Digital Reading Materials and Religious Practice: Usage in Personal Study and Religious Education Courses

Abstract

Religion is an important part of many people's lives, with reading from religious texts being among the most common and important regular practices. Modern technology has changed the way this religious reading takes place, but the interaction of technology with religious reading has not been studied in detail. In this techno-spiritual study, we surveyed students from two universities (n = 407) to ask individuals how they use technology in their personal study of Christian religious texts and Christian religious education courses. We found that paper scriptures are still frequently used even with the prevalence of technology, especially when the reader is seeking a spiritual experience. Additionally, individuals do not strictly use one particular medium; they choose different media depending on the goals of their study session. Finally, we explore benefits and drawbacks of technology in religious education courses.