Digital Religious Conversion: Cognitive and Behavioral Mechanisms in the Context of the Philosophical and Ethical Challenges of Virtual Religiosity

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the phenomenon of digital religious conversion within the contemporary platform-based media environment. It examines the cognitive and behavioral mechanisms influencing the formation of religious identity in digital space. Particular attention is paid to the philosophical and ethical challenges of virtual religiosity, including algorithmic influence, the mediatization of religious experience, and the transformation of traditional forms of religious socialization. The article presents theoretical reflections based on the studies of contemporary foreign scholars in the fields of digital religion, media communication, and religious conversion. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the study demonstrates that digital religious conversion constitutes a dynamic process shaped by network communication, digital platforms, and user media behavior. The practical significance of the research lies in the possibility of applying its conclusions to the analysis of contemporary religious processes within Kazakhstan’s online environment, as well as to the study of the risks and characteristics of virtual religiosity in the context of societal digitalization and the development of artificial intelligence.