Finding God In The World Of Video Games
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Author | : Liel Leibovitz |
Publisher | : Templeton Foundation Press |
Total Pages | : 157 |
Release | : 2014-02-21 |
Genre | : Social Science |
ISBN | : 1599474506 |
What might Heidegger say about Halo, the popular video game franchise, if he were alive today? What would Augustine think about Assassin’s Creed? What could Maimonides teach us about Nintendo’s eponymous hero, Mario? While some critics might dismiss such inquiries outright, protesting that these great thinkers would never concern themselves with a medium so crude and mindless as video games, it is important to recognize that games like these are becoming the defining medium of our time. We spend more time and money on video games than on books, television, or film, and any serious thinker of our age should be concerned with these games, what they are saying about us, and what we are learning from them. Yet video games remain relatively unexplored by both scholars and pundits alike. Few have advanced beyond outmoded and futile attempts to tie gameplay to violent behavior. With this rumor now thoroughly and repeatedly disproven, it is time to delve deeper. Just as the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan recently acquired fourteen games as part of its permanent collection, so too must we seek to add a serious consideration of virtual worlds to the pantheon of philosophical inquiry. In God in the Machine, author Liel Leibovitz leads a fascinating tour of the emerging virtual landscape and its many dazzling vistas from which we are offered new vantage points on age-old theological and philosophical questions. Free will vs. determinism, the importance of ritual, transcendence through mastery, notions of the self, justice and sin, life, death, and resurrection all come into play in the video games that some critics so quickly write off as mind-numbing wastes of time. When one looks closely at how these games are designed, their inherent logic, and their cognitive effects on players, it becomes clear that playing these games creates a state of awareness vastly different from when we watch television or read a book. Indeed, the gameplay is a far more dynamic process that draws on various faculties of mind and body to evoke sensations that might more commonly be associated with religious experience. Getting swept away in an engaging game can be a profoundly spiritual activity. It is not to think, but rather to be, a logic that sustained our ancestors for millennia as they looked heavenward for answers. As more and more of us look “screenward,” it is crucial to investigate these games for their vast potential as fine instruments of moral training. Anyone seeking a concise and well-reasoned introduction to the subject would do well to start with God in the Machine. By illuminating both where video game storytelling is now and where it currently butts up against certain inherent limitations, Liebovitz intriguingly implies how the field and, in turn, our experiences might continue to evolve and advance in the coming years.
Author | : Craig Detweiler |
Publisher | : Westminster John Knox Press |
Total Pages | : 258 |
Release | : 2010-01-25 |
Genre | : Religion |
ISBN | : 1611640040 |
Craig Detweiler's collection of up-to-the-minute essays on video games' theological themes (and yes, they do exist!) is an engaging and provocative book for gamers, parents, pastors, media scholars, and theologians--virtually anyone who has dared to consider the ramifications of modern society's obsession with video games and online media. Together, these essays take on an exploding genre in popular culture and interpret it through a refreshing and enlightening philosophical lens.
Author | : Kevin Schut |
Publisher | : Baker Books |
Total Pages | : 281 |
Release | : 2013-01-15 |
Genre | : Religion |
ISBN | : 1441240519 |
Video games are big business, generating billions of dollars annually. The long-held stereotype of the gamer as a solitary teen hunched in front of his computer screen for hours is inconsistent with the current makeup of a diverse and vibrant gaming community. The rise of this cultural phenomenon raises a host of questions: Are some games too violent? Do they hurt or help our learning? Do they encourage escapism? How do games portray gender? Such questions have generated lots of talk, but missing from much of the discussion has been a Christian perspective. Kevin Schut, a communications expert and an enthusiastic gamer himself, offers a lively, balanced, and informed Christian evaluation of video games and video game culture. He expertly engages a variety of issues, encouraging readers to consider both the perils and the promise of this major cultural phenomenon. The book includes a foreword by Quentin J. Schultze.
Author | : Danny Tobey |
Publisher | : Hachette UK |
Total Pages | : 452 |
Release | : 2020-01-09 |
Genre | : Fiction |
ISBN | : 1473224500 |
'Like an episode of Black Mirror written by Stephen King' John Marrs, bestselling author of The One 'Immersive, claustrophobic . . . addictive' Guardian Win and All Your Dreams Come TrueTM! ;) Charlie and his friends have entered the God Game. Tasks are delivered through their phones. When they accomplish a mission, the game rewards them. Charlie's money problems could be over. Vanhi can erase the one bad grade on her university application. It's all fun and games - at first. Then the threatening messages start. Obey me. Mysterious packages show up at their homes. Shadowy figures start following them. Who else is playing this game, and how far will they go to win? As Charlie looks for a way out, there's only one rule he knows for sure. If you die in the game, you die for real. 'Smart, propulsive and gripping' Harlan Coben, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author
Author | : Moriah Jane |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 166 |
Release | : 2021-05-15 |
Genre | : |
ISBN | : |
Being a Christian can be tough. Being an otaku can be tough. But being both at once? Sometimes it seems easier to become Hokage rather than explaining your faith and passions to others. That is why we otaku have united in this devotional: To encourage otaku like youspiritually and through a medium we all cherish. In this devotional, you will find God in the animes you know and love. Each devotional presents spiritual lessons found in animes ranging from the world-famous Attack on Titan to fan-favorite Haikyu!! to beloved classics like Cowboy Bebop. Each piece will feature a different theme such as: Human Will vs. The Holy Spirit in Yona of the Dawn Choosing to be Free in Free! Swim Club Not by My Might in My Hero Academia ...and many others! We believe that God can be seen throughout His creation--even in places where people might not intend! So pull out your cosplay and snuggle close with your plushies as you join us in Finding God in Anime.
