Culture, Media, ReligionA Dialectical Model of Religion and Media: A Three-Layered Psychotechnological Framework

Document Type : Original Article

Author
zahra sadat pour seyyed aghaei
Alzahra University
10.22047/hsd.2026.567085.1121
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study is to explain the dialectical relationship between religion and media and to propose a psychotechnological model, thereby bridging the gap arising from the opposition between macro-structural theories (such as mediatization) and micro-agential approaches (such as the Religious Social Shaping of Technology), as well as the neglect of the psychological level and concrete mechanisms of interaction.
Method: Employing a structured theoretical synthesis within an interpretive paradigm and utilizing critical thematic analysis, this article integrates four major theoretical currents.
Findings:The key finding is the development of a three-layered psychotechnological model, in which the psychological system (comprising cognitive, emotional, motivational, and identity dimensions) acts as an essential interpretive filter between structural media logic and religious agency. This dialectical interaction manifests through three concrete mechanisms: religious shaping at the design level, theologization at the content level, and ritual-identity redefinition at the practice level. Each mechanism is elaborated with examples from an Islamic context (such as Qur'anic applications, serial productions, and virtual rituals).
Conclusion: The proposed model not only fills the identified theoretical gap but also provides a context-sensitive, applicable, and interdisciplinary framework for future research. It offers specific methodological implications for mixed-methods, cross-cultural comparative, and design-based studies in the field of digital religion.
Keywords
Religion
media
religious agency
psychological mediation
dialectical model
digital religion
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Development of humanities
Volume 7, Issue 13 - Serial Number 13
Humanities
Volume 7, Spring and Summer 2026, No. 13
October 2026
Pages 119-136

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