Religious Cultural Research Using Coding: The Potential of Digital Religious Studies

This study explores the potential and prospects of religious cultural research utilizing coding, namely ‘Digital Religious Studies.’ This new approach, emerging alongside the development of digital humanities, presents innovative methodologies for the study of religion. This article first examines the concepts and methodologies of digital humanities and establishes the concept of ‘Digital Religious Studies’ as applied to religious studies. Next, precedent research cases such as big data religious studies, computational religious studies, and religious modeling are examined to assess the current state of Digital Religious Studies. The research finds that Digital Religious Studies can provide new insights in various areas including textual analysis, conceptual historical research, studies on religious cultural change, and religious modeling. It demonstrates particular potential in establishing and verifying general theories and measuring real-time changes in religious culture. Data analysis using coding can contribute to discovering patterns and trends in religious culture that were difficult to capture through existing qualitative research methods and provides suitable tools for studying new forms of religiosity emerging from increased online religious activities. Furthermore, by presenting methodologies that can simulate complex religious phenomena, it can contribute to expanding the scope of empirical research in religious studies. In conclusion, this study suggests that Digital Religious Studies can contribute to enhancing the academic sustainability of religious studies and emphasizes the need for researcher training and curriculum development to realize this potential.