ABSTRACT THE GAMIFICATION OF KINGS: TEACHING JUDEO-CHRISTIAN KINGSHIP THROUGH FINAL FANTASY XV by T. Wade Langer, Jr. The history and theology of Judeo-Christian kingship is a difficult topic to teach for pastors and religious educators alike. Most congregants and students find the field uninteresting and irrelevant to the loftier concepts of faith and discipleship. However, since an understanding of the overarching kingship narrative of the Bible is vital for fully understanding concepts such as soteriology, messianic hope, the image of God, and even the nature of God, a curriculum that a participant finds immediately compelling could be useful. This research sought to evaluate a curriculum specifically designed to increase a participant’s interest in Judeo-Christian kingship by examining parallels between the biblical texts and an analogous video game, Final Fantasy XV. Drawing upon the work of both biblical scholars as well as educational experts like Piaget, Dewey, and Vygotsky, this study applied theories of game-based learning, or gamification, to religious education, testing the impact that using Final Fantasy XV to teach the history and theology of Judeo-Christian Kingship had on a participant’s knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. To fully evaluate these areas, a multi-method approach used the following instruments: a Pretest/Posttest, John Keller’s Course Interest Survey, a series of journal prompts, and a focus group. The research was conducted across four weeks with sixteen college-age participants, all members of the University of Alabama Wesley Foundation campus ministry. The research found that the curriculum had significant impact on each participant. Knowledge of and interest in the history and theology of Judeo-Christian kingship increased as a result of the study and all participants offered examples of how the study affected their moral and religious behavior. Ultimately, the research showed that game- based learning is conducive to teaching religious concepts. DISSERTATION APPROVAL This is to certify that the dissertation entitled THE GAMIFICATION OF KINGS: TEACHING JUDEO-CHRISTIAN KINGSHIP THROUGH FINAL FANTASY XV presented by T. Wade Langer, Jr. has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for the DOCTOR OF MINISTRY degree at Asbury Theological Seminary Dissertation Coach Date Director, Doctor of Ministry Program Date Dean of the Beeson Center Date THE GAMIFICATION OF KINGS: TEACHING JUDEO-CHRISTIAN KINGSHIP THROUGH FINAL FANTASY XV A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by T. Wade Langer, Jr. May 2019 © 2019 T. Wade Langer, Jr. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Langer i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. vii CHAPTER 1 NATURE OF THE PROJECT .....................................................................1 Overview of the Chapter .........................................................................................1 Personal Introduction ..............................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................6 Purpose of the Project ..............................................................................................6 Research Questions ..................................................................................................7 Research Question #1 ..................................................................................7 Research Question #2 ..................................................................................7 Research Question #3 ..................................................................................7 Rationale for the Project ..........................................................................................7 Definition of Key Terms .........................................................................................9 Delimitations .........................................................................................................10 Review of Relevant Literature ...............................................................................11 Research Methodology .........................................................................................11 Type of Research ......................................................................................12 Participants ................................................................................................12 Instrumentation .........................................................................................12 Data Collection .........................................................................................13 Data Analysis ............................................................................................14 Langer ii Generalizability .........................................................................................14 Project Overview ..................................................................................................14 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW FOR THE PROJECT .........................................15 Overview of the Chapter ........................................................................................15 Knowledge: Historical Foundations ......................................................................15 Egyptian Kingship .....................................................................................16 Mesopotamian Kingship ............................................................................17 Israel’s Kingship ........................................................................................19 Knowledge: Biblical and Theological Foundations ...............................................23 Trials of Kingship ......................................................................................24 Relationships of Kingship ..........................................................................26 Anointing of Kingly Responsibility ...........................................................32 Delivery of Kingly Justice and Order ........................................................37 The Downfall of Kingship .........................................................................53 The Redemption of Kingship and the Messiah ..........................................60 Conclusion .............................................................................................................71 Research Design: Introduction to Educational Play ..............................................71 Educational Play and Knowledge Acquisition ..........................................72 Attitudes and Interest .................................................................................74 Behavior .....................................................................................................78 Research Design Literature ...................................................................................80 Summary of Literature ..........................................................................................82 CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY FOR THE PROJECT .............................85 Langer iii Overview of the Chapter ........................................................................................85 Nature and Purpose of the Project .........................................................................85 Research Questions ................................................................................................86 Research Question #1 ................................................................................86 Research Question #2 ................................................................................86 Research Question #3 ................................................................................87 Ministry Context ....................................................................................................87 Participants .............................................................................................................88 Criteria for Selection ..................................................................................88 Description of Participants .........................................................................88 Ethical Considerations ..............................................................................89 Instrumentation ......................................................................................................89 Curriculum .................................................................................................89 Pilot Test or Expert Review .......................................................................91 Reliability & Validity of Project Design ..................................................91 Data Collection ......................................................................................................92 Data Analysis .........................................................................................................93 CHAPTER 4 EVIDENCE FOR THE PROJECT ..............................................................94 Overview of the Chapter .......................................................................................94