Worshipping on Zoom: A Digital Ethnographic Study of African Pentecostals Churches and their Liturgical Practices during Covid-19

Sammanfattning: Drawing on theoretical concepts of affordance and affect, and by conducting a digital ethnographic research on African Pentecostal communities in Northern Italy, the research analyses how offline liturgical practice are translated in online platforms such as Zoom and Free Conference Call during the Covid-19 global pandemic. It is argued that online affordances such as the chat box and emojis are used by believers to communicate affective moments during worship services, while the mute button is used as a tool by leaders to wield their power to restore order and surveillance. Thus, some of the traditional power dynamics between worshippers, as well as performative aspects of Christianity are brought into the digital space. We also find that digital platforms can in fact, constraint religious practices, however believers use creative ways to circumvent some of the obstacles by re-appropriating the digital tools available to express spirituality and to intimately connect with fellow worshippers.