Sacred Symbols+, Episode 167: Gaming While Christian
Added 2022-02-26 17:01:03 +0000 UTCIt's interesting: Nearly a third of the Earth's population is Christian, and yet they have virtually no meaningful representation in video games, whether in the products themselves, in the studios and publishers that make and manufacture them, and in the outlets and entities that cover them. Yet, on the periphery are people doing the work of fusing religion and gaming into something coherent, and one such person is Paeter Frandsen. Paeter runs Spirit Blade Productions and its Christian Geek Central offshoot, and he's the perfect person to have on + to delve into the intersection of faith and gaming. Our topics are wide-ranging, and include an analysis of what fiction and fun means to people who believe in God, and what (if any) examples of games we love and enjoy speak to a Christian audience specifically. We also spend a great deal of time on motifs, genres, and other means of categorization -- sci-fi, horror, magic, sex, violence -- to determine how it all might come off to a devout Christian, and how the polytheism of Final Fantasy, the religious horror of Castlevania, and more comport to and challenge such a worldview.
Comments
Wow. Felt like I was right back in church. And remembered exactly why I'm atheist. Props for the content but... this made my brain hurt. A video game could lead one to... question their faith? Lol. But hey, some people apparently enjoyed it so good work.
Douglas Parker
2022-03-10 13:20:28 +0000 UTCAwesome conversation. Your’e killing it. Keep on inviting these interesting guests to discuss interesting subjects. That said, I am a Christian conservative. I don’t find that anything in gaming opposes my faith or ideology. The Last Of Us 2 exposed me to lesbians, transgenderism, terrible violence, etc. Contrary to popular belief, I learned valuable things about these issues as well as about myself and I am so glad to have experienced the artistic vision, despite it not aligning perfectly with my values.
Greg Hommel
2022-03-09 23:14:44 +0000 UTCThis was really interesting & cool conversation! Great episode!!
Marcus
2022-03-06 12:51:22 +0000 UTCThanks, Mark! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-03-04 23:49:16 +0000 UTCGot to admit i wasn't big on this one. Kudos for having the conversation, but there was quite a number of things said here that made my eyes roll into the back of my head.
Sean Paul
2022-03-04 17:45:32 +0000 UTCI’ve been a member for a minute… and I just realized there’s more content on here then YouTube 😂. Good podcast!
Aaron Lemmo
2022-03-04 17:30:29 +0000 UTCHave to say, as a British Agnostic, I was dubious going into this one, can't say it changed my mind on much but I'd warmed up to Paeter quite a bit by the end.
Mark Whittington
2022-03-04 13:40:09 +0000 UTCAs a Christian I really appreciate this Colin. Thank you! Interesting convos like this is why I'm a Patron!
Nick Z
2022-03-04 02:29:29 +0000 UTCThank you so much, Raymond! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-03-04 01:39:20 +0000 UTCOh wow, that's really interesting! I tried the first one waaaay back in the day but lost patience with the super long cutscenes. So maybe I should just see if I can watch the "movie" on youtube sometime. Thanks for the heads up! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-03-04 01:38:58 +0000 UTCThanks so much, Adam. Really encouraging to hear! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-03-04 01:37:43 +0000 UTCI would like to see an interview with Jonathan Pageau sometime. He’s orthodox and breaks down the symbolism of popular movies and some games and how it relates to the themes in Christianity
Tim
2022-03-03 21:28:17 +0000 UTCIt's for episodes like this why I am a patreon. No other games media outlet would do an interview like this. It's great to see and listen to :)
Kurt Lewin
2022-03-03 16:19:08 +0000 UTCAwesome episode! As a Christian myself, this discussion really resonated with me. Paeter and I share a lot of the same viewpoints. I would love to link up and support what you are doing.
Raymond keys
2022-03-02 17:17:35 +0000 UTCVery interesting episode. BTW Paeter is you see this comment; have you ever checked out Xenosaga? Has overt Christian references even making Mary Magdalene a character and quoting scripture. Jesus is even in the game in small scenes. Even the timeline goes beyond. B.C. and A.D. to what's called T.C. Transcend Christ. Regardless, it's an amazing sci-fi series on PS2.
Dave Ramos
2022-03-02 03:29:50 +0000 UTCPaeter, I loved listening to your perspective on this episode. I may not agree with all of it, but hearing intellectual discussion like this is one of my great joys in life. I wanted to thank you for the info you provided concerning the effect porn has on us. I've had a pretty significant addiction to it the past couple of years. Nothing I've been told has ever been able to hold enough sway over me to drop the habit until now, and I haven't even had the desire to indulge since I listened to you and Colin discussing it. If you ever wonder what positivity can be yielded from the work you do, then I will be there to provide personal testament.
