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online 5 (2014) Religion in Digital Games

Stud#ing Religion in Digital Gaming

0ritical Revie$ o, an 5merging 6ield

-regory >rice -rieve

Heidi / 8ampbell

!stract

This article provides an overview of the study of religion and gaming by outliningthe dominant approaches, development and themes in this new interdisciplinaryfield of in"uiry$ &t highlights dominant thematic and methodological approachescurrently within the field of religion and digital games studies including the studyof religiously*themed games, the role religion plays in mainstream games, and howgaming can be seen as a form of implicit religion$ This critical review isconte%tualied in relation tothe studies presented in a forthcoming book,Pla&ing)ith Religion in Digital Games5 which maps key theoretical approaches andinterpretive trends related to how different e%pressions of religion and religiosity

are manifested in various gaming genres and narratives$ We show that digitalgames are an important site of e%ploration into the intersection of religion andcontemporary culture helping us understand what religion is, does, and means in achanging contemporary society$

"e#$ords

digital games, play, implicit religion, narrative, game studies, video games

ou feel like you(ve seen it before$ The perpendicular -othic spires of a thirteenth*century

medieval cathedral tower over the strangely empty Nnglish countryside$ &nside, the richly decorated

choir stalls are emptyY the sun filters through the stained*glass windows, streaking the dust*filled air

and illuminating the gilded nave and the hallowed halls, which are covered with a veneer of

centuries of prayer$ Suddenly, there is a blood*curdling screech, and the cathedral is filled with the

scurry of hundreds of spider*like creatures that fill the shadows$ / blast shatters the silence, and

multiple flashes of gunfire light the darkness$ /n archway begins to crumbleY tracer bullets fill the

air, leaving behind red puffs of blood$ Bor a moment there is near*silence, with only strange

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growling whispers to be heard$ Then, the click of reloading, and the shooting begins again$ ?f

course, this is not happening in the actual world, but in a digital game$ The violent shootout is under

way between the alien race called the 8himaera and the last vestiges of humankind in Sonys first*person shooter gameResistane' +all of 4an!155Q#$ Set in an alternative history where Nurope has

been invaded by aliens, a virtual copy of the .anchester 8athedral in Nngland is utterly destroyed

at the hands of warring soldiers and, of course, the gamer$+

This e%ample illustrates how modern video games, such as Resistane' +all of 4an, are

heavily coded with religious undertones, and how they interact with the larger society$ 8onsider for

instance, almost immediately after the release of the game in the Dnited Kingdom, the 8hurch of

Nngland claimed that the digital depiction desecrated the actual physical cathedral and violated

copyright$1 /s the digital recreation of .anchester 8athedral and the controversy its virtual

destruction caused illustrate, religion has a significant presence in the digital conte%t$ &ndeed, sincethe +@@5s everyday religious practices have become increasingly intertwined with new forms of

media$ &n the twenty*first century, scholars have noted how people use digital media to recreate

religious practices4 they visit online shrines, take virtual pilgrimages, and incorporate social media

and the internet into their spiritual routines$ espite this, the study of religion and gaming has not

received much attention in the study of religion and the internet and it remains one of the most

understudied elements of such digital environments$

This article seeks to provide an overview of the study of religion and gaming by outlining the

dominant approaches, developments and themes in this new interdisciplinary field of in"uiry$ Thisreview is then conte%tualie in relation to a forthcoming book, Pla&ing )ith Religion in Digital

Games !8ampbell ; -rieve 15+:#5 which offers a foundation for theoretical reflection on key

themes in the field including how religious gaming is constructed ideologically, and how different

e%pressions of religion and religiosity are manifested in different gaming genres and narratives$

Through this work we demonstrate that digital games are an important site of e%ploration into the

intersection of religion and contemporary culture that helps us understand what religion is, does,

and means in a changing contemporary society$ We contend that 0ust like films helped to illuminate

and e%pose the religiosity of the twentieth century, digital games now depict the religious within the

twenty*first century$

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%7 Prolegomena to the Stud# Religion and Digital Games

Walter ?ng argues in The Presene of the 6ord' %ome Prolegomena for (ultural and ReligiousHistor&, thatdifferent media may make different religiosities possible !see ?ng +@QA#$ ?ng suggests

that religion began in an era of orality, was transmitted into visual form through manuscript writing

as well as print, and has now entered the world in a new way via electronic media$ igital games

represent an important sphere of cultural and religious study, as they reflect and shape

contemporary religiosity in uni"ue intentional and unintentional ways$ igital games have become

a fertile and essential ground for research into what it means to be human in the fullest sense$

