The Metaverse and Religion

The Metaverse and Religion considers the effects the metaverse might have on major religious traditions, assessing how it could threaten the functioning of conventional religions but also how it could strengthen religious commitments and offer another environment in which religions can grow and service their communities. The metaverse is connective, immersive, and tied to all aspects of human life. Theological issues such as understandings of God, transcendence, and divine presence are raised by this technological realm. So too are issues of religious practice, including religious authority, the building of religious communities, and the conduct of ritual practices. Trozzo reviews these concerns in relation to religious and scholarly theories, offering insights into both the challenges the metaverse poses for religions but also the possibilities it brings for those religious to re-articulate and enhance their core beliefs and practices. The book considers religion in a broad sense while also presenting specific examples and discussing how they are impacted by the metaverse. This is a timely resource for religious leaders, community organisers, students of theology, and those interested in exploring how their own relationship to religion interacts with developing technologies.