The history of religion, and current debates regarding spirituality, are full of diverse metaphors that are used to
communicate complex ideas. Deities are often described as animals or objects that take on human characteristics.
Believers are envisioned as a flock or a ship’s crew. The religious lives of individuals are explained as a journey,
an apprenticeship, a struggle, or a path. These metaphors are woven into myths that help make the intangible
accessible and create personal worldviews. Yet in an age of fake news and post-truth, the use of images and
narratives can complicate already complex discussions of religion in the mediated public sphere.
Trust in the Digital Society
An interdisciplinary, hybrid conference hosted by the University of Amsterdam’s Trust in the Digital Society Research Priority Area.