Though scholars have begun paying attention to the intersection of religion and digital game

in the past decade, for the most part the intersections between digital games and religion has often

been neglected$ We assert this is typically because of four reasons4 games are widely considered

simply a form of young peoples entertainmentY video games are often seen as artificial or unvalued

forms of e%pressionY technology is thought to be secularY and virtual gaming worlds are seen as

unreal$

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technologists and game designers$ Bor e%ample, in 15+1, /pple stated in its /pp Store -uidelines,

We view /pps different than books or songs, which we do not curate$ &f you want to criticie a

religion, write a book$

The guidelines e%plain that applications containing criti"ues, controversialframings of religious groups, and offensive references to or mis"uotations of religious te%ts will be

re0ected$ 'eligious content should be educational or informative rather than inflammatory$ While

/pples stance appears to be an attempt to limit what could be perceived as offensive content to

dissimilar groups, it also innately communicates that games are not able to provide critical

reflection or arguments about topics such as religion, which the company feels should be covered in

te%t*based, or electronic books$ Burthermore, even though the designer sought to provide a space

where play could reveal wider implications of multiple outcomes, in 15+1 /pple re0ected the game

*ndgame' %&ria !/uroch igital Ltd$ 15+1# !which is based on the real civil war in the .iddle

Nastern nation# because of its perceived targeting of a specific race, culture, a real government orcorporation, or any other real entity$QWhile this can be seen as simply an attempt at ethical

policing of app content, it also points to assumptions about the controversial nature of religion in

popular media content, and that certain media platforms, such as games, should be neutral spaces

avoiding not only stereotyping, but also comple% narratives related to religious history and tradition$

This limiting of how religion is dealt with in app and digital culture is something not seen in game

development in general, since many popular games draw on religious narratives, characters, and

symbols as central themes directing gameplay$ The move toward serious gaming has meant that

games often deal with very comple% historical and cultural framings as religious and political

narratives often underlie gameplay$

'eflecting an implied seculariation theory, a third reason religion tends to be ignored in

relation to gaming is that digital media are seen as the epitome of modernity and therefore imagined

as anathema to religious practice$ Such secularist assumptions draw from the work of early

sociologists such as Karl .ar% and .a% Weber, who have been re*popularied by authors such as

awkins and Hitchens, who claim that society is becoming increasingly seculariedY this work also

contends that scientific progress, especially technological progress, will bring about religions

eventual decline !see awkins 155QY Hitchens 155AY Smith 155A#$ Some have argued that because

digital media and networks bring different traditions in close contact with one another, allowingalternative voices to have a global platform, this will ultimately dissolve traditional faith structures$

&ndeed, some frame the internet in particular as a catalyst for the potential seculariation of society$

Monetheless, as the scholar of religion and digital media 8hristopher Helland claims, 'eligion on

/pp Store -uidelines, viewed +: .arch 15+2, reposted at http499www$cultofmac$com9U@59heres*the*full*te%t*of*apples*new*app*store*guidelines9VpQsm"-D?L3BkSgv$@@$

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the internet is a uni"ue phenomenon$ ue to its massive online presence, it challenges traditional

academic theories that link the seculariation process with developments in modernity and

technology$ !Helland 155#$ &n fact, there is no one evolution of technology$ Since the mid*+@@5s,many religions and religious actors have used digital information technology in radically different

ways to spread and practice their faith !see 8ampbell 155#$ 8onse"uently, as the chapters in

Pla&ing )ith Religion in Digital Games demonstrate, claims that the growth of technology and of

seculariation go hand in hand are unfounded$

Binally, the claim is often made that because digital games are a virtual medium, that means

they are unreal or do not reflect reality$ &ndeed, the "uestion of whether digital games can be viewed

as an authentic form of e%pression has been raised in the courts$ &n /pril 1551, the D$S$ district