Adam carruth
2022-03-02 03:29:20 +0000 UTCWonder how this would go with an Orthodox Christian rather than a Protestant.
Theotokos Respecter
2022-03-01 20:46:28 +0000 UTCThanks for listening, Josh! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-03-01 19:52:25 +0000 UTCYeah, those are such great jumping off points for worthwhile conversation! Thanks, Raymond! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-03-01 19:52:06 +0000 UTCInteresting, I hadn't heard that! Thanks for putting him on my radar! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-03-01 19:50:17 +0000 UTCThanks, Noah! Glad you found it useful! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-03-01 19:49:26 +0000 UTCCool episode and nice insight
lazer_josh
2022-03-01 19:36:08 +0000 UTCIn true libertarian form, Colin says there is room for everyone in the conversation. Diversity and inclusion, sadly, feels like it intentionally excludes Christianity. Partially, I think, because of how many tried to brow beat culture in past generations. Thank you for the conversation! You can piece this together from what was said, but it would have been interesting to hear about games offering mature content filters. Assassins Creed Vahalla, for instance, allows you to turn off nudity and blood. And most (maybe all?) of the AC franchise allows you to turn off blood. I very much appreciated that when my kids were younger. And then the often ridiculed view that some people want the ability to turn nudity off but are just fine killing everyone on screen. Colin and Paeter, thank you
Raymond Stuart
2022-03-01 18:26:57 +0000 UTCI think he was saying subjectively he wouldn't be comfortable with an ending like that. At the end he brings up that he would love to hear a person's story in the LGBT community
Guns vs Kittens
2022-03-01 17:43:48 +0000 UTCDean Dodrill, who created Dust An Elysian Tail -- which received a lot of critical acclaim in 2012 -- is an openly Christian game developer. The games themselves aren't Christian themed. Personally I really enjoyed Dust. A beautifully animated Metroidvania, kinda ahead of its time given the current zeitgeist for them today
James McGivern
2022-03-01 05:38:36 +0000 UTCThanks for this episode Colin. As a fellow Christian myself I found this very insightful. Thank you!
Noah
2022-02-28 23:40:25 +0000 UTCNo, I’m gonna need the nuanced hour-long explanation of why he’s not happy when the lesbians get together.
Mandrake
2022-02-28 20:18:48 +0000 UTCI think the topic of pornography and sex deserves a podcast all on its own. I challenge you gentlemen to talk to someone with a healthy understanding of the topic. It certainly doesn’t have to be so taboo, and in my personal experience (14 year relationship, married for 6) sex/porn can be a fun and healthy topic to explore.
Steven E
2022-02-28 20:11:53 +0000 UTCThanks, Mark! Glad you found it engaging! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-02-28 16:40:45 +0000 UTCGreat to hear, thanks! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-02-28 16:39:34 +0000 UTCThanks so much, Jaron! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-02-28 16:39:15 +0000 UTCThis was a very insightful interview. I’ve never been a religious person so I obviously had some disagreements with certain topics, but I think the conversation about pornography was really eye-opening. I’m so glad that Paeter was able to build the community he has through his work. Great work and thanks as always Col!
MarkGrouch
2022-02-28 06:58:42 +0000 UTCVery good episode really enjoyed this one
shouty33
2022-02-28 01:04:13 +0000 UTCFinally got around to listening to this! I am a youth pastor in Texas who plays games with my students from time to time. We talk about games constantly! I was honestly extremely worried about how Paeter would represent those in Christian ministry. I am happy to say that my worry was unnecessary. While we most likely wouldn't agree on everything, I appreciate his witness in this conversation. Keep it coming, Colin!
Jaron Brandt
2022-02-27 20:21:39 +0000 UTCThanks so much, Justice! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-02-27 15:26:10 +0000 UTCLove Paeter. I wish us Christians could do better about following each other. Tiny niches in gaming create massive followings, yet 2 billion of us can’t make a top 25 twitch channel lol
Justice ACB
2022-02-27 09:43:11 +0000 UTCSo glad you found it useful, Tony! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-02-27 06:10:47 +0000 UTCI've been waiting a long time to happen upon a video like this. I've struggled with my relationship between video games (all other entertainment as well) and my beliefs. Watching this episode has helped me profoundly. Thank you for giving a thought to this sort of thing and caring enough to make it into a video.
