Liz Bucar

Professor of Religion at Northeastern University, religious-ethics scholar, and director of Sacred Writes. She is the author of Beyond Wellness, which examines the religious roots and ethical context of contemporary spiritual and wellness practices.

Platform Incentives Are Reshaping Religious Authority Online

Social media has expanded access to religious ideas, but it has not democratized religious authority, argue Liz Bucar of Northeastern University and Andrew Mark Henry of Religion for Breakfast. Henry says platform incentives favor conflict, extremity, and moral-emotional language, distorting what users encounter; Bucar argues that authority has shifted toward communicators who can earn attention and trust rather than disappearing altogether. Both contend that online reach and information do not necessarily provide the sustained guidance, correction, and community required for religious literacy or formation.

The Aspen InstituteSep 16, 202618 min read