0udge Stephen M$ Limbaugh Sr$ ruled that digital games are incapable of conveying ideas based on

reality, and that digital images are not real and therefore en0oy no constitutional protection$ /sevidence, St$ Louis 8ounty presented the 0udge with videotaped e%cerpts from four games, all in the

first*person shooter genre$ &n )une 15++, the D$S$ Supreme 8ourt overturned the ruling, and

declared that digital games are covered under the Birst /mendment4 Like the protected books,

plays and movies that preceded them, video games communicate ideas**and even social messages**

through many familiar literary devices !such as characters, dialogue, plot, and music# and through

features distinctive to the medium !such as the players interaction with the virtual world#$ !see

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&7 Genealog# o, the Stud# o, Religion in Digital Games

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person shooter religion as a theoretical frame to discuss how the boundaries of computer and

gaming culture configure the gaming e%perience in a manner similar to the ways religious culture

and tradition frame behavior in a religious space !see Wagner 15+1#$ /s Wagner illustrates in -odin the -ame4 8osmopolitanism and 'eligious 8onflict in 3ideogames, this e%pression of implicit

religion is even more apparent in the proliferation of handheld digital devices, which offer an

almost religious vision by imposing order on a chaotic environment driven by information overload$

&mplicit religion recognies that seemingly secular practices may serve a religious role in peoples

everyday lives !see

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such a space and culture !see Luft 15+:#$Thus we suggest more nuanced reflections on why gamers

and game designers often read religion into the gaming conte%t is another important area of

investigationBinally, there is a need for more refined theoretical and methodological work to be done in

the study of religion in digital gaming$ Mew scholars have begun to make contributions in this area

by drawing on established work in -ame Studies and considering how they can be applied and

adapted$ We also note new theoretical and methodological approaches emerging from religiously*

focused study of games that may have broader application$ Brom studying ludological structures in

light of spiritual efficacy as a way through e%ploring gaming as a form of implicit religion !see

Steffen 15+:#, to the development of a multimodal approach to game analysis and to investigate

meaning*making pathways in gameplay !see 8arrillo .asso ; /brams 15+:#, we suggest that the

study of religion and gaming can offer new tools and methods that can be applied to other areas ofgame studies$ ?verall, by highlighting what the integration of religion into digital games and

gaming environments may mean and the larger cultural, social, and religious impact of such actions,

Pla&ing )ith Religion in Digital Gamesseeks to enliven discussion of the relationship between

video games and religion$

+7 The 6uture ,or Religion and Digital Game Studies

This article and our forthcoming book Pla&ing )ith Religion in Digital Games seek to draw

attention to an emerging field of scholarship that combines the best elements of -ame Studies and

'eligious Studies$ We argue that studying digital gaming is not merely an end in itself, but a means

of displaying and unlocking the meaning of religion in contemporary society as a whole$ igital

games are not simply mirrors that reflect culture$ 'ather, they fre"uently eschew or alter, like a

funhouse mirror, assumptions about religion$ This means they have the potential to inform or

interpret religious practice as it is reflected back at us, with a selectivity determined by the source$

igital games do not simply mediate religion, but they also mediatie it$ Stig H0arvard in The

.ediatiation of 'eligion4 / Theory of the .edia as /gents of 'eligious 8hange describes the

concept4 the media have developed into an independent institution in society and as a conse"uence,

other institutions become increasingly dependent on the media and have to accommodate the logic

of the media in order to be able to communicate with other institutions and society as a whole$ !see

H0arvard 155U#$

&t is important that -ame Studies do not ignore the role played by religion in shaping

gameplay$ We seek call for scholars of serious games to also take seriously the place and

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performance of religion in public discussions related to digital games$ /lthough in writing about the

.anchester 8athedral, &an ersuasive -ames4 The 'everence of Resistane defends

Sonys use of the cathedral, he criticies the corporations response as a self*defeating statement,which while addressing gun violence, does not speak to how the cathedral plays into the game itself$

atsy

.cKie from .others /gainst 3iolence maintained, the game is something that needs to be taken

seriously first by the 8hurch but also by parents$++

Bor the 8hurch of Nngland this was a matter of ultimate concern$ Bor Sony, the cathedral was

0ust part of a game$ The church wanted to ignore the game$ Sony wanted to ignore religion$ This

lack of nuance may be partially due to the relative adolescence of the mediumY indeed, film took

"uite a few decades to mature as a tool for art and e%pression$ Monetheless, we argue that a nuancedinvestigation of religion within igital -ame Studies adds to the public conversation something that

is missing from much of the discussion concerning digital religious games4 analysis of the games

themselves, especially how religion plays out in them$ We see the importance of e%ploring why

