The coolest part of my job is acquiring interesting new books about cutting-edge developments in religion. So I was especially excited when theologian/filmmaker/author Craig Detweiler approached me a little over a year ago with an idea for Halos and Avatars, a book about religion and video games--possibly the world's first-ever book-length exploration of the theological implications of gaming. The book hit stores last week; you can listen to the WJK Radio interview with the author here or check out his blog, Purple State of Craig (lots of good recent film reviews, especially from Sundance). Here's a short e-conversation about the book.
How
did you get the idea for Halos & Avatars, and why do you think the book is
important?
My first
book, A Matrix of Meanings: Finding God in Pop Culture ostensibly covers most
forms of media including sports, advertising and fashion. I had a student at Fuller Seminary who
wanted to know why we didn't cover video games. I didn't have a good answer. We simply didn't get around to it, perhaps because we (my
co-author, Barry Taylor, and I) aren't digital natives. The student who pushed me, Kevin
Newgren, actually has a chapter in Halos and Avatars on the power of BioShock
to spark serious soul searching. So I love when students challenge you...:)
When
we hear "religion" and "video games" in the same sentence,
it's usually because someone in the church is decrying games as time-wasters as
best or violent harbingers of societal doom at worst. Why have Christians been
so down on video games?
Rachel
Wagner has a fascinating chapter in Halos and Avatars about how uncomfortable
seemingly open-ended games may be to those who adhere to a closed canon. We don't want to think about
manipulating Jesus or altering the outcome of the game of life. It all seems fixed in many religious
mindsets. So perhaps
the volitional aspect of gaming that makes it so attract to young players
actually makes it appear 'anti-institutional' or 'anti-dogma' to those passing
on a seemingly closed set of beliefs or practices.I'm
intrigued by how game designers may collapse the ancient tension between
predestination and free will.
The game has a clear, foreordained outcome, but how you reach that end
has myriads of possibilities.
What
do video games have to teach us about the power of story and about the gospel?
It was
difficult to see something deep or thoughtful behind Pac-Man or Space
Invaders. The basic goals and
storyline are so simple. But
most adults don't realize how quickly games have matured. The scale of the stories is
immense--much larger than the most ambitious movies in terms of size and
complexity. So many of us
are just now waking up to the narrative power of games.
The
most popular games often have the most ambitious storylines. Halo is a great
critique of blind faith. It
challenges players to dig deeper, to not accept everything you've been told at
face value. Games also allow players to tap into a much larger struggle, often
on a cosmic scale. In Halos
and Avatars, Dan Hodge writes about how video games offer players a chance to
participate in "ultimate battles," to play an essential part in the grandest
narratives we can imagine.
At their best, games offer us a taste of heroism and call us toward
virtues of sacrifice, honor, and integrity. At their best...
What
do you think lies in store for the future of gaming and spirituality?
We're
just finished a golden era in gaming. The technical advances were immense. But the next wave of games will
have to do more than "wow" players.
They will have to combine eye-popping effects with enduring questions of
humanity--why are we here, what is our purpose, how should we live. Questions of responsibility have
already crept into "God games" like Civilization and The Sims. As we struggle with limited
resources on the planet, a generation steeped in simulation game like The Sims
will have already wrestled with those vexing realities.
The
gaming generation will offer a major challenge to religions rooted in sacred
texts like The Bible. How can a
static text be translated into a dynamic document? How can the thrills and chills of scripture be
communicated to a generation used to actively responding to challenges? That will be a serious hurdle for
institutionalized religions...
And
now, true confessions time: which games do you play, and how much?
All of
us wrestle with limited time amongst all kinds of electronic entertainment--from
TV and films, to Facebook and email. So my game time corresponds to my kids'
interests. For my children,
the Wii rules. I've logged many
hours of Mario Kart, competing for the Mushroom Cup. And reliving Indiana Jones as a Lego character. That is the strangest and coolest
at the same time....