The Transformation of Religious Values in The Era of Digital Technological Development: a Critical Review of Islamic Digital Spirituality
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the transformation of religious values in digital society, focusing on value reinterpretation, virtual religious practices, and the influence of social media on the young generation's spirituality. This literature review uses a qualitative approach, employing a literature review method, analyzing 15 reputable international journal articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science from 2021-2024, and 2 international reference books. Data analysis employs an Integrative Review approach, including problem identification, literature search, quality evaluation, thematic analysis, and narrative synthesis. Results show that digital technology has transformed the religious paradigm from traditional collective practices toward more individual and flexible spiritual experiences. Digitalization opens wide access to religious teachings but poses challenges to authenticity and the depth of religious understanding. The religious mediatization phenomenon presents symbolization of religious practices that tend to emphasize visual aspects rather than teaching substance. This transformation creates duality between easy access to religious information and risks of meaning deviation and excessive individualization in religion. This study contributes to understanding how digital media reshape religious identity among young generations and provides theoretical and practical implications for developing religious education models relevant to the contemporary digital context.
Downloads
References
Abdul Malik, K. A., & Ahmad, A. (2019). The Effect of Use of Social Media on Prosocial Behavior. Open Journal of Science and Technology, 2(1), 14–20. https://doi.org/10.31580/ojst.v2i1.909
Akhyar, M., Deliani, N., & Khadijah, K. (2025). The Importance of Religious Education in the Digital Era. International Journal of Islamic Educational Research, 2(1), 15–30.
Barzilai-Nahon, K., & Barzilai, G. (2005). Cultured technology: The internet and religious fundamentalism. In Information Society (Vol. 21, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.1080/01972240590895892
Blanchard, A., & Taddeo, M. (2023). The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence for Intelligence Analysis: a Review of the Key Challenges with Recommendations. Digital Society, 2(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44206-023-00036-4
Buaya, D. W., & Kolibu, D. R. (2024). The Integration of Technology in Family Christian Religious Education in the Digital Era. Endless: International Journal of Future Studies, 7(1), 90–103. https://doi.org/10.54783/endlessjournal.v7i1.248
Bunt, G. R. (2018). Hashtag Islam: How cyber-Islamic environments are transforming religious authority. UNC Press Books.
Caldwell, C. (2020). What we talk about, when we talk about story. ACM SIGGRAPH 2020 Courses, SIGGRAPH 2020, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1145/3388769.3407548
Campbell, H. (2013). Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds. Routledge. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=ox4q7T59KikC
Campbell, H. A. (2012). Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds. Taylor & Francis. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=KtEXQLTF2iYC
Cheong, P. H. (2012). Digital religion, social media and culture: perspectives, practices, and futures. In P. H. Cheong, P. Fischer-Nielsen, S. Gelfgren, & C. Ess (Eds.), Digital formations: Vol. Vol. 78. Peter Lang. http://deposit.dnb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?id=3990125&prov=M&dok_var=1&dok_ext=htm
Couldry, N., & Hepp, A. (2018). The Mediated Construction of Reality. Polity Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=yJ9RDwAAQBAJ
De Carlo, A., Dal Corso, L., Carluccio, F., Colledani, D., & Falco, A. (2020). Positive Supervisor Behaviors and Employee Performance: The Serial Mediation of Workplace Spirituality and Work Engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(July). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01834
Einstein, M., & Wagner, R. (2022). Digital Creatives and the Rethinking of Religious Authority Marketing Religion in a Commercial Age.
Firnando, H. G. (2023). Spiritualitas di Era Digital: Pengaruh Teknologi terhadap Pengalaman Keagamaan Masyarakat Perspektif Filsafat. NAHNU: Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama and Contemporary Islamic Studies, 1(2), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.63875/nahnu.v1i2.27
Guessoum, N. (2010). Science, religion, and the quest for knowledge and truth: An Islamic perspective. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 5(1), 55–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-009-9208-3
Hayati, Nur Rohmah. Aprida, Siti Nurul. Sartika, Diana. Jaswan, Nisa’, Rofiatun. Hidayatullah, Rully. Zilfa, Rohil. Pohan, Rahmadanni. Ristianah, Niken. (2024). Pendidikan Masa Kini. CV Afasa Pustaka
Helbing, D. (2018). Towards digital enlightenment: Essays on the dark and light sides of the digital revolution. Towards Digital Enlightenment: Essays on the Dark and Light Sides of the Digital Revolution, 1–222. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90869-4
Helland, C. (2020). Digital Religion. In Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31395-5_10
Hepp, A. (2019). Deep Mediatization: Key Ideas in Media & Cultural Studies. Deep Mediatization: Key Ideas in Media & Cultural Studies, January, 1–248. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351064903
Hjarvard, S. (2008). The mediatization of religion: A theory of the media as agents of religious change. Northern Lights: Film & Media Studies Yearbook, 6(1), 9–26. https://doi.org/10.1386/nl.6.1.9_1
Imas Komala, Khairiyah, A., Tulak, J. T. L., & Azainil. (2024). The Transformation Of Religious Values In The Digital Life Of Adolescents. 2(1), 2216–2232.
Jafari, A. (2022). The role of institutions in non-Western contexts in reinforcing West-centric knowledge hierarchies: Towards more self-reflexivity in marketing and consumer research. Marketing Theory, 22(2), 211–227. https://doi.org/10.1177/14705931221075371
Kotowski, A. (2023). The Impact of Online Media on Legal Discourse. Studia Iuridica Lublinensia, 32(5), 249–264. https://doi.org/10.17951/sil.2023.32.5.249-264
Lövheim, M., & Lied, L. I. (2018). Chapter 4 Approaching Contested Religion. June 2017.
