The Pop Theology of Videogames Producing and Playing with Religion

Young people in the West are more likely to encounter religion in videogames than in places of worship like churches, mosques or temples. Lars de Wildt interviews developers and players of games such as Assassin's Creed to find out how and why the Pop Theology of Videogames is so appealing to m...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: de Wildt, Lars
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Amsterdam Amsterdam University Press 2023
Series:Games and Play
Subjects:
Online Access:
Collection: JSTOR Open Access Books - Collection details see MPG.ReNa
Description
Summary:Young people in the West are more likely to encounter religion in videogames than in places of worship like churches, mosques or temples. Lars de Wildt interviews developers and players of games such as Assassin's Creed to find out how and why the Pop Theology of Videogames is so appealing to modern audiences. Based on extensive fieldwork, this book argues that developers of videogames and their players engage in a 'Pop Theology' through which laymen reconsider traditional questions of religion by playing with them. Games allow us to play with religious questions and identities in the same way that children play at being a soldier, or choose to 'play house.' This requires a radical rethinking of religious questions as no longer just questions of belief or disbelief; but as truths to be tried on, compared, and discarded at will
Item Description:"Amsterdam University Press". - Chapter 1. Introduction Part I. Producing Religion "Which choices lead game-makers to use religion in their videogames?" Chapter 2. Making Religion at Ubisoft Chapter 3. Indie-pendent: the Arthouse Gods of Indie games Part II. Consuming Religion "How do players make sense of and relate to religion in videogames?" Chapter 4. Public Religion on Videogame Forums Chapter 5. Single-player Religion Part III. Conclusion Chapter 6. Conclusion: Pop Theology. Complete bibliography Index
Physical Description:138 pages illustrations