Frances Forde Plude

Religion and Communication in Asia: Towards a Research Agenda

By Franz-Josef Eilers, SVD

[Father Eilers, in Asia, taught many hundreds of students (both at the university and seminary level of study), in the total infusion of social communication into theology, while writing many of the texts used in this area.]

Religion and communication have been the objects of study and research in the Western world for some time, especially in their relation to Christianity. In the oldest German-speaking book on journalism (“Zeitungs Lust und Nutz”) published in 1697, Kaspar von Stieler has already written about God as the first newscaster:

The all-highest God is the first newscaster and followed by His messengers like the prophets in the Old Testament. The apostles in the New Testament are showing that He loved messages and wanted them to be spread through the whole world.” (Eilers, 2009, 50)

Developments in the U.S. and Europe 

With the invention of new technical means of communication beyond the press at the end of the 19th century, studies on the relation between these means and Religion/Church were published; the case of film began 1895. In fact, the initiators of film, the Lumiere brothers themselves, even tried making a film on the Passion of Christ. Soon studies on the ‘use’ of film for faith, on the impact and consequences of the new means for Christianity were done and published (Lindvall 2007, Jonston/Barsotti 2004, May-Bird 1982, Skinner 1993, Walsh 1993, Malone 2006, 2007, 2008). Many of them are mostly descriptive, though some are also critical and of a serious academic nature (Silk 1995, Mitchell 207, Rolfes 2007). This trend of media critique continued with radio and television including studies on presentation methods and possibilities. 

Paul Soukup developed an overview for the literature on Communication and Christianity (1982, 1989). His 1989 presentation is organized into sections on: Issues and Approaches; Resources; Communication Theory including Theology, Church Documents and Ethics; Media Education; History; Rhetoric, including Proclamation and Homiletics, Orality and Writing; Interpersonal Communication, including Group and Organizational Communication; Liturgy; Mass Communication; Intercultural Communication; and “Other Media” which includes computers and New Media. The Advisory Editor of this volume, G.E. Gorman, rightly asserts in a Foreword, that “in its comprehensiveness, depth and detail this analysis of literature on Christian Communication far exceeds anything attempted to date by any organization or scholar.” 

Some studies present individual communication personalities, including autobiographies like Bishop Fulton Sheen (1980) or the communication dimensions of their lives such as the case of Pope John Paul II (Melady 1999, Blanery 2009). Official documents of the church on issues of communication comprise another field which also triggered critical reflection and study. (Eilers, 1997/2002) 

Some Church communicators published their own experiences, ideas, and reflections in their field like William Fore on Christian Television (197,1990). There is, in addition, a whole list of “How to do it” books for different (Mass) Media programming, as well as Public Relations and communication handbooks for Christian communicators and organizations like parishes and religious communities (Aycock, Stuart 2010, Vasallo 1998). Some studies discuss the growing role of religion in cyberspace (Dawson/Cowan 2004, Babin/Zukowski 2002, Campbell 2010). The relation between Religion/Faith and Communication (Media) in general is approached in several studies as a developing field (Buddenbaum/Mitchell 1998, Mitchell/Marriaage 2003, Badaracco 2005, Hoover 2006, Geybels 2007). Robert Fortner developed “A Christian Theory of Communication” in a thorough study placing Christian theology into the overall developments of Communication Studies (2007). Most of the books and studies in the field originate from the United States and refer to Christianity, but there are also some studies for Jewish traditions (Cohen 2006) and Islam (Mowlana 2003).

The “Encyclopedia of Religion, Communication and Media”, edited by Daniel A. Stout in 2006 and re-published as a paperback re-print in 2010, gives 124 entries from some 100 different authors – an overview of the field which is far from complete. The volume includes articles on the main religions originating from Asia and (partly) their relation to communication (Stout 2010). Religion and communication, however, do not appear. An article about “Religious Marketplace” refers only to the sociology of religion and “what people do to make their own religious and spiritual meanings” (Stout 2006/2010, 378); this does not, in any way, relate to a deeper theological understanding or other related fields like philosophy, anthropology or the science of religion.

