Abstract

This issue is a companion piece to that on Islam and the media, which we published last year (WPCC Volume 3, Issue 2). That we should devote two issues to the subject of religion reflects the heightened salience of the topic even in secular societies such as Britain. Within the field of cultural studies it has been pointed out, until quite recently, scant attention was paid to the question of religion, attention being focused on issues such as race, class, gender and sexuality. However, that has changed and there is now an emerging literature on the relationship between the media and religion. Enquiries may relate to the use made of the media by various groups, or the converse, that is the restrictions groups may place on member’s use of the media; or to changes in religious practice due to developments in technology; or the spread of religious imagery across media forms (Stolow 2005, 122-124). It is hoped the articles here contribute to these debates. The range of issues covered is diverse: from Christian Evangelism at the BBC; to journalism and theology; to the changing interplay between religion, secularism and nationalism in modern Ireland; to popular religious film in Nigeria; and finally to the so-called ‘new’ religions in Japan.

How to Cite:

McNicholas, A., (2017) “Editorial”, Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture 4(1), 1-3. doi: https://doi.org/10.16997/wpcc.68