Abstract

The present study shows that the Internet functions as a gratifying context for the exchange of knowledge and values related to religious matters among youngsters in the Netherlands; they are in the midst of constructing a religious identity. Systematic content analysis complemented by qualitative research was carried out on Maroc.nl, a discussion forum primarily aimed at Moroccan youth. Inspired by Kemper's definitions of experiencing Islam, the recurrence of six dimensions of religious experience was looked into in 1,354 online messages. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the nature and the relative visibility of each of these dimensions in the online discussions under study. In addition, a number of context-bound and issue-related characteristics of the message were assessed through qualitative analysis, in an effort to find out what key issues were mainly dealt with, what normative statements were made, and how the informants related to one another.