ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Stef Aupers, Julian Schaap, and Lars de Wildt argue that a “game-centered” orientation in the study of religion and video games (studying in-game religious narratives, discourses, and game rules) should be complemented with a “player-centered” perspective. They call for a focus on religious meaning-making in MMOs by using in-depth interviews. The authors argue that this approach is particularly relevant because religion has become an active quest outside the churches-an individual form of ‘bricolage’ in which media, popular culture, and fiction play a significant role. To illustrate this, the authors present an empirical case study of World of Warcraft (WoW) in which 22 in-depth (Skype) interviews are held with international players. Having demonstrated the choices to be made to construct a research design that suits the research problem (sampling, contacting respondents, interview technique, method/procedure of analysis), the analysis distinguishes three types of “religious reflexivity” amongst the players of WoW and addresses the influence it has on their offline worldviews.
