Treasure Chest: A Gaming Pastor, Crossplay, and Silent Vampires

I hope your summer has been going well and that you are ready for some great articles to inspire you. I’ve scrounged up some gold from across the vast sea of the internet, from video games pastors to new anime titles this season. Remember, the focus here is on articles that unite faith with various geeky interests, so articles that do not have these two aspects aren’t included. Enjoy!

Gaming Articles of the Month

• One of the top games that came out recently was Uncharted 4. Being a fan, I can’t wait to play it. Richard from Game Church wrote up a piece about Drake’s search for greatness and how we can relate to it. [GameChuch]

• There’s a twitch channel that focuses on preaching the gospel of Christ. Matt Souza, a 24-year-old pastor, was interviewed by K-Love radio (a popular Christian radio station) about how God is using his gaming passions to help others. [K-Love]

• Xenogears is one of those classic, old-school RPGs. I own it digitally for the PS3, but haven’t got around to it yet. The newest video game writer over at Beneath The Tangles, Josh, takes a Catholic perspective on the title. Even if you haven’t played Xenogears yet, I still encourage you to read it. [Beneath the Tangles]

• Medieval Otaku discusses when to speak and when to be silent. One of first anime I saw (once I knew what anime was) was Vampire Hunter D. The movie might deter some Christian audiences, as it’s very violent. That aside, there are some good spiritual lessons we can learn from D’s character. [Medieval Otaku]

• Allison from Geekdom House wrote a post for Christ and Pop Culture about Majora’s Mark. The Skull Kid acted out against Link because of his loneliness, so she explains how God can set us free from that isolation. [Christ and Pop Culture]

Anime Articles of the Month

• Beneath the Tangles does a column just like this one where they compile the best faith-related anime posts. Something More this time shares: Fullmetal Anti-Seminism, Re:Samaritan and “Harmony.” [Beneath the Tangles]

• Our editor-in-chief was a guest on the Tanglecast during an episode about crossplay. I had never heard of the term until I tuned in, and I hope you do as well because it’s great to hear a Christian’s perspective on cosplay. [Beneath the Tangles Tanglecast]

• Otaku Collision has some good articles on various anime. This month, I found one on a new anime called Re:Zero, and a character named Emillia, which compared her to the story of the Good Samaritan. [Otaku Collision]

• You cannot separate your beliefs from your entertainment. Annalyn from Beneath the Tangles wrote a piece for MyAnimeList that discusses how anime and religion are more related than we think. [MyAnimeList]

Misc. Geeky Articles of the Month

• Have video games ever brought you together with a community of like-minded players? Allison explains how a conversation with her aunt showed her how much gaming can bring us together, regardless of age. [Church and Pop Culture]

Top Geeks Under Grace Articles of the Month

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a classic Disney film. Did you know there are many biblical references in it? Find out more from Trey. [The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s Theological Significance]

• Colby discusses morality and free will in the Fallout universe. Players can traverse Fallout 4 with righteousness, or abuse and indulge in every despicable act. [Fallout: Is There Righteousness In The Wasteland]

• Lastly, there are several new updates on Prince Adventures and other projects being worked on by Fantasy Soft Entertainment. [Christian Anime Creator Kenneth Bright Jr. Provides Updates on a Slew of Upcoming Projects]

I hope you enjoyed this month’s Treasure Chest! If you know of an article that should be featured, please leave the link below or message me @ GamingandGod. God bless you, and keep on geeking out!