+5 -amasutra, 155A >ersuasive -ames4 The 'everence ?f 'esistance,viewed +: .arch 15+2http499www$gamasutra$com9view9feature9+QU@9persuasiveOgamesOtheOreverenceOofO$php$

++

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video games use religious structures such as churches and cathedrals as central narratives and the

implication of reading religion through the processes of play$

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pressi!e Po)er of /ideogame58ambridge, .ass$4 .&T>ress$

ro)n5 Go!ernor of (alifornia !. *ntertainment 4erhants "ssoiation et al.15+1, 5UE+::U,viewed+: .arch 15+2,http499www$supremecourt$gov9opinions9+5pdf95U*+::U$pdf$$

15+: !eds$#4Pla&ing )ith Religion in Digital Games5ress$

8arrillo . & ; /brams, M 15+:,Locating the >i%elated )ew4 / .ultimodal .ethod for N%ploring)udaism in The %hi!ah25in H 8ampbell and -> -regory !eds$#,Pla&ing )ith Religion in Digital

Game, ress$

awkins, ' 155Q, The God Delusion, h$$ dissertation, Trinity Nvangelical ivinity School$

Heins, . 1551, &nteractive igital Software /ssociation et al$ v$ St$ Louis 8ounty et al$

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Helland, 8 155, ?nline 'eligion as Lived 'eligion4 .ethodological &ssues in the Study of'eligious >articipation on the &nternet(,Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet +, no$ +,viewed+: .arch 15+2http499archiv$ub$uni*heidelberg$de9vollte%tserver9U129$

Hitchens, 8 155A, God Is Kot Great' Ho) Religion Poisons *!er&thing, Mew ork4Twelve9Hachette$

H0arvard, S 155U, The .ediatiation of 'eligion4 / Theory of the .edia as /gents of 'eligious8hange(, &nKorthern 0ights 899F' Bearboo, of +ilm C 4edia %tudies. ress$

Huiinga, ) +@,Homo 0udens' " %tud& of the Pla&3*lement in (ulture$ ress$

>argman, ; >eter ) 155U, o ou late, < 15+5,'eligion &s >laying -ames4 >laying 3ideo -ods, >laying to >lay(,Religious %tudiesand Theolog&5vol$ 1@, no$ 1, pp$ 1+*125$

Scholt, 8 155, Bascinating Technology4 8omputer -ames as an &ssue for 'eligious Nducation(,

ritish Journal of Religious *duation5vol$ 1A, no$ 1, pp$ +A2*+U:$Scholt, 8 155:, 'eligious Nducation and the 8hallenge of 8omputer -ames4 'esearch>erspectives on a Mew &ssue(, in N, Steuter ; , Willis !eds$# To)ards a *uropean Perspeti!e on

Religious *duation, Dniversity of Lund >ress Sweden$

Schut, K 15+1, Of Games and God' " (hristian *>ploration of /ideo Games$ -rand 'apids, .&$4

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Schut, K 15+:, They Kill .ystery4 The .echanistic -regory !eds$#,Pla&ing )ith Religion in DigitalGame, ress$

]isler, 3 155U, igital /rabs4 'epresentation in 3ideo -ames(,*uropean Journal of (ultural%tudies5vol$ ++, no$ 1 pp$152*115$

]isler, 3 155@, (>alestine in >i%els4 The Holy Land, /rab*&sraeli 8onflict, and 'eality 8onstructionin 3ideo -ames(,4iddle *ast Journal of (ulture and (ommuniation5vol$ 1, no$ 1, pp$1A*1@1$

]isler, 3 155Q, ('epresentation and Self*'epresentation4 /rabs and .uslims in igital -ames(, in., Santorineos ; M, imitriadi !eds$# Gaming Realities' " (hallenge for Digital (ulture, /thens4Bourmos 8enter for igital 8ulture$

]isler, 3 155@,(3ideo -ames, 3ideo 8lips, and &slam4 Mew .edia and the 8ommunication of3alues(, in ) >ink !ed$#4uslim %oieties in the "ge of 4ass (onsumption5Mewcastle4 8ambridgeScholars$

]isler, 3 15+:, BromAumaQ6arto uraish4 'epresentation of &slam in /rab and /merican 3ideo-ames(, in H 8ampbell and -> -regory !eds$#,Pla&ing )ith Religion in Digital Game,ress$

