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Encyclopedia of Religion, Communication, and Media
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Daniel A. Stout (ed.)

New York: Routledge (2006), xx, 467 pp.

"This volume breaks down disciplinary walls in numerous ways. First, it combines information about the intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, and societal levels of communication into a single resource. At the intrapersonal level, new issues are raised about communication between individuals and deity ... : Why is religious experience difficult to explain in rational terms? Why is silence more sacred than spoken prayer in some religious communities? What is the nature of “thought communication” in religious meditation? Why is the use of profanity justified in some religious circles? How does idolatry reinforce religious customs and values? Why was chanting one of the first forms of religious communication? Religious information is also exchanged between individuals at the level of interpersonal communication. This volume identifies rituals that have not been adequately analyzed in terms of communication aspects: Why do some sects require public confession? Why is body decoration an acceptable form of worship in some religious groups, but not in others? How does dance communicate the sacred through metaphoric movement? What are the multiple forms of communication with the dead? Why are feasts a form of religious worship in all major religions? How does the study of organizational communication apply to religion? This volume also aids study of mediated communication to larger groups both inside and outside religious denominations. Throughout history, technology has simultaneously aided and impeded communication processes; this also applies to religious culture: How did religion change during the historical transition from orality to literacy? How did printing contribute to the diffusion of religious values in the world? Why have religious novels grown in popularity? Is television considered a religious medium? How has the Internet affected religious congregations and communities? What is religious media literacy? These are only a few of the questions addressed by this encyclopedia. Articles also deal with (1) concepts such as information, communication, and censorship, (2) denominations which exhibit different communication practices, and (3) the various media used in religious worship. Entries were contributed by scholars from various disciplines, including religious studies, communication, anthropology, sociology, ancient studies, religion and modern culture, theology, and many others." (Introduction, page xiii-xiv) more

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Mass Media and Social Change

Elihu Katz, Tamás Szecskö (eds.)

Beverly Hills, Calif.: Sage (1981), 271 pp.

"A compilation of the papers of Symposium VII of the 9th World Congress of Sociology whose central theme asks whether the mass media should be agents of change or agents of the status quo. Central to the articles are discussions from varying viewpoints as to the nature of news and the factors that s ... more

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Publishing for Schools: Textbooks and the Less Developed Countries

Peter H. Neumann

Washington, DC: World Bank (1980), ii, 79 pp.

"Concentrating on the complexities of large scale primary and secondary school textbook production, this paper aims to provide guidelines and information for creating viable publishing industries in developing countries. Statistical analysis, personal experience, case studies, and responses to a que ... more

Encyclopedia of Religion, Communication, and Media Top Insights

Mass Media and Social Change

Publishing for Schools: Textbooks and the Less Developed Countries

Encyclopedia of Religion, Communication, and Media
Top Insights