In the past ideologies and religions had a real impact on the media. In the current era of
mass media and communication strategies perception takes priority over identity and new
questions arise: how to introduce faith and religion in a pluralising and detraditionalising
world? What possibilities are offered by the new media? How can technical innovations be
incorporated in church communication? Following the conference Belief in the Media (April 2007)
this publication focuses on the gap between the language of faith and the language of the
general media. The different contributors analyse from within - but also from outside - a
church context the historical changes and challenges the Catholic Church and other faiths and
denominations face with regard to their social communication and media strategies. However it
is not only the relationship of religious institutions with the media that is at stake but
also the way in which the media cover topics such as the Middle East Muslim immigrant
populations in Europe and the World Youth Day. Journalists have to find new ways to get a grip
on these issues too.
