Currently working on new ritual practices, I would be particularly interested in the existance of a new unit at AAR on Religion and videogaming. This is an ideal field for studying the processes underlying the creation of new ritual forms, and the emergence of new modes of medaiated religious experience.
C
Chris Helland
6 years ago
Video games have significant cultural impact and need to be studied and discussed at a higher academic level.
A
Anonymous
6 years ago
United States
P
Paula Thompson
6 years ago
Video gaming including esports is growing. Moral issues are playing out in a variety of ways. Religion plays into this in different ways and this unit is important for scholars of religion.
D
David Mcconeghy
6 years ago
This seminar has been a thriving community of scholarship and deserves the long-term support of a Program Unit designation. The work done so far is methodologically diverse, theoretically sophisticated, and reflects a diversity of voices and research areas. Gaming is a multi-billion dollar growth industry that will only increase in importance as time continues. The AAR needs to be advancing the spaces for this scholarship and developing the community of scholars working on this important area.
S
Stephen Garner
6 years ago
I support the movement of the seminar to a unit. A much-needed forum in today's world.
A
Aaron J Goldman
6 years ago
PhD Candidate, Harvard University
*Video games serve as a window into contemporary global popular culture as well as a set of texts worthy of distinct intellectual consideration, rivaling films, etc.*
C
Christian Schwarke
6 years ago
Considering how important video games are (especially, but not solely) to younger people, it is extremely desirable to have this unit.
M
Megan Selander
6 years ago
This seminar has produced really interesting work and I would love to see it continue to grow!
T
Thomas Schlag
6 years ago
I attendend one of the very insightful and fruitful seminars at the AAR in San Diego and would highly recommend turning the seminar into a unit. Kind regards, Thomas Schlag
K
Kaitlyn Ugoretz
6 years ago
PhD Candidate at University of California, Santa Barbara. This is an important and growing field. We need to be able to share and improve our research together in a visible and organized way.
L
Lisle Dalton
6 years ago
Featured
I think this unit can be justified by the quality of its contributions to the academic study of religion, but look as well at the larger economic and cultural footprint of video games (industry claims 138 billion dollars revenues annually), the growth of eSports on college campuses, and the attendant possibilities for academic programs. All warrant sustained attention from the AAR.
T
Timothy Smith
6 years ago
PhD Candidate, Religious Studies, UNC Chapel Hill
I
Ilia Delio
6 years ago
yes.
B
Brent Smith
6 years ago
Associate Professor and Assistant Chair, Integral, Religious, and Intercultural Studies Department, Grand Valley State University
J
Jordan Loewen
6 years ago
Featured
Video games are on their way to becoming the most significant cultural-entertainment force in the world. If religious scholars do not start taking it seriously now, we will find ourselves left behind and irrelevant as a discipline.
J
Jacob Boss
6 years ago
We need a video games and religion unit!
B
Barbara Rogers Washington Rogers
6 years ago
yes.
J
Joshua Wise
6 years ago
Yes, this is an important area of study for the AAR.
J
Jacob Torbeck
6 years ago
Featured
Video Games are important cultural media that make use of, comment on, and advance theological ideas, and shape religious and moral imaginations.
Currently working on new ritual practices, I would be particularly interested in the existance of a new unit at AAR on Religion and videogaming. This is an ideal field for studying the processes underlying the creation of new ritual forms, and the emergence of new modes of medaiated religious experience.
Video games have significant cultural impact and need to be studied and discussed at a higher academic level.
United States
Video gaming including esports is growing. Moral issues are playing out in a variety of ways. Religion plays into this in different ways and this unit is important for scholars of religion.
This seminar has been a thriving community of scholarship and deserves the long-term support of a Program Unit designation. The work done so far is methodologically diverse, theoretically sophisticated, and reflects a diversity of voices and research areas. Gaming is a multi-billion dollar growth industry that will only increase in importance as time continues. The AAR needs to be advancing the spaces for this scholarship and developing the community of scholars working on this important area.
I support the movement of the seminar to a unit. A much-needed forum in today's world.
PhD Candidate, Harvard University *Video games serve as a window into contemporary global popular culture as well as a set of texts worthy of distinct intellectual consideration, rivaling films, etc.*
Considering how important video games are (especially, but not solely) to younger people, it is extremely desirable to have this unit.
This seminar has produced really interesting work and I would love to see it continue to grow!
I attendend one of the very insightful and fruitful seminars at the AAR in San Diego and would highly recommend turning the seminar into a unit. Kind regards, Thomas Schlag
PhD Candidate at University of California, Santa Barbara. This is an important and growing field. We need to be able to share and improve our research together in a visible and organized way.
I think this unit can be justified by the quality of its contributions to the academic study of religion, but look as well at the larger economic and cultural footprint of video games (industry claims 138 billion dollars revenues annually), the growth of eSports on college campuses, and the attendant possibilities for academic programs. All warrant sustained attention from the AAR.
PhD Candidate, Religious Studies, UNC Chapel Hill
yes.
Associate Professor and Assistant Chair, Integral, Religious, and Intercultural Studies Department, Grand Valley State University
Video games are on their way to becoming the most significant cultural-entertainment force in the world. If religious scholars do not start taking it seriously now, we will find ourselves left behind and irrelevant as a discipline.
We need a video games and religion unit!
yes.
Yes, this is an important area of study for the AAR.
Video Games are important cultural media that make use of, comment on, and advance theological ideas, and shape religious and moral imaginations.