A Pathological Examination of the Barriers to the Efficiency of the Religious Propagation System in Iran

Extended Abstract
 
Introduction and Objectives: In discussions of religious propagation, public attention is predominantly focused on the preacher as the primary actor, who is expected to fulfill multiple religious, cultural, and social roles. However, the preacher is merely one component of a broader propagation system. The prevailing global conditions, coupled with the proliferation of anti-religious propaganda leveraging modern communication technologies, have created significant obstacles for preachers to achieve effective influence. Meanwhile, passive, traditional, and weak responses to these pressures have exposed religious societies to fundamental cultural disruptions and vulnerabilities. These circumstances underscore the necessity for organized and institutionalized religious propagation, immediate attention to the propagation system, and the improvement of its functionality.
The challenges of planning religious propagation stem from its distinct characteristics compared to conventional forms of communication. Both intra-discursive and extra-discursive alternatives in today’s globalized world, reinforced by communication sciences and technologies, have posed serious challenges to the development and dissemination of Islamic culture. The emergence of religious vulnerabilities and non-religious tendencies has further intensified the significance of this issue. Empirical evidence indicates that many people perceive the current state of religiosity as weaker than in the past and consider the institutions and management systems responsible for religious propagation as inefficient.
This study seeks to identify and analyze the structural and operational obstacles that undermine the efficiency of religious propagation in Iran. Its ultimate objective is to diagnose weaknesses in order to reform flawed practices and enhance the effectiveness of the system. By precisely identifying factors that contribute to inefficiency and disruption, targeted interventions can be designed to address these gaps and strengthen the propagation framework.
Research Method: Given that the primary sources of information in this study—including scholarly documents and interviews—are symbolic and media-based, thematic analysis was employed to systematically examine the data, with MAXQDA software utilized for coding and analysis. To ensure research reliability, the test-retest method was applied, and the consistency of the two coding rounds was measured using a holistic formula:
PAO= 2M/(n1+n2)  =2*114/(125+125)=0/91
Since conventional thresholds for coding reliability typically exceed 70%, the resulting value of 0.91 is considered highly acceptable.
The research proceeded through the following stages:

Selection and Collection of Data: The units of analysis in this study were scholarly documents and expert informants. Document selection was based on intrinsic criteria, and among the extensive corpus, 21 documents were deemed appropriate for inclusion. Data extraction forms were the main tools at this stage. For interviews, expert participants were selected according to elite criteria, employing theoretical sampling. Twelve experts were interviewed, with selection guided by research gaps and needs. Interviews continued until data saturation was reached.
Extraction of Themes and Integration of Dual Sources (Documents and Interviews): Instances, claims, and texts were initially coded into primary codes and subsequently abstracted into higher-order themes. All extracted codes and themes are detailed in the findings section.
Mapping of Thematic Networks: The extracted themes were organized into network structures to illustrate relationships and hierarchies.
Interpretation and Explanation of Networks: The thematic networks were analyzed to provide insight into structural and operational barriers and to derive actionable conclusions.

Results: The study identified obstacles to the efficiency of religious propagation in five domains, with statistical analysis indicating that the largest proportion of barriers relates to propagation management (42%), followed by preacher-related factors (27%). The main barriers are summarized as follows:

Managerial Barriers: The most frequently observed issues include policies lacking scientific foundation, the dominance of traditional thinking, neglect of modern communication tools, unplanned and uneven distribution of preachers, poor coordination among propagation institutions, deficiencies in training and supervision, and financial and structural dependence of propagation on governmental authorities.
Preacher-Related Challenges: Preachers face four major categories of obstacles:

o Methodological: Reliance on reductive, emotional, or unsubstantiated methods.
o Behavioral/Ethical: Violations of clerical propriety and lack of professional commitment.
o Cognitive: Limited contemporary knowledge and negative attitudes toward cyberspace.
o Interactional: Inability to effectively communicate with diverse audiences and lack of awareness of audience language and context.

Message-Related Challenges: These include weak or poorly structured content, overemphasis on ritualistic worship, neglect of addressing public doubts or misconceptions, and a lack of alignment between message content and audience needs or comprehension.
Contextual Barriers: These encompass powerful cultural competitors (e.g., secular ideologies), weak cyber infrastructure, negative media representation of religion, and economic and political conditions that hinder receptivity to religious messages.
Audience-Related Challenges: Audience obstacles include negative perceptions of the clergy, identity crises, and attributing governmental inefficiencies to the essence of religion itself.

In summary, the primary reasons for the inefficiency of religious propagation in Iran are structural weaknesses in management and individual and skill-based deficiencies among preachers.
Discussion and Conclusion: This study highlights the nature of religious propagation as a systematic, sacred, and communicative process and emphasizes the necessity of transitioning from traditional to modern, efficient structures. Although multiple institutions have been established for religious propagation since the Islamic Revolution, forward-looking evaluations indicate significant weaknesses in the structure, management, and performance of the clergy as primary actors.
The findings demonstrate that propagation management is the cornerstone and vulnerability of the system. The majority of observed inefficiencies (over 40 variables) stem from flawed policy-making, parallel efforts among multiple agencies, deficiencies in preacher training and distribution, and lack of systematic feedback mechanisms. Decision-makers often implement policies that, due to inadequate understanding of cultural and social realities, are not only ineffective but may also hinder the dissemination of religious values. Fragmented institutional operations and the absence of a systemic perspective have severely undermined the effectiveness of traditional propagation in confronting global communication trends and the modern societal context.
The principal strategy to overcome these challenges is to halt isolated operations and establish a unified command center. This center should focus on training specialized managers, applying contemporary social sciences (e.g., sociology and psychology), and achieving full coordination among propagation institutions.
Finally, broader strategies include standardizing the propagation framework, employing ethnographic and qualitative approaches for workforce development, reforming evaluation systems, emphasizing audience analysis, and enhancing the production and dissemination of religious content. These measures aim to achieve sacred objectives while bridging the gap between propagation institutions and the actual needs of society.