Digital preaching and ecclesial presence: Reimagining pastoral roles in the online church
Résumé
The rapid expansion of digital technologies has reshaped many aspects of contemporary Christian worship, especially the way preaching is delivered and how ecclesial presence is experienced within online church spaces. This literature review offers a critical and integrative synthesis of recent scholarship on digital preaching, digital religion and online ecclesial practice. Whereas earlier studies on digital church tended to focus on technological adaptation and patterns of online participation, recent research moves beyond functional concerns to engage the theological, pastoral and ecclesiological implications of worship communities. This review engages ongoing debates in practical theology and homiletics regarding embodiment, authenticity, pastoral authority and congregational engagement in digital worship. As preaching increasingly shifts from the physical pulpit to digital platforms, traditional understandings of proclamation, pastoral identity and relational presence are reconsidered. Rather than signalling a decline in the relevance of pastoral ministry, the literature suggests that digital preaching reshapes pastoral functions within hybrid and virtual ecclesial environments. Drawing on interdisciplinary contributions from practical theology, homiletics and digital religion studies, the review highlights key emerging themes, such as mediated presence, reimagined ecclesial space and evolving nature of pastoral ministry in a digital age. It argues that the online church should not be viewed as a substitute for embodied worship, but as a reconfigured ecclesial context in which preaching and pastoral care are renegotiated. In doing so, the review contributes to contemporary theological discourse by offering a nuanced synthesis of scholarship on digital preaching and its implications for pastoral roles and ecclesial presence in digital church settings.
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