Ep. 24: Gaming Religion (Live Recording from SXSW 2018)

Hey Broadbeans! Today we’re interrupting our regularly scheduled programming to bring you a special live recording! On March 13th 2018, JD had the great honor of sitting alongside Dr. Gregory Grieve, Dr. Vit Sisler, and Helen Osman for a panel at SXSW titled “Gaming Religion: Finding Faith in Digital Games”.

As it turns out, religion and games have a lot to say to one another. Religious themes have supported the story lines of many mainstream games, from World of Warcraft to Halo and Civilizations. Gaming has also been described as a spiritual endeavor by avid gamers, and religious groups are increasingly creating and using games to counter religious stereotypes and teach members about core beliefs and practices. Stay tuned for a unique discussion about the ways that religion, ethics, and digital gaming intersect through the lenses of research, development, and education, and how video games can address issues of tolerance and cultivate civility in the digital age.

You may recognize Dr. Grieve from episode 5, “Imagining Play, Religion, and Education”, and we're over-the-moon to have the voices of Dr. Sisler and Helen Osman on this channel for the first time. 

Helen Osman is a communications expert who partners with leadership to raise visibility and create momentum for mission-focused and grassroots organizations, including clients such as Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Greg Grieve is a Professor and Head of the Religious Studies Department at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He researches and teaches at the intersection of digital culture, religion, and Asian traditions.

Vit Sisler is an Assistant Professor of New Media Studies at Charles University in Prague. His research focuses on serious video games, information and communication technologies in the Middle East, and Islam and digital media. He is also a lead designer of the award-winning video game on contemporary history, Attentat 1942, a 2018 IGF finalist in Excellence in Narrative.

To follow along with the audio, watch the intro video by Dr. Heidi Campbell on Youtube and download the presentation visuals from dropbox.

Stuff We Mentioned...
Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of Silver Blaze (Book)
Playing with Religion in Digital Games (Book)
Second Life (Game?)
Cyber Zen (Book)
Buddhism, the Internet, and Digital Media (Book)
Methods for Studying Video Games and Religion (Book)
Attentat 1942 (Game)
NATO Commander (Game)
Kuma/War (Game)
Harem Adventura (Game)
Radwan Kasmiya, Author of