Religious architecture in videogames: Perspectives from curriculum theory and religious education

This interdisciplinary, descriptive study inquires into the curricular and religious educational aspects of videogames. To the degree that an interdisciplinary correspondence can be established between theories of curriculum and religious education, it may become more possible to identify videogames as curricular media for religious education. Curriculum theory and religious education commonly reflect the processes of personal transformation, the processes of social and environmental interconnection, and the processes of transcendent lure. Curriculum and religious education both function as aesthetic settings which facilitate these processes for learners. Similarly, videogames commonly simulate the processes of personal transformation, the processes of social and environmental interconnection, and the processes of transcendent lure. Videogames also function as aesthetic settings within which players may appreciate these processes. Curriculum, religious education and videogames all address the affect. Affective experience within an aesthetic setting is a catalyst for learning, religious experience and videogame enjoyment. In some cases, videogames may function as an aesthetic curriculum for religious education in an affective sense.;This dissertation analyzes Richard Garriott's videogame Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar as a case study. Ultima IV is notable as a historically innovative videogame. Ultima IV stands as the first significant philosophical computer role-playing game. The videogame architecture of Ultima IV effectively simulated the processes of personal transformation, the processes of social and environmental interconnection, and the processes of transcendent lure. Through these processes, the videogame architecture of Ultima IV purposefully integrated the growth and development of the Avatar character with the ethical reflection of the videogame player. In this way, certain aspects of the videogame architecture of Ultima IV may also be described as religious architecture. In particular, the religious architecture of Ultima IV supported videogame structures and videogame procedures that the researcher describes in terms of "moral economy" and "unfolding revelation." Many videogames since Ultima IV have incorporated a moral economy. Very few have integrated it with unfolding revelation as effectively as Ultima IV. By integrating a moral economy with unfolding revelation, videogames may more effectively express their potential as religious educational curricula. The study concludes with Christian religious educational recommendations for videogame design.