The Bible As Media: A Comparative Analysis From A Social Communication Approach

Introduction. In the conditions of modern information wars, the development of manipulation technologies, and global crisis phenomena, sources that transmit value narratives aimed at harmonizing social relations and restoring value systems deserve research attention. Relevance and study. The article reveals a scientific view of the Bible as a media that has been transmitting moral and spiritual discourse and a system of fundamental values as the fundamental basis of the world order for many centuries, reproducing a unique model of communication, but from the standpoint of a social communication approach it is not studied. This determines the novelty and relevance of the investigation, the purpose of which is to investigate the mediality of the Bible and its place and role in journalism and social communications. Metodology. The research is comprehensive, carried out in the paradigm of «truth - journalism - society». The methodological basis is a social communication approach. The typological object is the Bible as a media. The methods of conceptual, comparative, discursive analysis, and synthesis were applied. To understand the nature and system of spiritual communication reflected in the Bible, as well as to interpret the unique properties of the object under study, elements of philosophical methods were used: dialectical, metaphysical, intuitive, and phenomenological. Results. The article presents the results of the first stage of the study – the analysis of the Bible for compliance with the characteristics and functions of the media. The correspondence of the Bible to the definition of «media» and its modern interpretations was clarified. The features that form the uniqueness of this media were identified. Their list and justification are provided. It is established that the Bible accumulates and transmits information from the transcendent Source – the Absolute, has a unique structure and genre-style construction, preserves value absoluteness, does not relativize under the influence of trends in the modern world, conveys content unchanged, demonstrates the relevance, social value of information against the background of local and global socio-political events throughout many periods of the historical development of mankind, has a positive impact on the individual and society, transmitting algorithms of spiritual self-awareness and cognition and encouraging the spiritual comprehension of eternal values and eternal life. The connection of the Bible with journalism and the prospects for scientific research of this source and practical application are indicated. Conclusions. The results of the study provide grounds to define the Bible as a unique media, a translator of fundamental values, which is aimed at restoring the value system of humanity and harmonizing social relations and is a promising source of social communication research.