interdisciplinarity

RELIGION TO GO! 

RELIGION TO GO! originates from an interdisciplinary reflection of TeV and FBK ISR on the possible human impacts of creating virtual, 3D replicas of objects which hold religious beliefs. Fuelled by new smartphone-based 3D scanning tools created inside the REPLICATE EU project, religious communities are being offered the opportunity to display their spirituality in new digital ways. By bringing together anthropological and technical skill sets, that span two of FBK’s research centres, we are studying how religions and technology relate today. The RELIGION TO GO! team is actively engaging believers and religious leaders through fieldwork, collecting valuable data, experiences and reflections about fundamental questions like:

• Could virtualisation be used to convey religious beliefs from one generation to another, or from one faith to another?

• Could it be used to overcome geographical distances, forging digital bridges that span dispersed religious communities?

• Could it be employed to meet contemporary religious and spiritual needs, or to overcome a lack of a fixed place of worship for under-represented religions?

• Could the virtualisation of objects with a religious connotation one day become embedded in religious rituals and practices at large?