Professional Organizations and Study Centers 

There are at least two professional organizations for communication with special sections on Communication and Religion. They are the “International Association for Media and Communication Research” (IAMCR), and the American “Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication” (AEJMC). While IAMCR has two religion-related “work groups,” one on Islam and Media, and another on Media, Religion and Culture, the AEJMC has a Religion and Media Interest Group with more than 200 members. The Islam and Media work group of IAMCR describes their concerns in the following words:

The Islam and Media work group looks at the communication phenomenon such as human interaction with a view toward contributing toward mutual understanding and peace with justice. It seeks to engage in research and organizational development efforts geared towards strengthening the global societal structures based on personal responsibility and mutual cooperation in social, political and economic relations. The goal of this working group is to contribute to the advancement of research and evaluation in the media- and communication-related fields from an Islamic point of view (the TAWHIDI perspective).

Among the topics addressed are the Universal Principles of Communication in Islam and the West, Islam Communication and Sustained Development, Coverage of the American War against Iraq, Islam Communication in Moslem Countries, and Islam Communication and the Spread of Terrorism. 

The Media, Religion and Culture Group, meanwhile, does not relate to any special religion and describes their concerns in the following way: 

This working group has a special interest in religious aspects of communication. It tries to foster international cooperation in the field, discussion and exchange of ideas, and common research projects … This work group considers important topics around the interaction between religion and the media including the way religious groups are brought into political alliances, special groups and their uses of the media, the complexities of religious agencies, with regard to public opinion and in community building, to proclamation and the expression of faith, apologetic and propagandistic media use at reception.” (IAMCR website)

Analyzing these two descriptions, one realizes that both groups seem to be mainly American- and partly European-oriented. They also seem to be concerned mainly about media but not the broader field of social communication which goes far beyond technology. A deeper understanding of social communication considers, in addition, traditional and interpersonal communications as well as group processes in religions. 

The AEJMC Religion and Media Interest Group describes their activities in the following words:

We encourage the analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, of the interaction in three areas – (1) religion portrayed in secular media, (2) the manner in which religious institutions and organizations use the media to propagate their message, and (3) the impact of religion and/or religiosity of media consumers and its impact on their media use.” (AEJMC website)

Since 2006, there exists, at the University of Colorado, a Center for Media, Religion and Culture. This center is related to international conferences in Media, Religion and Culture which started 1994 in Uppsala, Sweden and were supported by a European funding agency. The center describes itself as an inter-disciplinary research team and acts mainly through:

• Public conferences on media, religion, and culture

• Fellowships for doctoral students

• The International Study Commission on Media, Religion, and Culture

The website of the Center features a list of publications originating from this initiative. There are also links to websites and people in the field. www.colorado.edu/journalism/mcm/mrc. Directed by Stewart M. Hoover (1988, 1990, 2006) the Center is part of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the university. One conference, for example, was held in Toronto on August 9-13, 2010, where it proposed to create a new and independent “International Association for Media, Religion, and Culture”.

In 1977, the Jesuits established, in London, a “Centre for the Study of Communication and Culture”. This Jesuit center was moved, in 1993, to Saint Louis University in the United States. After St. Louis University decided to end its relationship with the Centre in 2000, it was transformed somehow into a ‘virtual’ institution but still keeps their Publication Communication Research Trends as a “Quarterly Review of Communication Research” under the auspices of the California Province of the Jesuits. It is jointly edited by Emile McAnany and Paul A. Soukup, SJ. (http:/cscc.scu.edu/CSC). This journal publishes abstracts of contemporary studies mainly done in the Americas and Europe and attempts to consolidate research outputs under certain themes which can be used as resource material for further studies and even practical purposes. A wealth of book notes gives a good opportunity to keep abreast with respective publications in the field.

Asia 

Against such a wealth and variety of studies and publications on Religion and Social Communication in the West – and this presentation is only a small part of the whole picture – the situation in Asia is quite different. There seem to be few specialized studies on Christian Communication or on other Asian Religions.

A conference on “Religious Change and the Media”, held in 1989 in Monterey, California, is the basis for a book on “Media and the Transformation of Religion in South Asia” (Babb). It was published by the University of Pennsylvania Press in 1995. Two years later an Indian reprint followed. One book was an offspring of a “Joint Committee on South Asia of the Social Science Research Council” in the US. The book presents 10 articles and studies on South Asia which are organized under the headings of: Printed Images, Audio Recordings and Visual Media. Pradip Ninan Thomas published a study on the role of Christian Fundamentalism in India under the title “Strong Religion, Zealous Media: Christian Fundamentalism, and Communication in India”. Thomas (2008, 58)) sees mainly “Health and Wealth Gospel” linked with movements where “Religion appears as a source of images, concepts, traditions, and practices that can allow individuals and communities to deal with a world that is changing around them”. The study is an exploration of new Christianity in Chennai, India, especially the communication strategies adopted by Christian fundamentalist groups” (p. xi).

