Luke Dean

Journalism student at Northeastern University who reported on the Massachusetts opioid epidemic, Greece’s refugee crisis, and LGBTQ issues; he also worked with Foreign Policy Interrupted and World Policy Journal.

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