That Dragon, Cancer Goes to Seminary: Using a Serious Video Game in Pastoral Training

That Dragon, Cancer is a “serious” video game that has garnered wide attention in the gaming community and popular press. The game was created by a team of independent game designers led by Ryan and Amy Green as a way of sharing their family’s journey of caring for their son Joel, who had been diagnosed with pediatric cancer. This article describes the use of the game within a graduate course on pastoral counseling and reflects upon student reactions as an example of the potential usefulness of serious games in theological education