DISSECTING THE SYMBIOSIS OF CAPITALISM IN CHURCH INSTITUTIONS: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY AND INFORMATION SYSTEM BASED ACCOUNTABILITY

Abstract

This article presents a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) that critically examines the intersections of capitalist logic, church information systems, technological literacy, and accountability in religious institutions. Using the Scopus database, it analyzes academic research on church information systems, revealing that these systems are not neutral tools but often embody capitalist values such as administrative efficiency, managerial control, and symbolic transparency. Consequently, congregants are treated more as objects of reporting than as active participants in decision-making. The study employs theoretical frameworks from Jürgen Habermas and Michel Foucault: Habermas’ communicative action theory advocates for dialogical, domination-free communication, while Foucault’s ideas highlight how information systems function as mechanisms of control and surveillance, reinforcing church elites’ authority. The review identifies common issues, including the marginalization of spiritual values, increased digital divides, and limited community involvement. Technological literacy disparities create new hierarchies within church communities. However, the article also highlights alternative approaches that integrate religious values into system design, promote digital literacy, and foster accountability based on relational and spiritual ethics. Ultimately, it calls for church information systems that are not only efficient but also socially inclusive, morally grounded, and theologically informed.