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.
Lars de Wildt is Assistant Professor in Media and Cultural Industries at the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies, University of Groningen. He was previously a (visiting) researcher at the universities of Leuven, Tampere, Montréal, and Deakin. He studies how media industries and media cultures change each other, such as how videogames changed religion and how religion changed videogames in a post-secular age. For more, see larsdewildt.eu.
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 .