Regional Models of the Mediatization of Religion: A Comparative Analysis of Orthodox and Islamic Telegram Channels in the Volgograd Region

Abstract

This article offers a comparative analysis of regional models of the mediatization of religion within the emerging post-secular digital public sphere, using the Volgograd Region as a case study. The research seeks to identify the distinctive features of the digital communication strategies adopted by Orthodox and Muslim religious leadership and to explain the differences in their modes of public presence in the contemporary digital media environment. The study is designed as a comparative case study combining the analysis of digital communication practices with qualitative interviews. The empirical material comprises the complete corpus of publications posted on the official Telegram channels of Metropolitan Feodor of Volgograd and Kamyshin and Mufti Kifah Mohammad Bata of the Volgograd Region between March 2022 and November 2025, as well as two semi-structured interviews with individuals involved in shaping digital religious communication in the region. The analysis draws on quantitative content analysis, qualitative discourse analysis, and comparative analysis of digital communication strategies. The findings demonstrate that although the digital communication practices of Orthodox and Muslim religious leadership are shaped by the common media logic of digital platforms, they retain distinct confessional characteristics. The Orthodox model is primarily oriented toward maintaining internal religious communication, preserving traditional forms of spiritual guidance, and reinforcing institutional religious authority. By contrast, the Muslim model places greater emphasis on public engagement, social and educational initiatives, interfaith dialogue, and communication with younger audiences. The interview data further reveal that these differences are determined not only by the affordances of digital media but also by the religious leaders’ differing understandings of the purposes, functions, and boundaries of their presence in digital space. The study concludes that the mediatization of religion at the regional level is a differentiated process in which digital platforms do not erase confessional distinctions but instead contribute to the emergence of distinct models of religious presence in the digital public sphere, reflecting different forms of religious leadership, communicative practices, and patterns of audience engagement.