Monasteries seem the very antithesis of digital frenzy. Yet, a recent study by the Department of Sociology and the University Research Priority Program (URPP) Digital Religion(s) at the University of Zurich (UZH) shows that monasteries are no lumbering dinosaurs – on the contrary, when it comes to managing technological change, they’re surprisingly adaptable. For their study, the UZH researchers analyzed 112 monasteries in Switzerland, Germany and Austria and explored why some organizations remain adaptable even after centuries in existence.

Old structures, new strength
Looking into the matter, the researchers observed a surprising effect – precisely those historic structures originally created for spiritual communal life are also helping monasteries engage with digital technologies today. Collective consultation, local responsibility and decentralized decision-making processes have all proven to be advantageous for digital transformation.

In evolutionary biology such a shift is referred to as “exaptation” – that is, the utilization of existing traits for an entirely new purpose. The best-known example of this are dinosaur feathers, which originally developed as a means for temperature regulation and millions of years later enabled birds to fly. Similarly, the monasteries’ historic forms of organization have a new function today. “Old practices of co-determination become tools for modern challenges,” explains Jan Danko, lead author of the study and academic associate at the UZH Department of Sociology.

Selective use

But digitalization isn’t by any means viewed only positively in monasteries. Especially the older orders often experience the internet and social media as an intrusion into their sacral routines. One abbot summed it up starkly: “Since the arrival of smartphones, the enclosure is a thing of the past.” Their more cautionary approach means that these communities are particularly selective in integrating digital technologies. Nevertheless, many monasteries now use digital tools as a matter of course – for instance in their internal communication, digital administration and web presence.

Participation, tradition and rules

The study has shown that the way in which changes are introduced is particularly crucial to successfully managing digitalization. In monasteries, the use of new technologies is rarely decreed purely top-down, it is communally discussed and adapted to monastic life – and digitalization isn’t seen as an end in itself. “Monasteries have always been places of innovation and at the same time places of tradition – so there is no inherent contradiction,” said one monk. Accordingly, digital tools are used where they specifically serve the religious mandate – such as for broadcasting church services. At the same time, centuries-old monastic rules help consciously guide access to the digital world, for instance by agreeing off-line periods during the training of new members.

Co-determination is a requirement

The study therefore contradicts the widespread assumption that long-standing organizations inevitably become stagnant and hostile to innovation. In fact, forms of co-determination and decentralized responsibility that have developed over time are particularly resilient. In many monasteries, the “CEOs” are elected by the community and can be unelected at any time, and everyone is consulted on important decisions. According to Jan Danko, there’s a message here to the fast-paced economic world: “Innovation is most effective where new technologies can be tested locally and affected parties become involved parties.” Co-determination is thus not an obstacle to renewal, it is a requirement.

Literature

Jan Simon Danko, Katja Rost. Dinosaurs of the organizational landscape facing technological disruption: Liability of aging and exaptation in monastic orders. Research Policy. June 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2026.105480