The dominant scholarly framework in the study of religion and comics is the theory of mediatization, which explains how media influence, shape, and ultimately decontextualize or commodify religion for entertainment, thereby promoting individualism and consumer behavior. This notion of “banal religion” or “hyper-religion” suggests a process of disenchantment and disengagement, in which religious narratives are stripped of their traditional political or spiritual value.
The scientific novelty of RELIGIOMICS lies in challenging this reductive “banal religion” paradigm. While comics are undoubtedly products of the cultural industry, framing them merely as entertainment overlooks the personal, spiritual, and artistic quests of many bestselling creators—several of whom have been deeply involved in religious or esoteric movements. Moreover, their explicit political commitments (for example, against colonialism) often clash with the idea of a disenchanted and disengaged art.
In response, the project proposes employing the category of mediation, arguing that media (in this case, comics) are not simply external forces influencing religion but are integral to the religious experience itself. RELIGIOMICS also hypothesizes that comics can function as instruments for living religion—not only for artists but also for their audiences.
During the first and only year of the project, the Principal Investigator collected data on both artists and audiences, although full analysis could not be completed. Preliminary findings appear to confirm the main hypothesis that comics act as a medium of religious mediation. However, the research also highlights significant variation in how religion is approached by artists and readers. For some, art and religion are inseparable, and comics are considered instruments for education and inspiration (comics as sacred art). In other cases, the relationship between religion and art is more ambiguous: both artists and readers may not embrace specific religious identities or practices but engage with ethical issues through religious narratives (comics as ethical art). Only a minority view comics purely as secular entertainment, disconnected from ethical or spiritual values.
