disintermediation, on the one hand, and facilitated the rise of new religions, on the other. The argument obtained is mixing. Finally, three perspectives that describe and explain the relationships between information technology and religion are discussed by listing their features and weaknesses, which could be explored for further research.