Religion, information and ritual: understanding difference in a sacred context

Religion is a fundamental part of the lived experience of the majority of humanity. This paper reports on the conceptualization of religion through an understanding of its relationship with information. The focus is on practice and ritual rather than belief. Information is here understood in terms of Bateson’s definition of “the difference that makes a difference”. The paper explores information in a ritual context in a variety of settings, as well as touching on work done regarding other uses of information by religious communities, such as church websites and learning environments.