{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2340182110","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816642421","title":"\u2018Gods in World of Warcraft exist\u2019: Religious reflexivity and the quest for meaning in online computer games","display_name":"\u2018Gods in World of Warcraft exist\u2019: Religious reflexivity and the quest for meaning in online computer games","publication_year":2016,"publication_date":"2016-04-21","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2340182110","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816642421","mag":"2340182110"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1177/1461444816642421","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816642421","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S88603889","display_name":"New Media & Society","issn_l":"1461-4448","issn":["1461-4448","1461-7315"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320017","host_organization_name":"SAGE Publishing","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320017"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["SAGE Publishing"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"New Media & Society","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1765/102513","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5049537585","display_name":"Julian Schaap","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3656-4225"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I913958620","display_name":"Erasmus University Rotterdam","ror":"https://ror.org/057w15z03","country_code":"NL","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I913958620"]}],"countries":["NL"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Julian Schaap","raw_affiliation_strings":["Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I913958620"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5113789928","display_name":"Stef Aupers","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I99464096","display_name":"KU Leuven","ror":"https://ror.org/05f950310","country_code":"BE","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I99464096"]}],"countries":["BE"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Stef Aupers","raw_affiliation_strings":["KU Leuven, Belgium"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"KU Leuven, Belgium","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I99464096"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5049537585"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I913958620"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":24.2222,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":29,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.99232029,"is_in_top_1_percent":true,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":89,"max":99},"biblio":{"volume":"19","issue":"11","first_page":"1744","last_page":"1760"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13277","display_name":"Media, Religion, Digital Communication","score":0.9998000264167786,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1211","display_name":"Philosophy"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13277","display_name":"Media, Religion, Digital Communication","score":0.9998000264167786,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1211","display_name":"Philosophy"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12335","display_name":"Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology","score":0.9878000020980835,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3203","display_name":"Clinical Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13632","display_name":"Marriage and Sexual Relationships","score":0.9725000262260437,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/meaning","display_name":"Meaning (existential)","score":0.5905908346176147},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/sociology","display_name":"Sociology","score":0.5726938247680664},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/narrative","display_name":"Narrative","score":0.5216158628463745},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/reflexivity","display_name":"Reflexivity","score":0.50389164686203},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/sociology-of-religion","display_name":"Sociology of religion","score":0.44276002049446106},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/perspective","display_name":"Perspective (graphical)","score":0.4334528148174286},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/relativism","display_name":"Relativism","score":0.4253012537956238},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/atheism","display_name":"Atheism","score":0.41843533515930176},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/media-studies","display_name":"Media studies","score":0.40176713466644287},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/aesthetics","display_name":"Aesthetics","score":0.32457149028778076},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/epistemology","display_name":"Epistemology","score":0.29060739278793335},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/social-science","display_name":"Social science","score":0.2526054382324219},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/literature","display_name":"Literature","score":0.22366607189178467},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/philosophy","display_name":"Philosophy","score":0.11831045150756836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/visual-arts","display_name":"Visual arts","score":0.10876113176345825},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/art","display_name":"Art","score":0.10257843136787415}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780876879","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3054749","display_name":"Meaning (existential)","level":2,"score":0.5905908346176147},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.5726938247680664},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199033989","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1318295","display_name":"Narrative","level":2,"score":0.5216158628463745},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C13200473","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2747831","display_name":"Reflexivity","level":2,"score":0.50389164686203},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C189667701","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q461659","display_name":"Sociology of religion","level":2,"score":0.44276002049446106},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C12713177","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1900281","display_name":"Perspective (graphical)","level":2,"score":0.4334528148174286},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C185305159","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83188","display_name":"Relativism","level":2,"score":0.4253012537956238},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779783995","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7066","display_name":"Atheism","level":2,"score":0.41843533515930176},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C29595303","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165650","display_name":"Media studies","level":1,"score":0.40176713466644287},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107038049","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q35986","display_name":"Aesthetics","level":1,"score":0.32457149028778076},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.29060739278793335},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C36289849","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q34749","display_name":"Social science","level":1,"score":0.2526054382324219},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C124952713","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8242","display_name":"Literature","level":1,"score":0.22366607189178467},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138885662","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5891","display_name":"Philosophy","level":0,"score":0.11831045150756836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C153349607","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36649","display_name":"Visual