Millennial Tony
2022-02-27 05:43:04 +0000 UTCMy memory is crap, but I'm thinking Far Cry 5 did come up briefly. I think I mentioned something about them pulling aesthetic inspiration from evangelical culture (churches with steeples & Christian-style music) rather than just evoking the Branch Davidian cult. Would have enjoyed talking about God Of War, though! At least the first two PS2 games and the PSP entries. Didn't play more than that of the original series and lost interest after five hours with the reboot from a few years ago. But thematically there's a lot of stuff going on in that franchise! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-02-27 04:27:32 +0000 UTCGreat episode Colin! I’m surprised you didn’t bring up games like Far Cry 5 or GoW
The Devmeister
2022-02-27 02:45:03 +0000 UTCOh, that's crazy! If you want more cross pollination, search for the Fireside Chat ep titled "Questioning Faith" and then over at the Christian Geek Central youtube channel check out the video "Colin Moriarty On Christians In The Games Industry". (Not sure if I'll get auto-deleted for putting links here, but that should get you to both.) -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-02-27 01:37:31 +0000 UTCI follow both of you totally independent of each other and did not expect this cross pollination! Awesome!!! Love yall
Branden Palmer
2022-02-27 00:49:53 +0000 UTCInteresting to hear that about Death Stranding. I picked up on some vaguely pro-life stuff in the opening hours, but didn't get much further in the game. I also didn't get far in Red Dead because I kept failing at the horse race mission. (ugh!) But I heard some "Christians" talking on a train in the opening cinematic that were expressing some decidedly Un-Christian ideas (that the characters portrayed as Christian). So I'd be curious if the rest of the representations of Christianity in that game (or RDR2) limited themselves to that mold, or if a more biblical Christianity ever showed up. And I also agree that, if we want discerning Christianity applied to an imperfect, nuanced world, fiction is not the best vehicle for it. Thanks for your thoughts, Tick! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-02-27 00:10:00 +0000 UTCI would argue the Red Dead Redemption games include some of the teachings of Christ. Death Stranding too. Idk I’m not looking for a gaming equivalent of Mel Gibson’s passion. I want the Christian perspective to be applied discerningly to an imperfect, nuanced world. That’s where it will have to be outside of fiction.
Tick Dickler
2022-02-26 23:25:24 +0000 UTCThat would be great! Thanks for listening! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-02-26 23:04:36 +0000 UTCI felt very much the same and actually just posted a video about this. (I also did a series of videos on the themes of the first game.) Really enjoyed the first game, and will likely enjoy the new one when I come back to it someday (still got a loooong way to go in AC Valhalla!). But both games seem written from a naturalistic perspective, and perhaps even by someone with a chip on their shoulder after having some bad experiences with some strand of Christianity. Totally speculating there. But it's at least a vibe I get from Aloy, the premise, and the portrayals of theists she encounters. -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-02-26 23:03:03 +0000 UTCAwesome! This kind of Conversation needs to be had more now that the Christian pearl clutching of yesteryear has waned in favor of woke Puritanism. My father was a Pastor and as the years went by his caution around games died down. Went from thinking Hilary made sense in the 90s about violence in games, to “to each their own”, and now (after that Xbox documentary) I think he even appreciates it. Hopefully gaming finds some place in the widespread American Christian Identity.
Tick Dickler
2022-02-26 22:42:51 +0000 UTCAs a Catholic, I liked what he said about going into games with story beats that contradict our beliefs. Not necessarily getting angry, but it does negatively affect the experience A very recent example is the new horizon. While I love the game overall, every religious person you meet in the game ends up being ignorant and/or a jerk. It would be refreshing to see some better examples in games
Michael
2022-02-26 22:31:49 +0000 UTCAs agnostic atheist I'd love to see more of this for other religious sects too, interesting stuff.
Joshua
2022-02-26 21:05:51 +0000 UTCJust want to thank Colin again for a great conversation and let you guys all know that I'll be trying to check back here often for awhile if anyone has any questions or thoughts to direct at me. You can also reach me at paeter(at)spiritblade(dot)com. Thanks! -Paeter
Paeter Frandsen
2022-02-26 20:58:51 +0000 UTCVery interesting perspective on a lot of topics. Really enjoy how you welcome all viewpoints into Last Stand.
RK128
2022-02-26 20:57:50 +0000 UTCYou're very welcome. Thanks for listening.
Colin Moriarty
2022-02-26 19:57:14 +0000 UTCAs a Christian, thank you for this. Thank you for always making sure to include interesting viewpoints from all different walks of life
Brian Comstock
2022-02-26 19:41:08 +0000 UTCThanks. =)
Colin Moriarty
2022-02-26 19:03:22 +0000 UTCThank you!
Colin Moriarty
2022-02-26 19:03:18 +0000 UTCExcited to listen to this. I remember you being on his podcast and it was awesome.
NuclearProstate
2022-02-26 17:11:25 +0000 UTCReally dig this guy. Thanks Colin
Cody Horne
2022-02-26 17:02:37 +0000 UTC
