What a Friend We Have in Facebook : Norwegian Christian Churches’ Use of Social Media
Journal article, Peer reviewed
Published version
View/ Open
Date
2021Metadata
Show full item recordCollections
Original version
Hodøl, H.-O. (2021). What a Friend We Have in Facebook : Norwegian Christian Churches’ Use of Social Media. Journal of Media and Religion, 20(3), 123-142. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348423.2021.1954829Abstract
This study examines how Christian churches in Norway use social media. The key finding is that the churches do not take extensive advantage of the opportunities for two-way communication offered by the platforms, but primarily use their social media channels to promote church activities or broadcast content without inviting a dialogue. Based on the churches’ own stated appreciation for building relationships, as well as existing research from media and communication studies, media and religion studies, and studies within strategic communication, this article argues for a stronger focus on the ritual and relational aspects of online communication from the church organizations.