Author ORCID Identifier
Tanya Giannelia: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0253-3313
Abby Golub: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4102-8469
Abstract
Religion and spirituality nearly never appear in Information Systems journals and conferences. This is not an accident: these topics are taboo in IS research. We argue that to move the discipline forward, IS scholars should embrace the inclusion of religion and spirituality in our field. Religion and spirituality are tied to human identity, and therefore influence IS acceptance, resistance, use, and adoption. They provide rich contexts to challenge and expand our core theories, and they help in developing ethical frameworks. Digital technologies have been designed and adapted specifically for religious and spiritual purposes, which merit investigation. In this paper, we unpack the taboo of religion and spirituality in IS research, conjecturing its origins and demonstrating what our field is missing by failing to engage with these topics. We recognize that it is challenging to know where to begin with a topic that has not historically fit in the discipline, and to face the structures that have maintained this taboo for decades. We provide suggestions for research, including how religion and spirituality both influence and are influenced by technologies. We encourage IS scholars to think critically about the relationships among religion, spirituality, and digital technology to avoid perpetuating this outdated taboo.
DOI
10.17705/1CAIS.05726
Recommended Citation
Giannelia, T., & Golub, A. (2025). Breaking the Taboo of Religion and Spirituality in IS Research. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 57, 617-636. https://doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.05726
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