In this edition of ReligionLink, we try our hand at predicting some of next year’s big religion news themes and tease out the kinds of stories journalists, commentators and analysts might be working on, talking about or sharing with one another in 2023.

This edition of ReligionLink explores the crossovers between religion and modern technology, with relevant stories, analysis, background and expert sources to get you up to speed in an ever-evolving landscape.

Synchronicity is a foundation and retreat center founded by M.C. Cannon (aka Swami Vivekananda Saraswati) that developed High-Tech Meditation and the Holistic Lifestyle as a modernization of the ancient wisdom traditions it believes empower the journey to enlightenment.

AI and Faith is a cross-spectrum consortium of faith communities and academic institutions. Its mission is to bring the fundamental values of the world’s major religions into the emerging debate on the ethical development of artificial intelligence and related technologies. Contact through the website.

Joshua Ruben is a technology professional, security engineer and coordinator for Technology Awareness Group, Chicago (TAG Chicago). TAG is an international organization dedicated to meeting the Orthodox Jewish communities’ technological needs by offering educational and training sessions, developing technology policies and providing filtering solutions.    

Diana Walsh Pasulka is a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Her areas of specialization include Catholic studies, religion and new media, digital culture and gender.

David Zvi Kalman is scholar-in-residence and director of new media at Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, where he was also a member of the inaugural cohort of North American David Hartman Center Fellows. He leads the Kogod Research Center’s research seminar on Judaism and the natural world.

Mujahidul Islam is an ed tech specialist at Azim Premji University in Bengaluru, India. He works at the crossroads of technology, media and education with a special emphasis on the digital ways of learning and the theological underpinnings of mediated and perceptual learning.

This edition of ReligionLink explores reporting, analysis and commentary around the term “cult,” helping you better understand the word, its uses, and how to report thoughtfully, carefully and sensitively on the subject.