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Play this game recently? | Decide the fate of Buddhism in the court of one of the world's greatest empires.Set in the city of Chang’an, in the imperial court of the Tang Dynasty, this game asks students to argue the role that foreign religions, especially Buddhism, should play in the empire. Playing powerful religious and secular figures, students use oral argument and written memorials to sway the empire’s legislators—the Grand Councilors—as they draft laws regarding the presence of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam in China. This game asks students to consider the role that governments should take in limiting religion, and what to do when foreign religions rub up against local culture. |
Details
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Using the Game
Class Size and Scalability Class Time |
GAME MATERIALS
Reacting Consortium members can download all game materials below. You will be asked to sign in before downloading.
Gamebook Students need a Gamebook, which includes directions, resources, and historical context. | Instructor's Manual The Instructor's Manual includes guidance for assigning roles, presenting historical context, assignments, activities and discussion topics, and more. | Role Sheets and Handouts Students also need a Role Sheet, which contains biographical information, role-specific resources or assignments, and their character's secret victory objectives. |
Additional Resources
Geoffrey C. Goble
Geoffrey C. Goble is an Associate Professor in the Religious Studies Department at the University of Oklahoma. He specializes in the study of Chinese religions, with a particular focus on the history of tantric traditions and the intersection of Buddhism and state power. He is author of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism: Amoghavajra, the Ruling Elite, and the Emergence of a Tradition (Columbia, 2019) and multiple articles exploring the complex religious and political landscapes of medieval China. He is currently completing a multi-chapter interdisciplinary monograph on Datura spp. across Chinese, Tibetan, Indian, European, and American materia medica and ritual traditions.
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Erik HammerstromErik J. Hammerstrom is a Professor of East Asian and Comparative Religion at Pacific Lutheran University, where he teaches course on Buddhism and East Asian religions, as well as the intersection of health and spirituality. He is a specialist in twentieth-century Chinese Buddhism and has published The Science of Chinese Buddhism: Early Twentieth-Century Engagements (Columbia, 2015) and the Huayan University Network: The Teaching and Practice of Avataṃsaka Buddhism in Twentieth-Century China (Columbia, 2020). He is an avid player of tabletop role-playing games. |
Members can contact game authors directly using the email listed on the BLORG if they have questions about using the game. We also invite instructors join our Facebook Faculty Lounge, where you'll find a wonderful community eager to help and answer questions.
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