Introduction: Religious authority in minority constellations and digital media

Abstract

This introduction outlines the central questions and structure of the special issue and highlights key comparative insights from the collected studies. Against the backdrop of current changes in religious authority structures, the contributions of this special issue focus on the role of religious minority constellations as well as media change and digitalisation shaping the dynamics of religious authority. The research underpinning this volume is informed by a sociological and cultural-studies concept of authority that integrates theoretical questions with empirical perspectives. In addition to an outline of these conceptual considerations and a brief presentation of the individual contributions, this introduction offers some comparative considerations on intersecting conceptual themes and follow-up thoughts on religious authority.