ABSTRACT
It seems that the role of the body or embodiment is crucial for characterizing religious practices. However, despite the fact that the concepts of body and embodiment play an important role in nearly all analysis of religious activities online, neither concept is explicitly brought up as a central topic, but is presupposed in most studies. The topic of embodiment links together several topics, such as “the digital as space,” the distinction between “the real” and “the virtual,” and the question of mediatization and materiality. For that, the chapter clarifies what we actually mean by embodiment and, connected to that, the body. After that, the chapter will present and explore scholarly discussion in relation to three dimensions of embodiment, discuss the concept of “the digital space,” and ask critically if the distinction between the real and the virtual is still an accurate or helpful analytical concept. This chapter will consider how virtual/augmented reality and digital gaming raise important questions about the place and meaning of the body and the material context in a digital age. It will explore the concept of embodiment, how it relates to online context in general, and how it relates specifically to the relation of digital technology and religion.
