Techno-theologoumena and Rise of Far-Right Orthodox Internet Celebrities

ABSTRACT: Eastern Orthodoxy possesses hierarchical theological and social structures that emphasize obedience to doctrinal teachings and, often, deference to the guidance of clergy and monastic elders. As a religious organization, Orthodoxy perpetually returns to the writings and teachings of the Church Fathers, ecumenical councils, and well-established theologians to make sense of contemporary social-moral issues in a synodal way. While each Eastern Orthodox jurisdiction possesses the same dogma, they also each have their own theologoumena (theological opinions), which have, in many cases, become emphasized within certain strands of Orthodox thought. Despite this flexibility, there has been a consistent understanding among canonically affiliated Orthodox communities of what counts as religious authority, where it comes from (mainly through revealed theology preserved via Church tradition), and how it should be considered and practiced. In our contemporary moment, however, Orthodox digital content creators are transforming the concepts of theological opinion and religious authority, often linking them together in the production of their overtly political content. Drawing on digital research, this article employs a critical media analysis of far-right Orthodox social media content to explore the digital expressions and transformation of religious authority and theological opinion. I argue that the affordances of digital modalities allow for these religious actors to become virtual micro-celebrities, building out branded, authoritative forms of what I term techno-theologoumena —digitally transmitted religious opinions—through their content and presence.