Del i serien Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture

Theology, Religion, and Dungeons & Dragons

Explorations of the Sacred through Fantasy Worlds

Häftad, Engelska, 2026

AvScott Donahue-Martens,Brandon Simonson

639 kr

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On its 50th anniversary, the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) has found renewed popularity and a generally positive representation in popular culture. Reflecting on these fifty years of development and history, and looking forward to D&D’s bright future, Theology, Religion, and Dungeons & Dragons: Explorations of the Sacred through Fantasy Worlds explores the intersection of D&D with the academic disciplines of Theology and Religious Studies. From Tolkien’s notion of sub-creation to pedagogical ponderings on hell, readers will uncover deeply theological and religious aspects of Dungeons & Dragons in this volume. Unlike some during the so-called Satanic Panic, the authors of this volume embrace D&D as spiritually and theologically formative. Discussions on alignment and campaign settings like Dark Sun and Ravenloft foreground notions of interrelating and wellbeing, and reflections on communal conceptions of canon and spiritual formation chart paths forward by understanding historical realities. This volume responds to growing interest in the academic study of tabletop role-playing games in general and D&D in specific, and it addresses pressing issues in the academic disciplines of Theology and Religious Studies.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-08-20
Mått152 x 229 x 16 mm
Vikt397 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
SerieTheology, Religion, and Pop Culture
Antal sidor300
FörlagBloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN9781978716049

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ForewordDerek W. WhitePrefaceAcknowledgementsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction: On Dungeons & Dragons, Fantasy, Religion, and TheologyBrandon Simonson and Scott Donahue-MartensPart One: Perception & PerformanceChapter One: Healing Words: D&D Magic, Speech-Act Theory, and ChaplaincyScott Donahue-MartensChapter Two: Roll for Discernment: Dungeon Master as St. Ignatius’ Spiritual DirectorSusan HaarmanChapter Three: From Redemption Arcs to Making Your Own God: Redemption and Authenticity in Critical Role and Dimension 20Michael Buttrey and Leah DeJongChapter Four: Role-play, Spiritual Formation, and Theological EducationFred E. Webster, Jr. and Thomas G. Hermans-WebsterPart Two: Heroes & HistoryChapter Five: Canon in Dungeons & Dragons: Insight from Ancient JudaismScott Donahue-Martens and Brandon SimonsonChapter Six: The Harrowing of Avernus: Delving into Hell from Antiquity to Dungeons & DragonsAndrew J. O’ConnorChapter Seven: The Role and Function of Religious Names in the Creative World of Dungeons & DragonsBrandon SimonsonChapter Eight: Tolkien’s Shadow: The Sub-Creating Influence of Middle Earth on Dungeons & DragonsScott Donahue-MartensPart Three: Adventures & AlignmentChapter Nine: Abandon All Hope and Roll for Initiative: Reading Dante into Baldur’s Gate: Descent Into AvernusVictoria HawcoChapter Ten: The Gilded Gothic Cages: Corruption, Judgment, and Moral Development in Ravenloft’s Domains of DreadMartine Gjermundsen RæstadChapter Eleven: “Does Anyone Here Eat Elf?” Ecotheology in the Dark Sun Campaign Setting Daniel Ambord Chapter Twelve: A Chaotic-Historical Reflection on Alignment in Dungeons & DragonsNathan P. GilmourEpilogueAbout the Editors and Contributors

The boundary between tabletop roleplaying and religious ritual has always been thin. This volume explores the connections between the two, tracing the religious influences on D&D and illustrating how imaginative quests can shape players morally and spiritually. Since the essays do not presume prior familiarity with D&D or religion, readers who don’t know a natural twenty from natural theology will still learn something worthwhile about ethics, mythology, and collaborative creativity.