ABSTRACT
Among the variety of modern perspectives scholars may employ in viewing religion, one of the most intriguing is to see it as a total work of art (Gesamtkunstwerk), serious ction that combines features of literature, drama, music, and the visual arts (Bainbridge 2013b). The most recognizable genre of total works of art is grand opera, especially the Ring cycle of Richard Wagner (1849) who proposed the concept. The most contemporary example is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, such as World of Warcraft, and many MMOs incorporate serious religious creativity. This chapter will explore the use of this new artform to accomplish a purpose that religion traditionally served, but that is imperfectly satised today among secular populations: veneration of deceased family members. The area is too new to proclaim formal scientic ndings or design principles, but this chapter will suggest 13 hypotheses of both kinds.
