Resident good: how video games can be used in church

Video games have often attracted moral outrage from religious groups. But the clergy are increasingly interested in how they can be used to explore spirituality in a Christian setting

Put your screens away and worship God, I was often told on Sundays. Video games and church don't mix. When they do, it's usually fuelled by outrage or misunderstanding - PlayStation game Resistance: Fall of Man's use of Manchester Cathedral for a violent gun battle in 2007 led to legal threats from the Church of England and an apology from Sony.

These arguments stem from a misunderstanding of what video games are. If games are seen only as entertainment, it's inappropriate for them to address culturally sensitive topics or be used in sacred settings.