I am a Senior E-Learning Developer at the University of Edinburgh. My research focuses on the exploration of community, identity, authority and ritual within the online context. This includes learning and teaching environments; social media; and virtual worlds such as Second Life.
My Ph.D. thesis is titled “Aspects of the Self: An analysis of self reflection, self presentation and the experiential self within selected Buddhist blogs” (University of Edinburgh, 2012). Recent publications include ‘Virtual Buddhism: An analysis of aesthetics in relation to religious practice within Second Life’, Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet (2010); ‘Virtual Buddhism: Buddhist ritual in Second Life’ in Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds, Campbell (ed.) (2013); and Campbell and Connelly, ‘Religion and the Internet’ in the Encylopedia of Cyber Behavior, Zang (ed.) (2012). Full list of publications.
> Edinburgh University research profile page
Collaborative Projects
> Marketing & Web Manager (2012-2013) The Religious Studies Project
> Co-founder (2012) Virtual Worlds Research Network – further details.
Journals
> Reviewer Information, Communication & Society
> Senior copy-editor (2012-2013) Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture
Online Presence
> Twitter – @virtualbuddhism @lconnelly09
> Blog – Virtual Buddhism
Page last updated: 27 April 2019
