Page - 200 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 07/01

200 | Christian Wessely www.jrfm.eu 2021, 7/1, 200–204 Christian Wessely Book Review Frank G. Bosman, Gaming and the Divine A New Systematic Theology of Video Games London: Routledge, 2019, 265 pages, ISBN: 978-1-138-57956-9 With the series “New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Stud- ies” Routledge is publishing new approaches in well-established academic disciplines. Amongst the volumes published in this series so far is Frank Bos- man’s Gaming and the Divine, and not only does it fit perfectly with the pur- pose of the series, it is in itself (spoiler alert!) absolutely worth reading. In his introduction, Bosman establishes the connection between computer games and theology using an episode of Assassins Creed Rouge, which thema- tizes the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. He then notes popular misconceptions about the personality of gamers (3) and alerts readers to a blind spot about (serious) theological topics in computer games. Bosman’s discussion of the state of research shows not only great competence but also a high level of experience with the products he is analysing. Yet for me, as a fundamental theologian, his next step is even more important. He discusses the value of computer games as a locus theologicus, referring to Cano’s definition from 1563 and arguing for its applicability to the topic of this book (6). In the fol- lowing chapter, he even describes video gaming as a religious act: “The act of playing particular games can, in some specific cases, be interpreted as a religious act in itself” (8). Chapters 1 and 2 contain what Bosman calls “Fundamentals”. He presents a “Theology of Culture” and a “Study of Games”, both urgently needed be- cause of the diverging terminology in scholarly discussion. Here Bosman’s systematic focus becomes obvious. In his discussion of contemporary cul- DOI: 10.25364/05.7:2021.1.12