Since the 1980s, the transnational expansion of Afro-Brazilian and Cuban religious traditions has intersected with the rise of digital media, generating new narratives around Afro-diasporic identities and paradoxical dynamics such as the digital mediation of sacred knowledge. These developments have challenged conventional notions of religious authority and revealed that temples can also exist in virtual spaces.
Despite their longstanding presence in various media formats—film, television, radio—Afro-Atlantic religions remain under-analyzed in media studies. This special issue seeks to explore both the continuities and transformations within the religious sphere of the orishas, voduns, inquices, encantados, and other spiritual entities, as mediated through diverse platforms.
We invite contributions that examine the emergence of digital media as a significant site of religious expression and innovation. Topics may include shifts in religious pedagogy, the aestheticization of digital rituals, the rise of new social actors, the adoption of coaching discourse, and the digital production of trance states.
International Journal of Latin American Religions
Submission Deadline: February 28, 2026
Guest Editors: Joana Bahia (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro) and Leonardo Oliveira de Almeida (Universidade Federal do Ceará)