research – Page 2 – Virtually Islamic News

Mon 14 Muharram 1448AH 29-6-2026AD
Conferences, Research

Islam and Digitality Conference

Details of a forthcoming conference “Islam & Digitality: Media, Materiality, and Hermeneutics” on July 10 and 11 at Goethe University. The programme has a QR Code for online observation....

Thu 10 Muharram 1448AH 25-6-2026AD
Artificial Intelligence, Religious Authority, Research

AI and Islamic Jurisprudence

Looks interesting (haven’t read it yet). Free to download too. Muhammed Ameen Fazal, AI and Islamic Jurisprudence: Re-reading Contemporary Fatwās forEthical Possibilities in Techno-Social Forms of Life, Islamic Studies...

Sun 23 Dhul Qidah 1447AH 10-5-2026AD
Research, Shi'i Muslims

Digital Shiʿi Islam Methodologies

Akif Tahiiev, Digital Shi’ism and ethical dilemmas in the study of religious minorities on Instagram: Methodological reflections from the field. Research Ethics, May 2026 https://doi.org/10.1177/17470161261440 “This paper explores the...

Wed 6 Shawwal 1447AH 25-3-2026AD
Academia, Research

Digital ‘Arab Spring‘ Revisited

New from Jillian C. York on the Electronic Frontier Foundation website: One for my Reading List from @eff.org … I wrote about the ‘Arab Spring‘ and the internet in...

Prof. Gary R. Bunt, VR Immersive Technology, UWTSD

Thu 9 Ramadan 1447AH 26-2-2026AD
Mecca, Mosques, Research

VR Islam

Hands-on virtual reality experimentation today. I’ve written a lot about VR and Islam in the past, so today I was exploring options with AI elements, thinking about designing content...

Thu 9 Ramadan 1447AH 26-2-2026AD
Indonesia, Indonesia Internet, Research, YouTube

From Pulpit to Platform

New and noted – I haven't read it yet M. Didik R. Wahyudi. Noorhaidi Hasan, Agung Fatwanto. From Pulpit to Platform: Algorithmic Mediation and the Transformation of Religious Authority...

Mon 6 Ramadan 1447AH 23-2-2026AD
Gary R. Bunt, Research, Turkey, Turkey Internet, Türkiye, Türkiye,

Dijital Dünyada Müslüman Olmak

Updated to include ordering links. Available from: Kitapyurdu BKM Kitap Kitap Bahçesi Nobel Kitap FCR Publisher Here’s the cover for Dijital Dünyada Müslüman Olmak: Mecra, Kimlik ve Otorite edited...

Fri 25 Shaban 1447AH 13-2-2026AD
Academia, Books, Research

‘The Digital Turn in Religious Studies’

New and noted: New and noted: Not in my immediate field, but this looks interesting, although I haven't read it yet. It's available as a PDF....

Thu 17 Shaban 1447AH 5-2-2026AD
Academia, Poland internet,, Research

Islamic Religious Guidance in Eastern Europe

Reading List: Journal of Muslims in Europe, Volume 15 (2026): Issue 1 (Feb 2026): Special Issue: Islamic Religious Guidance in Eastern Europe I’m enjoying taking a closer look at...

Tue 15 Shaban 1447AH 3-2-2026AD
Podcasts, Research

Podcasting Islam

New-ish and noted (and interesting!): Whyte, S. A. (2025). Podcasting Islam in the Anglosphere: Muslim counterpublics in the UK, US and Australia. Media, Culture & Society, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437251400663 From...

Islamic Algorithms – book cover

Gary R. Bunt, Islamic Algorithms: Online Influence in the Muslim Metaverse (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2024)

Explore the book

Paperback, hardback and ebook editions are available now.

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Prof. Gary R. Bunt, 2026

Comments

“Gary Bunt’s Islamic Algorithms explores the dynamic relationship between technology shifts and the evolving engagement of Muslims online. Bunt emphasises the unchanging core of Islam, adapting its expression to developing technology. A testament to Bunt’s brilliance in the ever-changing Cyber Islamic Environments, this is a must-read for those interested in Islamic studies, digital Islam and Muslim metaverses.” ―Eva Nisa, Senior Lecturer of Anthropology, The Australian National University, Australia

“A timely and insightful exploration, the book offers a concise yet comprehensive glimpse into the evolving landscape of Cyber Islamic Environments. From the serene halls of Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque to the potential realms of Muslim metaverses, this book takes readers on a journey to unveil the dynamic relationship between Islam and technology. In a world where smartphones guide prayers and iPads connect elders in study groups, Bunt shares a compelling and timely perspective on the evolving relationship between Islam, technology and the digital age.” ―Umar Ryad, Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Leuven, Belgium

Bibliography and Glossary

Review by Michael Dhanoya (University of Leicester) in LSE Blogs

“Islamic Algorithms is a great contribution to the topic of Digital Religion …”

Review in The Muslim World‘ by Dr Akif Tahiiev of Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt am Main

‘Gary R. Bunts Islamic Algorithms liefert detaillierte Einblicke in die digitalen Räume von AkteurInnen, die sich auf unterschiedliche Weise auf den Islam “

“Gary R. Bunt’s Islamic Algorithms provides detailed insights into the digital spaces of actors who relate to Islam in various ways.*

* Google Translation

Margareta Wetchy, Gary R. Bunts Islamic Algorithms unter der Lupe, Machine Against the Rage

“Overall, Islamic Algorithms: Online Influence in the Muslim Metaverse is crucial to contemporary Islamic studies. The book is highly recommended for researchers, academics, and practitioners interested in the interaction between
technology and religion.” Reza Adeputra Tohis and Zulkifli Mansyur, Religion & Theology, 32 (2025): Issue 1-2 (Jun 2025) [PDF]

” … Bunt’s volume is an important step forward in understanding the importance of digital discourse to contemporary Islamic traditions and Muslim communities.” James Riggan, Reading Religion (American Academy of Religion)

“Islamic Algorithms provides a timely and thoughtful examination of how Islam, algorithms, and digital culture intersect. It is a valuable resource for scholars and researchers interested in digital presence of Islam, and digital culture both in theory and practice.” Mohamed Taher, Middle Eastern Librarians Association

Book cover: Dijital Dünyada Müslüman Olmak: Mecra, Kimlik ve Otorite‘

Gary R. Bunt’s chapter ‘Şeyh Google’dan Yapay Zekâ İmama Mı?: Müslüman Dijital Mecralarda İslami Etki ve Otoritenin Dönüşümü‘?‘ (trans. Necmiye Durmuş) is available in ‘Dijital Dünyada Müslüman Olmak: Mecra, Kimlik ve Otorite‘ edited by Mehmet Ali Başak (Eskiyeni). The original version was in

Scharia im Wandel edited by Mahmud El-Wereny and Alexander-Kenneth Nagel. (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2024).

Available from:

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Scharia im Wandel book cover. Showing figures reading, a stack of books, and the background of a minaret and mosque dome.

My chapter, “From Sheikh Google to ImamAI? Evolving Islamic Influence and Authority in Muslim Digital Worlds,” is published in “Scharia im Wandel. Beiträge zur Transformation islamischer Autorität im Spannungsfeld von Kodifikation, Migration und Digitalisierung,” edited by Mahmud El-Wereny and Alexander-Kenneth Nagel. (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2024). Studies on Islamic Cultural and Intellectual History, Noorhaidi Hasan et al.

The book is the result of a 2022 conference at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

A Turkish version of the chapter is in preparation for publication in 2026.

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