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Playing the Binding of Isaac Video Game Through the Reception History of the Aqedah

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Playing the Binding of Isaac Video Game Through the Reception History of the Aqedah From Mt. Moriah to Mom’s Basement: Playing The Binding of Isaac Video Game through the Reception History of the Aqedah by Colin Daniel Friesen A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo and Conrad Grebel University College in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Theological Studies Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2021 ©Colin Daniel Friesen 2021 AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract In 2011, Edmund McMillen released The Binding of Isaac (TBOI) video game that retells the story of Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah. However, the game departs significantly from the biblical account in various ways, such as placing the retelling in a modern setting and switching the parental figure from father to mother. Contemporary scholars have sought to understand The Binding of Isaac primarily through the context and intentions of the game’s creator. In contrast, my thesis analyzes TBOI through the lens of the Aqedah’s reception history. Finally, this thesis shows that TBOI represents another example of the Aqedah’s reception albeit within an unorthodox medium, that both reflects and draws on elements of the broader history of interpretation and demonstrates itself capable of holding multiple viewpoints at the same time. Thus, I show how TBOI functions as a midrash generator whose narratological and ludological elements encourage and accelerate reinterpretations of the game as it is played. To do so, the first half of the project surveys a sampling of the Aqedah’s reception history (chapter 2) and describes TBOI’s ludological elements within the broader field of game studies (chapter 3). I begin the second half of my thesis where I analyze TBOI in light of the Aqedah’s reception history and show how it both resonates with and critiques other interpreters (chapter 4). Finally, I analyze TBOI’s function as a midrash generator that prompts ongoing reinterpretations (chapter 5). This project adopts an interdisciplinary approach using TBOI as a case study for integrating reception history and game studies. This project provides a precedent for exploring both how a reception history approach could be applied to other retellings of religious stories in the video game medium, and a starting point for further development of midrash generation as a concept. iii Acknowledgements I must exercise some restraint here, for if I described in full the number of people and the extent to which they enabled me to complete my research, this section could easily rival the length of the thesis itself. Moving across the country to study in a place with no preestablished friends or family was an intimidating prospect, one that was ultimately made possible by those who stepped in to help and become the community I needed. First, I would like to thank Jeremy Bergen who graciously received my unorthodox research idea about video games and bible stories. While I was nervous and expected him to politely maneuver me to a different field of study, his enthusiasm and encouragement gave me the motivation to take my own idea seriously. Likewise, the entire Theological Studies department has been extremely supportive, and I deeply appreciated the classes, instruction, and material they presented. To the different cohorts I participated in, you were all wonderful colleagues. A special acknowledgement to Bekah Smoot-Enns who guided me safely through some difficult terms regarding my health and administrative requirements. I would like to also thank Dr. Neil Randall of the Games Institute at the University of Waterloo who helped orient me toward the right texts and topics in anticipation of my thesis, and Dr. Frank Bosman of the University of Tilburg whose correspondence provided helpful feedback and a boost of encouragement while I was deep in rewrites and rough drafts. Thank you Mary Brubaker-Zehr and Paul Penner for trusting my wife and I with the Campus Host role and thank you to the wider Grebel community for welcoming us with open arms. We often talk about how grateful we are for this position, and the relationships we built with staff and residents has been so meaningful to us. iv To Pastor Don Penner and the community at Shantz Mennonite Church, thank you for taking pity on us when we were only three weeks away from giving birth to our firstborn child. We were scared, in over our heads, and needed more support than we realized, but we knew we could count on you all if we were ever in need. I thank my parents, Wes and Esther Friesen, for their love and blessing on this massive undertaking. I thank my sister Whitney for her support and Marcus, we have loved getting to know you and look forward to more in the future. Likewise, my father and mother-in-law, Bill and Betty Kelley never ceased their optimism and excitement toward our big adventure. To my friends both old and new, I thank them for their continued investment in my life. Now I must thank my thesis supervisor Dr. Derek Suderman, who from the very beginning of my degree was a terrific interlocutor. His dedication, genuine interest, thoughtful critique, and relentless editing always improved my writing and strengthened my arguments. His compassion and patience when I went through periods of deteriorating health gave me the freedom I needed to continue working at my own pace. For this and more, I am deeply grateful for his instruction and guidance. Last but certainly not least, there is a term used in competitive contexts, no less in video game communities, where someone’s skill, performance, or leadership has such an impact that their actions “carry” the team to victory. My wife, Faith, carried me to victory. Her enthusiasm for my research and career goals often outpaced my own, and her belief in me was steadfast throughout. The past three years often felt like an uphill battle trying to juggle parenthood, school, new jobs, illness, and community building, but Faith consistently stepped up as a mother and a spouse. When I was discouraged and at low points, she was there with me, and I cannot begin to fathom what would have happened without her constant support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Faith. v Dedication This work is dedicated to my daughter Ronen. May we always find reasons to play together. vi Table of Contents AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................ ii Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... iv Dedication.................................................................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Introduction and Thesis ............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Methodological Approaches .............................................................................................................. 3 1.1.1 Historical Criticism and Author Centered Approaches .............................................................. 4 1.2 Theory of Reception History .............................................................................................................. 5 1.3 Game Studies ...................................................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Chapter Outline .................................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 2: The Reception History of the Aqedah ..................................................................................... 11 2.1 Methodological Influences............................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Reception History of the Aqedah .................................................................................................... 13 2.2.1 Patristics and Genesis Rabbah .................................................................................................. 13 2.2.2 Obedience: Luther and Calvin ................................................................................................... 19 2.2.3 Enlightenment Ethics: Kant and Kierkegaard ........................................................................... 24 2.2.4 Holocaust: Jewish Perspectives ................................................................................................ 29 2.2.5 Questioning Divine Character: Recent Interpretations ........................................................... 34 2.2.6 Feminist Approaches: Phyllis Trible and Norma Rosen ........................................................... 39 2.3 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 45 Chapter 3: The Binding of Isaac in the Context of
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