{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,12]],"date-time":"2026-07-12T06:11:38Z","timestamp":1783836698266,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]],"date-time":"2025-01-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1738108800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["New Media &amp; Society"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>This article employs Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis (CTDA) to analyze the affective public surrounding the hashtag #christiantiktok. We find that \u201cChristian TikTok\u201d discursively negotiates the unpredictable visibility affordances of TikTok\u2019s algorithm by ascribing layers of spiritual significance to how the algorithm delivers content. Our research uncovered four key themes to this spiritualized conceptualization of algorithmically controlled visibility: (1) Algorithm as directed by the hand of God, (2) Context collapse as an evangelism opportunity, (3) Boosting visibility as a spiritual obligation, and (4) Invisibility as persecution. Following our analysis, we develop an understanding of the \u201cspiritual algorithmic imaginary,\u201d building on Bucher\u2019s concept of the \u201calgorithmic imaginary.\u201d Functioning as both a networked performance and an affective framework, the concept of the spiritual algorithmic imaginary theorizes how certain spiritual users sacralize their participation in and understanding of digital platforms.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/14614448251315128","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]],"date-time":"2025-01-29T14:05:42Z","timestamp":1738159542000},"page":"1811-1827","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["\u201cGOD IS MY SPONSORED AD!! MY ALGORITHM!\u201d: The spiritual algorithmic imaginary and Christian TikTok"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"28","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-9575-3213","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Reinis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4030-2153","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Corrina","family":"Laughlin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Loyola Marymount University, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10462937.2022.2044071"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0163443720919373"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_1","unstructured":"AOIR (2012) Ethical decision-making and internet research. 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