ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the theory of hypermediation can be completed by focusing on space, and it therefore proposes the concept of “hypermediated religious spaces.” Blogs can indeed be defined as “third spaces” (Hoover and Echchaibi 2014) situated in between physical and virtual venues, which are approached as if they are authentic spaces to negotiate religious practices and authorities. Hypermediated religious spaces are characterized by three dialectical pairings: (1) Mainstream and alternative. This dichotomy is described through the concept of hegemony and counter-hegemony as elaborated by Antonio Gramsci and the Cultural Studies tradition, as well as Chantal Mouffe’s (2013) idea of agonistic politics. (2) Public and private. The work of Jürgen Habermas on the public sphere is critically discussed through the reflections of Nancy Fraser (1990) and Michael Warner (2005) on minorities and counterpublics. (3) Real and imaginary. Digital venues are described as examples of “imagined communities,” as for the work of Benedict Anderson (2006), and through Michael Foucault’s (2004) concept of “heterotopia,” to account for how blogs imagine different realities. These three dichotomies help to understand how speed and emotions are embedded in hypermediated religious spaces.