Some Buddhist and Confucian concepts have been occasionally related to Asian studies on communication theory (Dissanayake 1988, Wang 1985, 2011). The relation between Religion and Communication, however, never became a major part of individual studies. In fact, the “Asian Media Information and Communication Centre” (AMIC), a professional organization in Singapore since 1970, never touched religion in any of their conferences. In 2010, for the first time, a panel was offered on “Religious Broadcasting Bombardment 24/7: Search for an Analytical Paradigm.” The presentations of this panel were to be published in “Religion and Social Communication” the “Journal of the Asian Research Center for Religion and Social Communication” at St. John’s University, Bangkok.

Beside these few academic studies on Religion and Social Communication in Asia, there are a growing number of publications for Church practice, training, and formation. These are more in the format of textbooks based on general Social Communication theory and practice. They are less concerned about research and, only partially refer to specific Asian needs and conditions (Eilers 1992, 2008, 2009a. 2009b, Kumpiluvelil 2010, Pen 2010, Plathottam 2010, Daniels 1984). Some documents of the Asian Church on communication, together with some analyses and experiences are collected and presented in a publication of the “Office of Social Communication” (OSC) of the “Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences “(FABC) (Eilers 2008). They could be a basis for further studies and professional developments.

Communication in Ministry and Mission as well as Planning (Sunderaj 1998) for Social Communication in Church perspective and for Asian conditions are more recently developed with a special program of Studies (Eilers 2008, 2009a, 2009b) at the Pontifical University Santo Tomas in Manila, the oldest University in Asia (1611). Since 2001 a special MA Theology Program on Social/Pastoral Communication is offered in their Graduate School; this is also linked with the Theological Faculty of the same University (UST 2010) for a Pontifical licentiate degree. These programs comprise general studies in Religion/Theology and Communication in view of Asian Church realities. With many students coming from different Asian countries, the program is, in a special way, based on, and related to, Asian cultures and realities.

It seems that, until now, Religion and Social Communication is not a major concern of Communication studies in the region. Modern developments - not only of technologies but also the phenomenon of globalization, in general - require a strong and serious attempt in this direction. The research results in American or European studies could indicate a direction In addition, the special conditions, needs, and possibilities, for Asia and individual Asian Cultures, with their needs and experiences, must be considered. Therefore, a more elaborate agenda is needed involving, not just technology and modern media, but also considering cultural realities, as well as the different histories which have formed the life of the people of Asia. Asian cultures have strong communicative structures and dimensions in their profound use of symbols, in their ritual celebrations, community structures, and values and in many ways of non-verbal communication. James Carey’s studies on communication and culture have special value here. Many anthropological studies and ethnographic contributions say something about the communication of peoples in their societies.

Asian Research for Religion and Social Communication (ARC) 

Asia is the cradle of all world religions. In all Asian cultures, religion plays an important role. How is this expressed and communicated in word and deed, in rituals, and in the daily life of people and their celebrations? Religious beliefs and practices dictate, in many ways, behavior and customs. This has been the case over hundreds of years and is still alive in many ways today. Do modern ways and means of communication change, endanger, or promote, such practices today and, if so, how? It will be important to see the communication dimensions of religion in general but especially in the religious books like the Bible, the Koran, the Uppanishads, etc. which are in themselves already communication instruments for proclamation as well as religious practices. What does all this mean to people of today in communication terms? Can religious beliefs and practices also be transmitted, shared, and obligations fulfilled, for example, through the Internet? How do Western television programs portray, sustain, or threaten, the different religions in Asia? What does it mean when, in India, from 500 TV channels, 20 are run by religious organizations, mainly coming from the West and often from fundamentalist groups? What is the impact and experience of several Buddhist channels in Thailand on people and their lives? Does change, strengthen, or question religious practice? What could or should be the role of Communication in different forms, and the needs of Inter-religious Dialogue in a country like Indonesia with the largest Moslem population of a single country in the world? And there are many more points to be raised. All this should be part of a proper research program. 

The Asian Research Center for Religion and Social Communication (ARC) at St. John’s University in Bangkok represents such a concern. The Center dates to a proposal by a group of scholars in 1999 at a Roundtable organized by the FABC-Office of Social Communication. It started a website which later was in the process of re-construction. In 2004 it began publishing a bi-annual Journal called Religion and Social Communication. The institution also organized two follow-up Roundtables on Religion and Social Communication (2005, 2010). The outcome of one of these Roundtables is a publication with the main contributions under the title Social Communication in Religious Traditions of Asia (Eilers 2006). Related to this publication is also “Interreligious Dialogue as Communication” (Eilers 2005). It became the concern of the ARC to develop, in a more systematic way, a comprehensive Research Program and hopefully also to develop a team of concerned scholars and institutions seeing the importance of this field which, in a growing way, also touches the public and political life of Asian countries.  

