Gaming Religionworlds: Why Religious Studies Should Pay Attention to Religion in Gaming

This roundtable article discusses the intersection between digital gaming, new media, and Religious Studies in order to provide an agenda for this growing conversation. We argue that religion plays a prominent role in gaming culture with significant impact on popular collective imaginations; therefore, studying religion in gaming should be central to religious scholars' work in trying to understand perceptions of religion in popular culture. This collaborative conversation demonstrates how careful attention to religious narratives, rituals, and behaviors within game studies and environments can open up a space for critical reflection on how popular understandings of religion are manifest within contemporary media and society. Overall, it demonstrates what Religious Studies can and should contribute to the study of games by considering several critical questions about the study of religion within digital gaming and speculating where this field should be heading.