Page - 202 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 07/01

202 | Christian Wessely www.jrfm.eu 2021, 7/1, 200–204 being is made in the likeness of God, even most scholars in theology do not share this view anymore. What if one applies this changed perspective to the interpretation of games? Here a core question pops up almost casually: “Does the player and/or the developer share with his or her digital followers the ability to establish and maintain relationships with one another […] and do the digital followers have this ability among themselves?” (67). The ontological status of the game as an existing relation between the programmer, the player and the “product” is worth considering and has indeed extensive consequences for both theology and philosophy. The humans involved could possibly be considered “created co-creators” (68). Chapter 4, on Christology, draws on the expected “messianic aspects of the heroes of many video games” (77), but Bosman adds another perspective by pointing to the legend of St. Christopher. This type of reference avoids the problem that arises from Christ-like messianic interpretations of the protag- onist of a game (almost all of these figures have substantial attributes and/ or tasks that could be interpreted as supporting such a view) by shifting the key role to the player. He or she is enabled to “become Christophoric” (91). Yet how is the necessary prerequisite of something Christomorphic to be in- tegrated into the (at least in most cases) very violent protagonists; although Bosman dedicates the next paragraphs to “The Christophoric Player: Descend- ing” (92), the reviewer is not (yet) completely convinced. Chapters 5 through 7 are dedicated to theological anthropology, theodicy – the problem of evil – and ethics respectively. Chapter 8 focuses on what in classical dogmatics is the treatise of escha- tology. Unlike in real life, in gaming death is an experience the player usually undergoes repeatedly. It is a feedback mechanism of almost any game (172). Death is the consequence of failure; those who succeed can win the game or at least solve the next puzzle. This progression is in sharp contrast to the concept of death as an absolute end in (real) secular life. Even though there is a slight similarity – in both cases the situation is out of the player’s control – the iden- tification of player and avatar ends but can easily be restored either by restart- ing the level or by loading a saved game status. Bosman supplies a table that shows the variability in integrating the idea of death in a game (174), unfolding the concepts on the next pages (175–192). Then, interestingly, he brings up the topic of death as a result of sin and refers explicitly to Romans 5:12 – a theolog- ical reflection of high quality connected to the body-soul problem (197). Chapter 9 is somewhat different. Not only is it the longest chapter in the book, but whereas the preceding chapters mirror the core treatises of dog-