Introduction:

The making of consciousness is one of the most critical tasks at the intersection of religion, philosophy, and media, where both collective and individual perceptions are reshaped according to the message being presented.
Between the authority of the pulpit, which carries emotional religious, and societal influence, and the mind, as a tool of analysis and examination, lies a pivotal space in which consciousness is shaped and the intellectual maturity of the masses is defined.

First: The Concept of Consciousness-Making:

The making of consciousness is a systematic process of reshaping individual and collective perceptions of reality, using cognitive, linguistic, psychological, and ethical tools.
It differs from indoctrination, as its goal is to produce critical awareness, not submissive acceptance.
It involves defining concepts, reading contexts, understanding the interrelations of phenomena, and forming positions based on reason rather than instinct.

Second: The Pulpit and Its Power of Influence:

The pulpit—be it religious, political, or media-based—possesses symbolic power derived from the speaker’s authority (scholar, politician, intellectual) and the sanctity of the space (mosque, parliament, television screen).
This pulpit-based authority directly affects emotions and guides the masses through:

1. Preaching that presents claims as unquestionable truths.
2. Referencing sacred texts and symbols to solidify conviction.
3. Utilizing rhetoric to trigger emotions rather than reasoning.

However, if pulpit authority does not intersect with rational critique, it may become a tool for simplification and entrench a culture of imitation rather than creativity.

Third: The Mind as the Scale of Awareness:

The mind is the cornerstone in building methodological awareness.
It analyzes pulpit discourse, compares it to factual data, and examines its practical consequences.
The mind operates with the following methodological features:

1. Methodical doubt as a gateway to knowledge.
2. Justification and reasoning instead of submission and indoctrination.
3. Seeking the relationship between text and context, rather than confining to literal meanings.

The mind does not exclude the pulpit, but rather places it under critical review, re-evaluating its discourse according to interests, higher values, and evolving realities.

Fourth: The Dialectic of Pulpit and Mind in Shaping Awareness:

Consciousness is not created in a vacuum but within an environment dominated by one of two discourses: that of the pulpit or the mind.
If the pulpit dominates alone, repetition, emotionalism, and passive reception prevail.
If the mind moves independently without a moral or spiritual foundation, it may slip into absolute relativism and epistemological deconstruction.
Thus, a balance between the pulpit and the mind is the central condition for producing balanced, profound, and realistic awareness.
This balance requires:

1. Integrating spiritual values with rational analysis.
2. Deconstructing slogan-based rhetoric and examining its deeper purposes.
3. Subjecting all pulpit messages to scientific and methodological critique.

Fifth: Contemporary Challenges to Consciousness-Making:

In the age of the digital revolution, pulpits multiply and minds fragment.
New challenges emerge in the path of building awareness, the most critical being:

1. Hate speech that exploits pulpit-driven emotions.
2. Intellectual shallowness on social media, where ignorance is marketed as awareness.
3. Lack of analytical methodology and the spread of impulsive commentary.

These challenges necessitate the rehabilitation of the pulpit to serve the mind, not instinct, and the activation of schools, universities, and think tanks in constructing a coherent knowledge system.

Conclusion:

The making of consciousness is a battle between platforms of influence and thinking minds, between emotion and comprehension, between imitation and renewal.
If societies are to rise, it is essential to liberate the pulpit from sanctification, and the mind from marginalization, building a solid bridge between conscious faith and enlightened reason.
Only this bridge can lead us to historical, civil, and emancipatory awareness capable of building both human beings and the state together.