Christianity Inspiring Culture

A Theological Analysis of Resident Evil 4 Remake

Abstract

This article aims to provide a theological analysis of the game Resident Evil 4 Remake, demonstrating how this work can be considered a piece with Christian inspirations, based on considerations from Paul Tillich's Theology of Culture. In the first part of the article, in addition to the Theology of Culture, foundations of modernity, secularization, and symbolism are taken into account. The article then offers a contextualization of the history of the work, which is a saga with more than eight games, and in the fourth installment, the religious element is more fully developed. This fourth game in the saga contains Judeo-Christian elements, such as a referential religious book with biblical content, discussions about grace (a central concept in Christianity), and scenic elements such as churches, candles, symbols, and monks. These elements will be further explained throughout the text, demonstrating that theology and the notion of God are present in culture—and that culture reveals them to us daily in its works, whether secular or not.