| Popis: |
This chapter features a comparison of two Malaysian Christian Facebook groups and how their members engaged with Bersih 4, a major rally demanding for electoral reform in Malaysia in 2015. All types of communities, be it online or offline, have hierarchies and core ideological underpinnings, regardless of how open they claim to be. In the case of the above groups, these groups formally encourage open discourse on any subject pertaining to Christianity. However, on some occasions, such as the impending street rally, preferred perspectives eventually emerge in order to establish the official position of the group. The two-day street rally drew opposing responses from both the groups observed. The presented narrative of whether Christians should engage in political activism, and the silencing of dissent within the group indicates some form of systematic management of a group’s identity, and raises theoretical questions about the nature of democratization and spiritual authority in online religious communities. |
