No Avatars Allowed

JOSHUA WISE is an independent scholar of Theology and popular culture. He earned his doctorate in systematic theology from The Catholic University of America. The author of Weeping Cedars, Deephome, and editor of Past the Sky's Rim: The Elder Scrolls and Theology, he co-hosts the podcast No Avatars Allowed. Dr. Wise lives in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, where he is the Theologian in Residence for Incarnation Holy Sacrament Church.

• Foreword by Father Benjamin Gildas, AF Introduction CHAPTER 1Generations of Believers That Game CHAPTER 2Violence: The Virtual and the Real CHAPTER 3The Church’s Suspicions about Video Games CHAPTER 4It’s a Secret to Everybody: The Limits of Knowledge CHAPTER 5He Emptied Himself: Rethinking the Incarnation CHAPTER 6The Mass Effected: Can There Be Virtual Sacraments? CHAPTER 7Scouting Things Out for Future Explorations Conclusion

"No Avatars Allowed is a valuable contribution to discussions Christians are having about video games. Joshua Wise writes in clear and accessible language about important topics surrounding theology, philosophy, and gaming. He raises insightful points that will hopefully spur discussions around a part of culture that the Christian Church still struggles to come to terms with."—Kevin Schut, Professor of Media + Communication and Game Development, Trinity Western University, and author of Of Games and God: A Christian Exploration of Video Games