Smith,- 155A," %hort Histor& of %eularism. London4 Tauris$

Steffen, ? 15+:,(-od .odes( and -od .oods(4 What oes a igital -ame Meed to -regory !eds$#,Pla&ing )ith Religion in Digital Game,

ress$

Karen S 1552,Its Kot the 4edia' The Truth about Popular (ultures Influene on (hildren.Mework4 Westview

Steuter, N ; Wills, 15+5,(-aming at the Nnd of the World4 8oercion, 8onversion and the/pocalyptic Self(,0eft ehind' *ternal +oresigital >lay$Reonstrution' %tudies in(ontemporar& (ulture5vol$ +5, no$ +$ viewed +: .arch 15+2http499reconstruction$eserver$org9+5+9reconO+5+OsteuterOwills$shtml$$

3ander & 8 15++, -aming with -od4 / 8ase for the Study of 'eligion in 3ideo -ames(, Senior

Thesis, Hartford, 8T4 Trinity 8ollege$

Wagner ' 15+5, (?ur Lady of >ersistent Liminality4 3irtual 8hurch, 8yberspace, and Second Life(,&n God in the Details, 1nd ed.Ndited by .ichael .aur and Kate .c8arthy$ London4 'outledge$

Wagner, ' 15+1,(Birst*>erson Shooter 'eligion4 /lgorithmic 8ulture and &nter*'eligious Nncounter,(ross (urrents, vol$ Q1, no$ 1, pp$ +U+*152$

Wagner ' 15+1b, God)ired' Religion5 Ritual and /irtual Realit&, London4 'outledge,$

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Wagner ' 15+1c, 'eligion and 3ideo -ames(, in T 'ay 8lark ; W$ 8lanton )r$!eds$#-nderstanding Religion and Popular (ulture, Mew ork4 'outledge,

Wagner ' 15+:, The &mportance of >laying in Narnest(, in H 8ampbell and -> -regory !eds$#,Pla&ing )ith Religion in Digital Game, ress$

Walter, < S$ -$ 15+:,1%ilent Hilland+atal +rame4 Binding Transcendent Horror in and beyond theHaunted .agic 8ircle(, in H 8ampbell and -> -regory !eds$#,Pla&ing )ith Religion in DigitalGame, ress$

eiler, 15+:, The -lobal .ediatiation of Hinduism through igital -ames4 'epresentationversus Simulation inHanuman' o& 6arrior(, in H 8ampbell and -> -regory !eds$#,Pla&ing )ith

Religion in Digital Game, ress$

4iographies

-'N-?' >'&8N -'&N3N is an /ssociate >rofessor at the Dniversity of Morth8arolina -reensboro$ He researches and teaches at the intersection of /sianreligions, media, and popular culture$ Specifically, he is a leader in the field ofdigital religion, and a pioneer in the emerging field of religion in digital games$algrave, 155A# as well as co*editor of Historiizing Tradition in the%tud& of Religion !e -ruyter, 155# andPla&ing )ith Religion in Digital Gaming!Dniv of &ndiana >ress, 15+:#$He also serves the profession, university, college,

and the community$ &n his free time, he makes films, gardens, games and co*ownsScuppernong rice -rieveepartment of 'eligious StudiesThe Dniversity of Morth 8arolina, -reensboro+5Q Boust

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HN&& /$ 8/.>rofessor of 8ommunication and /ffiliateBaculty in 'eligious Studies at Te%as /;. Dniversity where she teaches in media,religion and culture$ She is also irector of the Metwork for Mew .edia, 'eligion

and igital 8ulture Studies !http499digital religion$tamu$edu#$ She is author of*>ploring Religious (ommunit& Online !>eter Lang, 155# and 6hen Religion4eets Ke) 4edia !'outledge 15+5#, editor of Digital Religion' -nderstandingReligious Pratie in Ke) 4edia 6orld !'outledge 15+2# and co*editor ofPla&ing)ith Religion in Digital Gaming!Dniv of &ndiana >ress, 15+:#$ r 8ampbell has

been "uoted as an e%pert on religion and the internet in numerous media includingthe (hiago Tribune5 0os "ngeles Times, 6all %treet Journal5 and on the (

Radio 6orld%er!ie$

Heidi / 8ampbellepartment of 8ommunication

Te%as /;. Dniversity.S :12:*+51

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