{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,1]],"date-time":"2026-11-01T06:52:31Z","timestamp":1793515951094,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787097600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Sociol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>The rapid expansion of digital communication technologies has transformed the ways religious authority, participation, and legitimacy are produced, circulated, and negotiated within contemporary societies. It aims to develop the concept of constrained pluralization as a context-sensitive theoretical model for understanding digital religion within post-Soviet and regulated sociopolitical environments. The study argues that digitally mediated religiosity develops through the interaction of four interconnected mechanisms: platform affordances, algorithmic visibility, institutional legitimacy, and governance structures. The conceptual analysis suggests that digital platforms expand access to religious discourse and diversify communicative participation while the boundaries of legitimate religious authority remain shaped by institutional recognition and regulatory oversight. It argues that digital religion should not be interpreted through binary oppositions between institutional hierarchy and unrestricted digital pluralism. The article contributes to a more globally sensitive and theoretically differentiated understanding of how digital technologies reorganize religious authority, participation, and legitimacy across varying sociopolitical contexts.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fsoc.2026.1892383","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T05:47:55Z","timestamp":1787118475000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Digital religion and hybrid religious authority in algorithmically mediated environments"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Aruzhan","family":"Akhmetova","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Egyptian University of Islamic Culture Nur-Mubarak","place":["Almaty, Kazakhstan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gulnara","family":"Rakhimova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University","place":["Almaty, Kazakhstan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yershat","family":"Onngar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Egyptian University of Islamic Culture Nur-Mubarak","place":["Almaty, Kazakhstan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mukhan","family":"Issakhan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Egyptian University of Islamic Culture Nur-Mubarak","place":["Almaty, Kazakhstan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nagima","family":"Baitenova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University","place":["Almaty, Kazakhstan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1103","DOI":"10.3390\/rel15091103","article-title":"The impact of online media on religious authority","volume":"15","author":"Andok","year":"2024","journal-title":"Religion"},{"key":"ref2","volume-title":"Islamic Religious Education in the Current Discourse","author":"Aslan","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-658-45662-7","volume-title":"Muslim Religiosity in the Digital Transformation: How Young People Deal with Images of Islam in the Media","author":"Aslan","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1507","DOI":"10.3390\/rel15121507","article-title":"Anonymity and digital Islamic authority","volume":"15","author":"Astor","year":"2024","journal-title":"Religion"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"350","DOI":"10.3390\/rel17030350","article-title":"Digital mediation and fatwa authority in contemporary Islam","volume":"17","author":"Atallah","year":"2026","journal-title":"Religion"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"274","DOI":"10.1080\/17439884.2023.2169833","article-title":"Online religious learning: digital epistemic authority and self-socialization in religious communities","volume":"49","author":"Berger","year":"2024","journal-title":"Learn. Media Technol."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"241","DOI":"10.3390\/rel15020241","article-title":"Hybrid social spaces and the individualisation of religious experience in the global north: spatial aspects of religiosity in postmodern society","volume":"15","author":"Bogn\u00e1r","year":"2024","journal-title":"Religion"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.5149\/northcarolina\/9781469643168.001.0001","volume-title":"Hashtag Islam: How Cyber-Islamic Environments Are Transforming Religious Authority","author":"Bunt","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.1093\/jaarel\/lfr074","article-title":"Understanding the relationship between religion online and offline in a networked society","volume":"80","author":"Campbell","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Am. Acad. Relig."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4324\/9780203084861","volume-title":"Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds","author":"Campbell","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4324\/9781003045625","volume-title":"Digital Creatives and the Rethinking of Religious Authority","author":"Campbell","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4324\/9780429295683","volume-title":"Digital Religion","author":"Campbell","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1080\/09637494.2026.2617526","article-title":"Embodied religion in the post-pandemic digital age","volume":"54","author":"\u010crni\u010d","year":"2026","journal-title":"Relig. State Soc."},{"key":"ref9001","article-title":"Areas of activity. Committee for Religious Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan","year":""},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1007\/s41682-021-00087-9","article-title":"Religion and the internet: digital religion, (hyper)mediated spaces, and materiality","volume":"6","author":"Evolvi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Z. Religion, Ges. Polit."},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1163\/21659214-bja10125","article-title":"Socially distanced, digitally engaged","volume":"14","author":"Fakhruroji","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Relig. Media Digit. Cult."