Religion has never been so private in Quebec!
The places of worship are closed, and their reopening is planned in the "later phases" of deconfinement.
Meanwhile, some churches are taking the techno turn. And redefine the concept of community.
Meanwhile, some churches are taking the techno turn. And redefine the concept of community.
For millions of Christians around the world, religious practice in times of confinement is no longer done in a place of worship, but only at home, behind a screen, through social networks. However, not all religious leaders have the same mastery of digital, as evidenced by the viral video
of an Italian priest who, using his phone to broadcast mass online, inadvertently activated the Snapchat filters.
If confinement is an invitation to creativity, it is also a threat to religious groups. Indeed, gatherings are at the heart of ritual practices
and the physical proximity of other believers fully participates in the religious experience.
On a sociological level, these events form the crucible of the feeling of community belonging.
I have been working on evangelical Protestantism in France and Quebec for almost 15 years. Originally interested in the geography of places
of worship, I came to reflect on the way in which certain Churches articulate two non-exclusive modalities of community life,
the virtual and the face-to-face, and favor the points of contact between of them.
The challenge that religious groups face in these times of pandemic can be formulated as follows: how to ensure community links so as not to “lose” the faithful and what are the technical solutions available to invent a form of co-presence that does not pass not by physical proximity?
of an Italian priest who, using his phone to broadcast mass online, inadvertently activated the Snapchat filters.
If confinement is an invitation to creativity, it is also a threat to religious groups. Indeed, gatherings are at the heart of ritual practices
and the physical proximity of other believers fully participates in the religious experience.
On a sociological level, these events form the crucible of the feeling of community belonging.
I have been working on evangelical Protestantism in France and Quebec for almost 15 years. Originally interested in the geography of places
of worship, I came to reflect on the way in which certain Churches articulate two non-exclusive modalities of community life,
the virtual and the face-to-face, and favor the points of contact between of them.
The challenge that religious groups face in these times of pandemic can be formulated as follows: how to ensure community links so as not to “lose” the faithful and what are the technical solutions available to invent a form of co-presence that does not pass not by physical proximity?
These evangelical "technos"
This double question can be approached by the example of evangelism, this branch stemming from the Protestant reform, sometimes qualified as "Christianity of conversion". Evangelical pastors have recently found themselves in the media scene when they openly questioned the dangerousness of COVID-19 and the relevance of containment measures, mixing theological and political considerations,
as has well shown Professor André Gagné, of Concordia University .
Despite everything, this type of reaction represents only the foam of the evangelical nebula and leaves in the shade the strategies
deployed by the immense majority of local churches to maintain strong links within their assemblies,
in compliance with the provisions government. The observation of these strategies is all the more relevant
since the Evangelical Churches did not wait for the COVID-19 crisis to make their digital shift.
as has well shown Professor André Gagné, of Concordia University .
Despite everything, this type of reaction represents only the foam of the evangelical nebula and leaves in the shade the strategies
deployed by the immense majority of local churches to maintain strong links within their assemblies,
in compliance with the provisions government. The observation of these strategies is all the more relevant
since the Evangelical Churches did not wait for the COVID-19 crisis to make their digital shift.
The dissemination of cults online, the use of dedicated applications for smartphones, and the investment of social networks have been the daily life of many churches for several years, to the point that pastors are guided by the idea that their churches do not must be based more on the existence of the place of worship, but on that of a “tightly knit” community. The early use of the Internet by evangelicals is hardly surprising since, anxious to convert, they have been able to appropriate in recent history the various technical innovations:
be it radio or television with the emergence of the well-known figure of the "televangelist".
Presence, gym and fraternity
As in other secularized societies, evangelism knows a dynamism in Quebec which contrasts with the idea of a Christianity out of breath. In recent weeks, several churches have strengthened their presence on social networks, putting into practice three main principles:
First, the continued presence of the Church throughout the week. It is out of the question to be satisfied with spreading a worship service on Sunday morning and, thereafter, disappearing from the daily life of the faithful.
On the contrary, the Church frequently recalls its presence and all that it is capable of bringing to individuals, thus appearing as an essential point of reference. On the Church 21 Facebook page, activities are offered live at different times of the day throughout the week.
be it radio or television with the emergence of the well-known figure of the "televangelist".
Presence, gym and fraternity
As in other secularized societies, evangelism knows a dynamism in Quebec which contrasts with the idea of a Christianity out of breath. In recent weeks, several churches have strengthened their presence on social networks, putting into practice three main principles:
First, the continued presence of the Church throughout the week. It is out of the question to be satisfied with spreading a worship service on Sunday morning and, thereafter, disappearing from the daily life of the faithful.
On the contrary, the Church frequently recalls its presence and all that it is capable of bringing to individuals, thus appearing as an essential point of reference. On the Church 21 Facebook page, activities are offered live at different times of the day throughout the week.
Furthermore, the Church does not only offer religious content. The La Chapelle Church, for example, offers a tonic gym session to do at home. As the authors of the book The Evangelical Phenomenon explain , a Church presents itself as a "social environment"
within which the individual will find answers to his different needs, whether religious or not.
All of the non-religious activities offered are an opportunity for the faithful to maintain an intra-community sociability which has an impact
on the feeling of belonging to the Church, linked to the intensity of the relationships maintained with the other members.The third principle is the promotion of fraternity and human contact, even when gatherings are prohibited.
within which the individual will find answers to his different needs, whether religious or not.
All of the non-religious activities offered are an opportunity for the faithful to maintain an intra-community sociability which has an impact
on the feeling of belonging to the Church, linked to the intensity of the relationships maintained with the other members.The third principle is the promotion of fraternity and human contact, even when gatherings are prohibited.
The screenshots of the Facebook pages of the Frontierless Church and the Resurgent Church underline the place that physical contact occupies in many evangelical assemblies. If they are currently made impossible, they find another avenue in “connection” groups (Church without borders) or “Connect groups” (Resurgent Church), terms which bring us back to the fundamental problem of social ties.These three main principles are at the heart of the strategies deployed by certain Quebec Evangelical Churches to continue their activities.
This intense community life should not be seen as a temporary solution doomed to disappear. The unprecedented and radical experience imposed by the pandemic will no doubt have lasting impacts on the very definition of the religious community
and on the modes of articulation of the face and the virtual.
This intense community life should not be seen as a temporary solution doomed to disappear. The unprecedented and radical experience imposed by the pandemic will no doubt have lasting impacts on the very definition of the religious community
and on the modes of articulation of the face and the virtual.