arts","level":1,"score":0.10876113176345825},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C142362112","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q735","display_name":"Art","level":0,"score":0.10257843136787415}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":4,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1177/1461444816642421","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816642421","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S88603889","display_name":"New Media & Society","issn_l":"1461-4448","issn":["1461-4448","1461-7315"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320017","host_organization_name":"SAGE Publishing","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320017"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["SAGE Publishing"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"New Media & Society","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:eur:oai:repub.eur.nl:102513","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1765/102513","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401843","display_name":"Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1322597698","host_organization_name":"Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1322597698"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"New Media & Society, 19(11), 1744 - 1760","raw_type":"info:eu-repo/semantics/article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:lirias2repo.kuleuven.be:123456789/587553","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://lirias.kuleuven.be/bitstream/123456789/587553/1/New%20Media%20Society-2016-Schaap-Aupers-1461444816642421.pdf","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401954","display_name":"Lirias (KU Leuven)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I99464096","host_organization_name":"KU Leuven","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I99464096"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"New Media & Society, vol. 19 (11), (1744-1760)","raw_type":"info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion"},{"id":"pmh:oai:repub.eur.nl:102513","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://repub.eur.nl/pub/102513","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4377196287","display_name":"RePub (Erasmus University Rotterdam)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I913958620","host_organization_name":"Erasmus University Rotterdam","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I913958620"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"New Media & Society vol. 19 no. 11, pp. 1744-1760","raw_type":"info:eu-repo/semantics/article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:eur:oai:repub.eur.nl:102513","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1765/102513","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401843","display_name":"Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1322597698","host_organization_name":"Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1322597698"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"New Media & Society, 19(11), 1744 - 1760","raw_type":"info:eu-repo/semantics/article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":67,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W55895348","https://openalex.org/W110111080","https://openalex.org/W164339936","https://openalex.org/W288344735","https://openalex.org/W585268816","https://openalex.org/W587486965","https://openalex.org/W593845509","https://openalex.org/W610160640","https://openalex.org/W638803477","https://openalex.org/W645018844","https://openalex.org/W648589898","https://openalex.org/W1484191336","https://openalex.org/W1495038747","https://openalex.org/W1497169829","https://openalex.org/W1511154379","https://openalex.org/W1517313142","https://openalex.org/W1561534144","https://openalex.org/W1565312857","https://openalex.org/W1580174327","https://openalex.org/W1595666942","https://openalex.org/W1597779554","https://openalex.org/W1605824561","https://openalex.org/W1712179791","https://openalex.org/W1826061926","https://openalex.org/W1966040695","https://openalex.org/W1969606345","https://openalex.org/W1983875148","https://openalex.org/W1985515966","https://openalex.org/W1996939368","https://openalex.org/W2000457012","https://openalex.org/W2016225754","https://openalex.org/W2019426646","https://openalex.org/W2027807592","https://openalex.org/W2032458299","https://openalex.org/W2034144472","https://openalex.org/W2037199514","https://openalex.org/W2055788570","https://openalex.org/W2058751404","https://openalex.org/W2067712594","https://openalex.org/W2069753833","https://openalex.org/W2077184006","https://openalex.org/W2086813732","https://openalex.org/W2090106244","https://openalex.org/W2114549738","https://openalex.org/W2121590362","https://openalex.org/W2127562375","https://openalex.org/W2146691185","https://openalex.org/W2149249197","https://openalex.org/W2150526281","https://openalex.org/W2156166114","https://openalex.org/W2283840584","https://openalex.org/W2318470978","https://openalex.org/W2329395632","https://openalex.org/W2331725473","https://openalex.org/W2476206823","https://openalex.org/W2505620445","https://openalex.org/W2514737035","https://openalex.org/W2527234177","https://openalex.org/W2572827637","https://openalex.org/W2582274703","https://openalex.org/W2608014122","https://openalex.org/W2935829461","https://openalex.org/W2958416625","https://openalex.org/W3005581737","https://openalex.org/W3129109920","https://openalex.org/W4234944273","https://openalex.org/W4250588593"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W2500815565","https://openalex.org/W4386257375","https://openalex.org/W3175212572","https://openalex.org/W4312522829","https://openalex.org/W4231344348","https://openalex.org/W3194892121","https://openalex.org/W4293241344","https://openalex.org/W2936976187","https://openalex.org/W2361927408","https://openalex.org/W2946070406"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"In":[0],"\u2018secular\u2019":[1],"Western":[2],"societies,":[3],"religious":[4,56,88,102,117],"topics":[5],"permeate":[6],"media":[7],"texts":[8,17],"of":[9,43,52,82,93,127,137],"books,":[10],"films,":[11],"series":[12],"and":[13,15,40,62,115,124,130],"games":[14],"such":[16],"even":[18],"inform":[19],"several":[20],"religious-spiritual":[21],"movements.":[22],"Critically":[23],"expanding":[24],"on":[25,55,67,71,74],"theories":[26],"about":[27],"\u2018fiction-based":[28],"religion\u2019,":[29,34],"\u2018invented":[30],"religion\u2019":[31],"or":[32],"\u2018hyper-real":[33],"this":[35],"article":[36],"studies":[37],"if,":[38],"how":[39],"why":[41],"players":[42],"the":[44,59,155],"massively":[45],"multiplayer":[46],"online":[47,99,128],"role-playing":[48],"game":[49,60],"(MMORPG)":[50],"World":[51],"Warcraft":[53],"reflect":[54],"narratives":[57],"in":[58,122],"world":[61],"what":[63],"influence":[64],"it":[65,141],"has":[66],"their":[68],"personal":[69,135],"perspective":[70],"religion.":[72],"Based":[73],"interviews":[75],"with":[76,96,152],"22":[77],"international":[78],"players,":[79],"three":[80],"forms":[81],"\u2018religious":[83],"reflexivity\u2019":[84],"are":[85],"distinguished:":[86],"(1)":[87],"performance,":[89],"an":[90,119],"acting":[91],"out":[92],"offline":[94],"experiences":[95],"religion":[97,123,129,132,153],"through":[98],"role-playing;":[100],"(2)":[101],"relativism,":[103],"a":[104,110],"shift":[105],"from":[106],"dogmatic":[107],"atheism":[108],"to":[109,133],"tolerant":[111],"attitude":[112],"towards":[113],"religion;":[114],"(3)":[116],"quests,":[118],"increased":[120],"interest":[121],"active":[125],"\u2018bricolage\u2019":[126],"official":[131],"create":[134],"systems":[136],"meaning.":[138],"Online":[139],"games,":[140],"is":[142],"concluded,":[143],"can":[144],"serve":[145],"as":[146],"laboratories":[147],"where":[148],"youngsters":[149],"freely":[150],"experiment":[151],"outside":[154],"established":[156],"churches.":[157]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":4},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":10},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2021,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2019,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2018,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2017,"cited_by_count":2}],"updated_date":"2025-11-06T03:46:38.306776","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}