Geekpriest: Confessions of a New Media Pioneer by Fr. Roderick Vonhögen
The gaming community (as well as many others) can be somewhat myopic at times. I'm sure many people are aware of Father Roderick and his prolific body of work. Is there a game, genre movie, TV show or some form of technology that he doesn't cover on his various podcasts and YouTube videos? Yet outside of this environment, his championing of all things "geek" still comes as a culture shock to the wider world with their somewhat entrenched attitudes towards both the “nerdy” and the religious. His 2013 book Geekpriest: Confessions of a New Media Pioneer, endeavours to address this issue. Furthermore it clearly advocates that the church should embrace all forms of new media and engage with all communities. Fandom, shared interests and hobbies are a great starting point for this.
One of the reasons I enjoyed Geekpriest: Confessions of a New Media Pioneer so much is because I am of a similar age group to Father Roderick and have shared many of the same aspects of pop culture while growing up. The impact that Star Wars had upon most children of the seventies is succinctly explored within the book. The love of specific TV shows and the importance of certain science fiction and fantasy authors will chime with many readers. The passion these things instilled in so many of us is clearly present in the text. It is through the love of these common interests that Father Roderick manages to dispel so many misconceptions about the clergy. It makes him very accessible and relatable, which is a major theme of the book.
What becomes apparent very quickly is Father Roderick’s practical and sincere approach to evangelism. Evangelism is something that many people of faith feel compelled to undertake but often mishandle. Geekpriest: Confessions of a New Media Pioneer shows a means of engaging with others through shared interest, winning trust and respect and then being in a better position to explore religious belief. The common sense of such an approach is irrefutable. Too often faith is separated from real life and placed in a remote ivory tower or framed in terms of academia. It's perceived formality can be intimidating. Yet here we have a priest who can happily talk to you about playing MMOs and wiping in a raid, or how the latest entry in the MCU is either perfunctory or awesome.
Geekpriest: Confessions of a New Media Pioneer is a very accessible book, written in an informal and engaging way. It gives a great insight into Father Roderick's life and clearly shows the importance of new media, not only to the church but in all walks of life. We learn of his love of all things geeky and how his passion for the works of Tolkien and J.K. Rowling among so many other things, made him an internet hit. Cookery and personal health are other excellent examples of how he engages with people. Overall, Geekpriest: Confessions of a New Media Pioneer is an accessible read irrespective of your stance on faith. At the very least its fundamental message of getting to know people through shared interests is one that bears repeating. We are all so quick to pigeon hole each other and segregate ourselves these days, that we often forget about the things that unite us.