What does it mean for religion, religious teachings, and practices when, for example, in India, suddenly 500 television channels are available and include 20 or more channels promoting or related to Religion? How does the use of cell phones change the communication patterns and mentality of people, especially those in the rural areas, who have been somehow isolated for a long period of time (Roman, 2005)? How do modern means of communication influence and probably change the lifestyle, values, and worldview of young people in rural areas or those migrating to large cities for economic reasons? How does traditional religion express itself in worship and life-forming attitudes and how are they changed through new ways of communicating? How do different religions adjust to modern communication patterns?

Religion, the relation to a higher Being and a respective worldview, is an essential part of human life and society. What are the communicative dimensions of this reality in Asian countries and cultures? How should they be seen and studied under a social communication perspective? All this is not only a matter of behavior as studied by sociologists or available technology; it is a question of inner disposition of peoples and societies which are expressed, reflected, and inspired by cultural and communicative actions of religion in the life and practices of communities. Any research on Communication and Religion in Asia will be, one way or another, inter-disciplinary. Studies in Ethnology, Anthropology, Sociology, Theology, and Religion will contribute as well as special communication fields within Communication like Intercultural Communication.

Research Agenda 

As part of an Agenda for Religion and Communication Studies in Asia one might consider the following fields:

1. The study of Inter-Relations between Religion and Communication of different academic fields within Asian contexts

Since all studies on religion and social communication need in some manner an inter-disciplinary approach, one probably should start with the inter-relation between these different disciplines in Asian realities. This could refer to some of the following fields:

- Communication and Religion in Asian Cultures: Relations, Role and Functions

- Religious practices and the role of Communication in the process 

- Ways, means, results, and effects of communicative practices in religious teaching and life: group communication, mass media, ‘New Media’ (Internet and Cyberspace) 

- Local Theologies (Philosophies) and Communication

- Culture and Communication (Carey) in religious realities of Asia

- Intercultural Communication and Religion

- Inter-Religious Dialogue in Asia as Communication: experiences, possibilities, needs 

2. Study of the use of means of communication, traditional and modern, by religious groups in Asia: 

- Content of programs

- Presentation and design

- Style

- Frequency

- Impact

3. Study of the Recipients/Audience of religious Communication in Asia:

- Composition and Style

- Age

- Expectations

- Interactivity

- Priorities in use; forming habits

- Effects

- Ethics and human dignity

4. Academic programs for universities and Centers of Studies in the field of Religion and Communication: 

- Research needs and methods

- Teaching programs

- Interdisciplinary cooperation

These are only some examples and directions which should be considered according to needs and possibilities as well as the availability of respective researchers.

Who Are the Ones to Take Up These Special Concerns and Studies in Asia?

One would first think of institutions, like universities, but also of specialized Schools of Theology or also Communication Centers with research concerns, like the Asian Research Center (ARC) in Bangkok which seems to have a special place in these concerns. Christian Church documents like the Pastoral Instruction “Communio et Progressio”, which demanded in 1971 by the Second Vatican Council a “rigorous program of scientific research” (No.184) which seems to have never been developed. There are multiple Christian, Moslem, and Buddhist universities in Asia which could take up this concern and they could even cooperate in respective studies for the good of people and communities.

In addition to institutions, one might also think of individual researchers who want to specialize in this field. With them there could slowly be one or more Research Groups developed either on a national or Asian level or within a specialized field. Regular scientific conferences, colloquia or symposia would also contribute as has been shown already in a small way by a “Roundtable” of interested scholars at Assumption University in Bangkok on “Social Communication in Religious Traditions of Asia” (Eilers 2006), whose presentations were published as a book.

Another platform for research and study should be the Journal “Religion and Social Communication” of the Asian Research Center for Religion and Social Communication (ARC) at St. John’s University in Bangkok. It is published twice a year and the journal is always looking for good academic contributions. It should become a special place to share any study, discussion, and reflection on Social Communication and Religion in Asia. It could become a permanent link and ‘home’ to all those concerned and interested in this field of study. 

Literature

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Asia Emphasis

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