Algorithms and Faith
The Meaning, Power, and Causality of Algorithms in Catholic Online Discourse
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3333433 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Radosław Sierocki (0000-0002-6301-4237, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 431 |
| Publication date | 2024-03-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel15040431 |
| OpenAlex | W4393335761 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 32 |
The purpose of this article is to present grassroots concepts and ideas about "the algorithm" in the religious context. The power and causality of algorithms are based on lines of computer code, making a society influenced by "black boxes" or "enigmatic technologies" (as they are incomprehensible to most people). On the other hand, the power of algorithms lies in the meanings that we attribute to them. The extent of the power, agency, and control that algorithms have over us depends on how much power, agency, and control we are willing to give to algorithms and artificial intelligence, which involves building the idea of their omnipotence. The key question is about the meanings and the ideas about algorithms that are circulating in society. This paper is focused on the analysis of "vernacular/folk" theories on algorithms, reconstructed based on posts made by the users of Polish Catholic forums. The qualitative analysis of online discourse makes it possible to point out several themes, i.e., according to the linguistic concept, "algorithm" is the source domain used in explanations of religious issues (God as the creator of the algorithm, the soul as the algorithm); algorithms and the effects of their work are combined with the individualization and personalization of religion; algorithms are perceived as ideological machines
Algorithm · Epistemology · Ideology · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Computer Science · Law · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Religious, Philosophical, and Educational Studies · Artificial Intelligence
Corpus Approaches to Critical Metaphor Analysis
How People Form Folk Theories of Social Media Feeds and What it Means for How We Study Self-Presentation
First I "like" it, then I hide it
The Black Box Society
Airoldi Massimo (2022) Machine Habitus
Algorithms (and the) everyday
The social power of algorithms
Algorithmic IF … THEN rules and the conditions and consequences of power
“Blessed by the algorithm”
Mediated Identity of Catholic Internet Forum Users in Poland
A.I. in Religion, A.I. for Religion, A.I. and Religion
Social Theory and Religion
Conceptual Integration and Formal Expression
Algorithmic culture
Folk theories of algorithms
Thinking critically about and researching algorithms
Beyond the Prison-House of Language
Algorithms as culture
What Should an Anthropology of Algorithms Do
Power after Hegemony
The Society of Algorithms
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |