Simboli religiosi e beni culturali nei videogiochi: intersezioni tra gaming and religion, ovvero due destini ineludibilmente comunicanti. Nuovi spazi di ricerca e riflessione teorica

Within a multiple reading grid, this contribution aims first of all to focus on the theme of the migration of religious symbols outside their natural ecosystem, electing videogames among the many ‘profane’ and even 'pop' languages of mass media society. Starting from the ancient marriage between games and religion, we will investigate the forms in which the religious material ˗ Christian and non ˗ is shaped within the world of videogames, trying to perimeter the field of investigation of that very particular line of research called Digital Religion Studies. Subsequently, starting from the famous case of Manchester cathedral, we will try to demonstrate the problematic nature of the relationship between gaming and religion. By shifting the wide angle to the field of law, the legal regime reserved for videogames will be elucidated, albeit skeletally, and then highlight how the classification systems of videogame contents do not protect the religious feeling of the faithful. The Manchester controversy will also provide an opportunity to investigate that labyrinthine plexus of provisions that governs the digital reproducibility of cultural heritage. It will end with some de jure condendo reflections on the regulation of religious data in videogames and on the subject of freedom of the panorama.