Author | : Jim Hall |
Publisher | : WestBow Press |
Total Pages | : 171 |
Release | : 2019-12-12 |
Genre | : Religion |
ISBN | : 1973680254 |
Based on the song, “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places,” Finding God: Looking for Him in All the Right Places helps people change course and choose a more satisfying, fulfilling, and meaningful path. Author Jim Hall discusses how attaining happiness can’t be found through such things as work, status, video games, cell phones, and other superficial means, but rather through the Bible and God. Finding God is about: making decisions and committing to them; language—being able to articulate what our words mean; modern culture, including its fascination with technology; you and the need for more peace, meaning, and satisfaction in your life; consciousness and the role God plays in it; and Jesus of Nazareth, the most influential person ever born. In Finding God, Hall offers a look at God, Jesus, the Bible, and the reasons why you need to bring them actively into your life.
Author | : Angela Banae Patterson |
Publisher | : WestBow Press |
Total Pages | : 97 |
Release | : 2024-05-15 |
Genre | : Religion |
ISBN | : |
At a more rapid pace than ever, we are all journeying through this treacherous life and sometimes we lose sight of God’s goodness and the redemptive grace God has for each of us. Finding God’s Grace in This Messy World is a Bible study that helps the reader dig into the Bible and study the life of a deceptive man named Jacob who found God’s beautiful grace even though he made so many mistakes. Read and discover that God’s saving grace is waiting for each of us, as well. Join Angela Banae Patterson in this four week study as you learn how to study the Bible. Through Angela’s wit and her personal stories, you’ll see the beauty of God woven in her life and though she has fallen short time and time again, she has always felt the forgiveness of her Father. Throughout this book, you’ll: • Study how God richly displayed His grace to a deceptive man, Jacob. • Reflect on your own memories and see how God is working in your life. • Learn how God’s grace and forgiveness is readily available to each of us, no matter what tarnished past we may have. • Discover how God can change us to live a life more boldly for Him as we draw closer to Jesus.
Author | : Anne Robertson |
Publisher | : Church Publishing, Inc. |
Total Pages | : 159 |
Release | : 2009-04-01 |
Genre | : Religion |
ISBN | : 0819226874 |
You may be the only Jesus some people ever meet! Suppose that the 2:00 am feeding of your infant daughter was not just meeting a physical need but also was teaching her that God’s provision could be trusted? And suppose her cries for succor were also teaching you to respond to the cries of Jesus when he presents himself as “the least of these”? Based on the Great Commandment, this book examines relationships common to us all—those of intimacy, authority, rivalry, and otherness— and shows how learning to love within those relationships affects our relationship with God. Supported by biblical examples and references to psychological studies, this book examines all our basic relationships—family relationships, relationships with authority figures, friends and enemies, companion animals, even virtual relationships—to show how learning to love within those relationships is truly divine work. In a culture where relationships are often divisive and exploitative, and where the call to love enemies often seems impractical, this book offers the reminder that every relationship provides an opportunity to love God in the other and to be “God with skin on” for that person in return.
Author | : Frank G. Bosman |
Publisher | : Routledge |
Total Pages | : 229 |
Release | : 2019-03-04 |
Genre | : Religion |
ISBN | : 0429018681 |
This book formulates a new theological approach to the study of religion in gaming. Video games have become one of the most important cultural artifacts of modern society, both as mediators of cultural, social, and religious values and in terms of commercial success. This has led to a significant increase in the critical analysis of this relatively new medium, but theology as an academic discipline is noticeably behind the other humanities on this subject. The book first covers the fundamentals of cultural theology and video games. It then moves on to set out a Christian systematic theology of gaming, focusing on creational theology, Christology, anthropology, evil, moral theology, and thanatology. Each chapter introduces case studies from video games connected to the specific theme. In contrast to many studies which focus on online multiplayer games, the examples considered are largely single player games with distinct narratives and ‘end of game’ moments. The book concludes by synthesizing these themes into a new theology of video games. This study addresses a significant aspect of contemporary society that has yet to be discussed in any depth by theologians. It is, therefore, a fantastic resource for any scholar engaging with the religious aspects of digital and popular culture.
Author | : Mark J.P. Wolf |
Publisher | : Routledge |
Total Pages | : 676 |
Release | : 2014-01-03 |
Genre | : Games & Activities |
ISBN | : 1136290508 |
The number of publications dealing with video game studies has exploded over the course of the last decade, but the field has produced few comprehensive reference works. The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies, compiled by well-known video game scholars Mark J. P. Wolf and Bernard Perron, aims to address the ongoing theoretical and methodological development of game studies, providing students, scholars, and game designers with a definitive look at contemporary video game studies. Features include: comprehensive and interdisciplinary models and approaches for analyzing video games; new perspectives on video games both as art form and cultural phenomenon; explorations of the technical and creative dimensions of video games; accounts of the political, social, and cultural dynamics of video games. Each essay provides a lively and succinct summary of its target area, quickly bringing the reader up-to-date on the pertinent issues surrounding each aspect of the field, including references for further reading. Together, they provide an overview of the present state of game studies that will undoubtedly prove invaluable to student, scholar, and designer alike.