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Often dismissed as “not serious,” the notion of play has nevertheless been at the center of classical theories of religion and ritual (Huizinga, Caillois, Turner, Staal, etc.). What can be retained of these theories for the contemporary study of religions? Can a study of “play” or “game” bring new perspectives for the study of religions?
The book deals with the history of games and their relation to religions, the links between divination and games, the relations between sport and ritual, the pedagogical functions of games in religious education, and the interaction between games, media and religions. Richly illustrated, the book contributes to the study of religions, to ritual, game and media studies, and addresses an academic as well as a general public.
Table of contents after the jump
Contents
Philippe Bornet and Maya Burger
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Part 1 — Ludic Practices and Religion in History
Philippe Bornet
Introduction: Games and Religion in History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Ulrich Schädler
Organizing the Greed for Gain:
Alfonso X of Spain’s Law on Gambling Houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Valérie Cangemi and Alain Corbellari
In Search of Playful Middle Ages:
From Jousting Knights to Modern Reconstitutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Philippe Bornet
Of Games and Civilizations:
W. Jones, H. Cox, and J. Mill on the Indian Origins of Chess . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Part 2 — Chance, Game and Religion
Maya Burger
Introduction: Climb the Ladder, Draw the Future, Hit the Bingo:
Randomness, Divination and Luck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Jens Schlieter
Simulating Liberation:
The Tibetan Buddhist Game “Ascending the [Spiritual] Levels” . . . . . . 93
Maya Burger
Drawing Cards, Playing Destiny:
Karma and Play in New Divinatory Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Thierry Wendling
Swiss Bingo:
An Anthropological Journey into the Realm of Chance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1436
Part 3 — Play and Ritual
Kathryn McClymond
Introduction: Relating Play and Ritual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Johannes Bronkhorst
Can There Be Play in Ritual?
Reflections on the Nature of Ritual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Ute Hüsken
Training, Play, and Blurred Distinctions:
On Imitation and “Real” Ritual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Florence Pasche Guignard
“Learn and Play the Holy Way”: Religious Toys and Dolls in the
Construction of Religious Gender Identity and Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Michael J. Zogry
Good Neighbors Are Hard to Find:
Play, Sport, Ritual, and Conceptual Impasse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Part 4 — Virtual Worlds and Games
Oliver Steffen
Introduction: Approaches to Digital Games in the Study of Religions . . . . 249
Oliver Steffen
Religion from Scholarly Worlds to Digital Games:
The Case of R isen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Fabian Perlini-Pfister
Philosophers with Clubs:
Negotiating Cosmology and Worldviews in D ungeons & D Ragons . . . . . 275
Julian Kücklich
Breaking the Magic Circle:
Ludic and Deludic Practices in Video Game Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati
Games in Film, Film as Play
Religion and Virtual Worlds in Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309