Alternative Media Discourse about the ROC: Orthodox Telegram Channels

Abstract

The article invites a sociological study of points of the church discussion about the ROC, which construct fundamentally different semantic worlds of Russian Orthodoxy. The author addresses the problem within the church media discourse about contemporary Russian Orthodoxy in a narrow segment of liberal Telegram channels. The methodological framework of the study combines the concept of communicative figurations by Andreas Hepp and the case-study strategy. This composition supplied the focus of the study on identifying and analyzing the constellation of actors, topics, and practices of those Orthodox Telegram channels that enter an open discussion on the issue of liberalization and reform of the Russian Orthodox Church. The article raises the following questions: What socio-cultural, generational, professional, and ideological characteristics distinguish the milieu of liberal Orthodox Telegrammers? What is the relevance frame of liberal Telegram channels that determines the way of information exchange and the content of communications about modern Orthodoxy? How do the communicative practices of individual channels construct a semantic world that other media recognize as belonging to the liberal discourse of the church? The author found out that there are Telegram Orthodox channels directly devoted to the liberalization of the Russian Orthodox Church and those that speak out on these topics indirectly — through comments on the current news agenda in a liberal manner or participation in inter-channel discussions. Channels devoted narrowly to the liberal pattern for debate about the ROC have a distinct frame of relevance. In this context, the selection of relevant meanings follows three criteria — focusing on certain theologians, religious beliefs, social ideas, and practices. According to this frame, the following topics are relevant for direct discussion: the restoration of the institution of law in the church, the creation of a legal system with independent judicial proceedings, the expansion of the rights of various groups to participate in church government, the election of the clergy, financial reporting, protection of the interests of ordinary clergy and laity. A particular case study of liberal Orthodox channels showed that their practices unfold either in the logic of a niche media or a blog.

Acknowledgments. The research was carried out with the financial support of the RFBR, within project No. 19-011-00871 “Social media as a factor of transformation of Orthodoxy in modern Russia”.