ABSTRACT
This final chapter provides a summary of the six traits highlighted in this book that define religious practice in a digital age—networked community, convergent practice, multisite reality, storied identity, shifting authority, and experiential authenticity—in both online and offline contexts. All six characteristics relate to and intersect with each other and weave the story of how religious understanding and practice shapes, and is shaped by, digital media technologies. Current trends in digital religion include studying religious influencers and digital creatives, paying attention to marginalized communities and underrepresented religions, and exploring innovative media technologies such as virtual and augmented reality. The chapter ends with a brief discussion of the future of Digital Religion Studies and its place within the larger context of media, religion, and culture research.