},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1080\/14649365.2022.2121979","article-title":"Lived religion in a digital age: technology, affect and the pervasive space-times of \u2018new\u2019 religious praxis","volume":"25","author":"Gao","year":"2024","journal-title":"Soc. Cult. Geogr."},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"302","DOI":"10.18662\/rrem\/17.2\/984","article-title":"The impact of digitalization on religious practices and community dynamics following the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review","volume":"17","author":"Grigore","year":"2025","journal-title":"Rev. Rom. Pentru Educ. Multidimens."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1080\/14755610.2011.579719","article-title":"The mediatization of religion: theorising religion, media and social change","volume":"12","author":"Hjarvard","year":"2011","journal-title":"Cult. Relig."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1177\/0163443715615412","article-title":"Mediatization and the changing authority of religion","volume":"38","author":"Hjarvard","year":"2016","journal-title":"Media Cult. Soc."},{"key":"ref20","volume-title":"The Third Spaces of Digital Religion","author":"Hoover","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.56286\/ntujahs.v2i2.237","article-title":"The role of Islamic faith in the face of social and media globalization in light of digital transformation","volume":"2","author":"Ibrahim","year":"2022","journal-title":"NTU J. Adm. Hum. Sci."},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"Article 4","DOI":"10.55221\/2693-2229.2676","article-title":"Role and evolution of Islamic education in Kazakhstan","volume":"45","author":"Kaliyeva","year":"2025","journal-title":"Occas. Pap. Relig. East. Eur."},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1786903","DOI":"10.3389\/fsoc.2026.1786903","article-title":"Traditional Islam in Kazakhstan: historical formation, state discourse, and contemporary challenges","volume":"11","author":"Kerim","year":"2026","journal-title":"Front. Sociol."},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"611","DOI":"10.20885\/millah.vol24.iss2.art2","article-title":"Digital transformation of Islamic preaching in Kazakhstan: identifying famous online preachers and their influence","volume":"24","author":"Kerim","year":"2025","journal-title":"Millah J. Relig. Stud."},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.71465\/ibtc134","article-title":"Cyber theology: navigating faith in the virtual age","volume":"7","author":"Khattak","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int. Bull. Theol. Civiliz."},{"key":"ref26","first-page":"98","article-title":"The constitutional-legal status of the spiritual Association of Muslims of Kazakhstan","volume-title":"J. Actual Probl. Jurisprud.","author":"Kozhambekov","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1080\/14755610.2011.579715","article-title":"The mediatisation of religion debate: an introduction","volume":"12","author":"L\u00f6vheim","year":"2011","journal-title":"Cult. Relig."},{"key":"ref28","first-page":"227","volume-title":"Youth, Faith, and Artificial Intelligence","author":"Ma\u2019rof","year":"2026"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"36","DOI":"10.32678\/dmr.v1i1.5","article-title":"Hybridisation of Muslim millennials\u2019 religious identity in the digital era","volume":"1","author":"Nurfitria","year":"2023","journal-title":"Digit. Muslim Rev."},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.1007\/s10746-016-9394-4","article-title":"In-between spaces: pluralism and hybridity as elements of a new paradigm for religion in the modern age","volume":"39","author":"Pfadenhauer","year":"2016","journal-title":"Hum. Stud."},{"key":"ref31","volume-title":"Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 483-IV \u201cOn Religious Activity and Religious Associations\u201d","year":"2011"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.5040\/9781350233737","volume-title":"Cyber Muslims: Mapping Islamic Digital Media in the Internet","author":"Rozehnal","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"467","DOI":"10.1007\/s11562-023-00536-7","article-title":"Religious authorities in the digital age","volume":"17","author":"Selby","year":"2023","journal-title":"Contemp. Islam."},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"170","DOI":"10.3390\/rel17020170","article-title":"Mediatization of Indonesian Islam","volume":"17","author":"Setianto","year":"2026","journal-title":"Religion"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1609030","DOI":"10.3389\/fsoc.2025.1609030","article-title":"Sociological study of religiosity in post-atheist Kazakhstan","volume":"10","author":"Zabirova","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Sociol."},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"285","DOI":"10.1177\/02653788231223929","article-title":"Digital religion, modern society and the construction of digital theology","volume":"41","author":"Zaluchu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Transformation"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"Article 12","DOI":"10.55221\/2693-2229.2713","article-title":"Comparative analysis of youth religiosity in Kazakhstan and Poland: navigating faith in modern societies","volume":"46","author":"Zhanabayeva","year":"2026","journal-title":"Occas. Pap. Relig. East. Eur."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Sociology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fsoc.2026.1892383\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T05:47:58Z","timestamp":1787118478000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fsoc.2026.1892383\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"references-count":38,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fsoc.2026.1892383"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fsoc.2026.1892383","relation":{},"ISSN":["2297-7775"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2297-7775","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"article-number":"1892383"}}