Hanging Out While Learning Islam”: Relational Communication in Roblox-Based Religious Communities

Abstract

This study examines relational communication within Roblox-based Islamic study communities in Indonesia. Focus of the study is directed towards how digitally mediated interaction shapes religious participation, identity negotiation, and spiritual attachment within virtual environments. A phenomenological approach was employed to understand participants’ subjective experiences in engaging with Islamic study activities through Roblox. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and digital documentation involving six active participants consisting of organisers, participants, and a religious speaker within virtual religious communities. Findings indicate that communication within Roblox operates in more informal, participatory, and emotionally accessible ways compared to conventional religious forums. Use of avatars, voice chat, and casual interaction enabled participants to communicate more openly while expressing religious identity within digitally mediated spaces. Virtual study activities also fostered emotional closeness, communal belonging, and spiritual attachment through communication practices resembling everyday social interaction among youth communities. Findings further demonstrate that gaming platforms function not only as entertainment media, but also as communicative environments where spirituality, collective identity, and religious participation are continuously negotiated within contemporary digital culture.