(Neo)monastic Communities in the Digital Age: Between Tradition and Transformation

The digital modern age poses fundamental challenges for religious organizations: Digital technologies are not only drivers of efficiency and innovation, but also accelerate social change and the pace of life. The accompanying disruption of traditional institutions affects the exercise of religious rituals, practices and customs, which cannot simply be accelerated without jeopardizing their intrinsic value. At the same time, the trend towards individualization is prompting more people to choose from a variety of lifestyles and religious offerings.

Traditional forms of organization are increasingly reaching the limits of their control and are often no longer able to meet these diverse new needs. This area of tension is giving rise to new ascetic movements characterized by a conscious demarcation from digital technologies and an inclusive consideration of different lifestyles and religious beliefs. In this way, alternative forms of organization and community are developing to meet the demands of an increasingly individualized and accelerated world.

Our project focuses on the question of which new forms of organization are emerging and how these organizations navigate between withdrawal and social participation. From an organizational sociological perspective, our project examines in particular (neo)monastic communities, their community principles and internal negotiation processes, and how they are embedded in society. In this way, we describe organizational mechanisms of resistance, adaptation and resonance in the context of societal transformation in the digital modern age. We look at both formal structures – such as rules and regulations, community decision-making processes, the organization of prayer, work and life – and informal relationships of authority. Methodologically, we rely on a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative interviews, systematic online surveys and quantitative surveys.

By adopting an organizational sociological perspective on (neo)monastic organizations, this project contributes to the broader debate on social change in the field of digital religions.