The Mobile Phone as a Participant in Religion

By Allwell Nwankwo

A preacher once described the mobile phone as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. While some people may dismiss the preacher for being rather dramatic, most people would admit that the mobile phone nowadays has a personality of its own. And it has become an inexorable part of everyday life, including religion.

Interestingly, Nigerians are among the most religious people on earth. A study indicates they are second only to Thais. So, religion is a very important institution and, most times, a critical identity marker in the country. At the same time, Nigeria’s media landscape is today dominated by the mobile phone. There are over 190 million mobile connections and there are about 140 million internet users, over 90% of whom access the internet through their mobile phones.

But how does the mobile phone participate in the religious activities of Nigerian Christians in an urban area such as Lagos, the country’s megalopolis? That is the broad question addressed by this article. In addition, the article addresses a few other questions: What role does the mobile phone play in contemporary religious experience? What types of religious content are consumed on the phone? What are people’s attitudes towards the use of mobile phones during worship? How is the mobile phone perceived as a tool for religious practice? The data on which the article was based were collected through an online survey and supplemented by the author’s own observation of religious practices.

The article touches on two salient strands (media and religion) that, with other elements, form the warp and woof of the society. Indeed, the relationship between the media (represented by the mobile phone) and religion goes back a long way. The media influence religion and religion influences the media. For instance, Nigeria’s first newspaper was founded by a religious organization in 1859. Today, religious bodies preside over huge media empires.

The findings of the study suggest that the mobile phone plays a critical role in two broad areas of religious experience: worship and everyday religious practices. About 88% of study participants go to church with their mobile phones. While there, they read the digital Bible or sing from the digital hymnal on the phone. The more adventurous ones make calls, send messages, and share content on social media during worship. But not everyone considers this acceptable. From the analysis of the research data, three groups of worshipers emerged based on their attitude toward the use of the mobile phone during worship. Critics believe the mobile phone should be switched off during worship as it is considered a distraction. Advocates, on the other hand, think the mobile phone should be welcome in church and used to reach out during worship. Finally, Dualists say it is neither here nor there: the mobile phone can either support or hinder worship, depending on the user and their usage.

That said, many use their mobile phone for everyday religious activities. Some of these include: sending messages to members, evangelism, researching religious concepts online, spreading prophecy, sending tweets, video broadcasts, payment of offerings through linked bank accounts, recording and sharing voice notes, coordinating church group activities, follow-up on the welfare of church members, sharing testimonies and inspirational materials, posting religious content on social media, sharing prayer points, and reminding members of prayer times, among others. At least 80% of study participants reported they had prayed for someone on the phone although only 60% believed a prayer made over the phone was as effective as one made in person. Ten percent believed the opposite.

Outside the worship environment, the mobile phone continues to serve as an always-available gadget for everyday life. And in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems safe to predict that the mobile phone and other digital technologies will be called upon to play an even more prominent role in religion and other spheres of life. While scholars may debate the viability of the theory of mediatization, the reality seems to suggest that many people now depend on media technologies to function effectively.

Article details:

Connectivity and communion: The mobile phone and the Christian religious experience in Nigeria
Allwell Okechukwu Nwankwo
First Published November 11, 2020 Research Article
DOI:10.1177/1461444820970180
New Media & Society