
Believing in the Net
Karen Parna(Author)
Leiden University Press
Published on 14. January 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
203 pages
978-90-8728-075-8 (ISBN)
Description
Starting with Weber's disenchantment thesis, a sociological tradition has developed that associates modernity with a crisis of meaning. The demystification of our worldview and the decreasing influence of religious traditions in specific are seen as obstacles for making sense of human existence. In fact, modern societies are full of meaning and they continue to be religious. This study shows that, in an implicit form, religion can be found everywhere in our culture. The Internet hype of the 1990s was a particularly effervescent example of implicit religiosity. The hopeful discourse about the Internet that typified this hype drew on religious ideas and language, and it inspired strong belief. This book explores the appeal of the Internet as an object of faith and it looks at how it could serve as a source of meaning.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Dordrecht
Netherlands
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Adult education
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
374 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-8728-075-8 (9789087280758)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Karen P?rna is a junior lecturer at University College Maastricht, where she teaches sociology (of religion). From 2004 to 2008 she was affiliated to the Faculty of Religious Studies of Leiden University. The present dissertation is a product of this period at Leiden.
Content
Believing in the Net - 2[-]TABLE OF CONTENTS - 5[-]Acknowledgements - 8[-]ILLUSTRATIONS - 9[-]INTRODUCTIONMODERNITY, MEANING AND THE INTERNET - 11[-]CHAPTER 1 SECULARISATION, AND RELIGION BEYOND ITS INSTITUTIONS - 21[-]CHAPTER 2 THE CONSOLATIONS OF MODERNITY: ULTIMATE MEANING IN THE SECULAR ERA - 46[-]CHAPTER 3 ONTOLOGICAL SECURITY AND HYPES - 67[-]CHAPTER 4 THE ROOTS OF THE INTERNET HYPE: POST-COLD WAR ANOMIE AND THE INFORMATION AGE - 79[-]CHAPTER 5 THE DREAMS OF THE INTERNET AGE - 99[-]CHAPTER 6 WHIZ KIDS, GENIUSES, VISIONARIES AND CYBER-GURUS - 126[-]CHAPTER 7 DOTCOMS & THE PEAK OF THE INTERNET HYPE - 146[-]CHAPTER 8 EPILOGUE: THE Y2K HYPE - 160[-]CHAPTER 9 CONCLUSIONS - 176[-]BIBLIOGRAPHY - 183[-]WEBSITES AND AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIAL - 204[-]SAMENVATTING - 206[-]CURRICULUM VITAE - 213