Martínez-Bravo, M. C., Chalezquer, C. S., & Serrano-Puche, J. (2022). Dimensions of Digital Literacy in the 21st Century Competency Frameworks. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031867
Nikou, S., & Aavakare, M. (2021). An assessment of the interplay between literacy and digital Technology in Higher Education Content courtesy of Springer Nature , terms of use apply . Rights reserved . Content courtesy of Springer Nature , terms of use apply . Rights reserved . Education and Information Technologies, 26, 3893–3915.
Nisa, R., Hadi, S., & Pristiani, R. (2025). Global Learning Transformation in Primary Education: A Systematic Review of Digital Policy and Access Enhancement. At-Thullab : Jurnal Pendidikan Guru Madrasah Ibtidaiyah, 8(2), 194–216. https://doi.org/10.30736/atl.v8i2.2280
Nisa, R. (2024). Islamic Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions on Digital Technology-Based Learning. Jurnal Cendekia Media Komunikasi Penelitian Dan Pengembangan Pendidikan Islam, 16(01), 162-171. https://doi.org/10.37850/cendekia.v16i01.654
Nuriana, Z. I., & Salwa, N. (2024). Digital Da’wah in the Age of Algorithm: A Narrative Review of Communication, Moderation, and Inclusion. 4, 242–256.
Nuryanto, U. W., Basrowi, Quraysin, I., & Pratiwi, I. (2024). Magnitude of digital adaptability role: Stakeholder engagement and costless signaling in enhancing sustainable MSME performance. Heliyon, 10(13), e33484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33484
Otufowora, B. (2025). Framing and Controlling Islam: The Interplay of Knowledge Production and Governmental Regulation in C.H. Becker’s Scholarship. Religions, 16(2), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020203
Pujianto, W. E., Yulianto, M. R., & Hidayatulloh, H. (2024). Commodification of Religion: Between Religion and Manipulation (a Literature Review). Journal of Economic and Economic Policy, 1(4), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.61796/ijecep.v1i4.38
Rachmadhani, A. (2021). Otoritas Keagamaan di Era Media Baru. Panangkaran: Jurnal Penelitian Agama Dan Masyarakat, 5(2), 150–169. https://doi.org/10.14421/panangkaran.v5i2.2636
Rachman, A., Saumantri, T., & Hidayatulloh, T. (2025). Transformation of religious authority in the digital era: A post-normal times analysis by Ziauddin Sardar on the phenomenon of social media da’wah. Jurnal Ilmu Dakwah, 45(1), 107–122. https://doi.org/10.21580/jid.v45.1.25644
Radde-Antweiler, K. (2008). “Virtual Religion” an Approach To a Religious and Ritual Topography of Second Life. 1. Online-Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.11588/rel.2008.1.393
Rafiki, A., Hidayat, S. E., & Nasution, M. D. T. P. (2024). An extensive effect of religiosity on the purchasing decisions of halal products. PSU Research Review, 8(3), 898–919. https://doi.org/10.1108/PRR-07-2022-0093
Ramdani, I. (2023). FROM RITUAL TO REALITY: The Application of Religious Values and Da’wah in Tahlilan in the Nahdliyin Community. Jurnal Dakwah: Media Komunikasi Dan Dakwah –, 24(2), 133–159.
Ratu Syifa Alrissa, Winoto, Y., & Khadijah, U. L. S. (2025). Digital Religion and Virtual Communities: a Bibliometric Review of Online Religious Practices. Al-Balagh : Jurnal Dakwah Dan Komunikasi, 10(1), 119–148. https://doi.org/10.22515/albalagh.v10i1.10436
Rifky, S., Putra, J. M., Ahmad, A. T., Widayanthi, D. G. C., Abdullah, G., Sunardi, S., & Syathroh, I. L. (2024). Pendidikan yang Menginspirasi: Mengasah Potensi Individu. Yayasan Literasi Sains Indonesia
Saura, J. R., Palacios-Marqués, D., & Ribeiro-Soriano, D. (2023). Digital marketing in SMEs via data-driven strategies: Reviewing the current state of research. Journal of Small Business Management, 61(3), 1278–1313. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2021.1955127
Siuda, P. (2021). Mapping digital religion: Exploring the need for new typologies. Religions, 12(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12060373
Suud Sarim Karimullah. (2023). the Role of Mosques As Centers for Education and Social Engagement in Islamic Communities. Jurnal Bina Ummat: Membina Dan Membentengi Ummat, 6(2), 151–166. https://doi.org/10.38214/jurnalbinaummatstidnatsir.v6i2.184
Tari, E., & Revilla, A. E. S. (2025). Digital Culture and Its Impact on New Testament Interpretations and Religious Practices. Evangelikal: Jurnal Teologi Injili Dan Pembinaan Warga Jemaat, 9(1), 82–98. https://doi.org/10.46445/ejti.v9i1.854
Trianita, A., Silma, A. P., Ridwan, A., & Mulyawan, F. (2024). Curriculum Development of Islamic Religious Education in the Digital Era Transformation. Journal of Islamic Education and Ethics, 3(1), 17–28. https://doi.org/10.18196/jiee.v3i1.59
Woodhead, L. (2002). Religions in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformations. Routledge. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=8NiOwDdxwZkC
Wu, Y., & Mustafa, H. (2023). Exploring the impact of social media exposure patterns on people’s belief in fake news during COVID-19: A cross-gender study. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/13117
Zhang, L. (2025). The Digital Age of Religious Communication: The Shaping and Challenges of Religious Beliefs through Social Media. Studies on Religion and Philosophy, 1(1), 25–41. https://doi.org/10.71204/de63mn10
.png){kind=logo}
