Thoughts on Exposure

As I sit here this late night and think about the degree of influence which religious organisations have developed I find it almost unavoidable to think about the Catholic Church. It is hard to imagine a religious institution which could match the level of social and individual influence the Catholic Church has developed and expanded to a global scale. Undoubtedly this is mainly based upon the age of the institution, as with time comes growth and with growth comes power and influence. It becomes very difficult for smaller lesser religions to realise such an influence overnight, and increasingly difficult for them to gain any influence without exposure (read media) as it would appear the Catholic Church has achieved in its absence. But then again I am reminded that I am studying course about religion and MEDIA and become drawn to Pentecostal Christianity as the poster child for media-associated religious influence. Despite its lacking in age (by comparison) it is evident that Pentecostal Christianity has expanded globally riding upon the back of film, television, print and internet media source. This provides an interesting contrast, because in one corner we have institutions such as the Catholic Church, which have power and influence over individuals beyond proportions yet have almost no media affiliation or could not be considered a media-centric religion. Yet in the other corner we have Pentecostal Christianity, which in some instances is almost entirely media driven and whilst not possessing the influence of the Catholic Church, still has managed to branch out throughout corporations and political establishments. It is clear that religion has therefore adopted a ‘survival of the fittest’ mentality, whereby in the absence of time (as was afforded base religions such as Catholicism) adaptations are needed to grow, prosper and realise influence. For arguments sake, if a religious institution such as Catholicism were to effectively ‘reboot’ themselves in a modern sense and aim to progress to the level as  they have and avoid or minimise media usage, their degree of influence gained throw followers would be minimalist at best.