Page - 217 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 07/01

Call for Papers | 217www.jrfm.eu 2021, 7/1, 216–218 industry – and consumer – has also witnessed the emergence of various re-makes of old-school classics (1942, Baldur’s Gate, Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus as Oddworld: Soulstorm). In other words: the present longing for the past, or the early (or golden) age of gaming, manifests itself in and through the game. Papers could explore this longing for a(n idealized) past in all its di- versity, including the social, philosophical, theological, and psychological mechanisms associated with this, either because they occur in the game or because the game itself is part of such a romanticization of the past. • Past. Some games explicitly and deliberately employ and reflect on the idea of a rupture in human history; that is, the loss of an earlier (potentially utopian) state one strongly longs for but is beyond reach (for example Ho- rizon Zero Dawn). This lost period could be medieval times, paradise, 9/11, the pre-Corona time in light of prolonged lockdowns, and so forth. It also includes the romanticization of earlier periods and pre- and non-Christian traditions, societies, and a pre-Christian age. Papers could explore the pres- entation and interpretation of such a perceived rupture in human history, including its ramifications for contemporary philosophical and/or theolog- ical debates on ethically-sensitive issues, like race, gender, or religion. • Future. Other games speculate about what will happen if we die; that is, they speculate if we can regain – and at the same time could be seen as the expression of hope to regain – the paradise once lost to us. Examples are the in-game portrayal of afterlife, either heaven, hell or something in between in games such as Limbo, Dante’s Inferno, or the Doom series. But such speculations do not remain confined to in-game narratives. Instead, they spill over into lived religious practices and can become part of how religious practitioners imagine the afterlife. Papers could explore topics such as religious life/practice as playful life/practice, the afterlife as game, gaming in the afterlife, the practice of gaming as symbol for innocence that was lost. We invite contributions that explore the theme of ‘Paradise Lost’ in the con- text of digital games from various cultural and religious backgrounds that take the debate beyond a western and Christian context. We invite contributions from scholars from a range of disciplinary back- grounds, including – but not limited to – religious studies, theology, game studies and media studies, sociology, digital anthropology and cultural stud- ies.