Role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons have gotten a rap that they open doors to dark, sinister forces. It’s surprising (and refreshing) then to hear of them being used to inspire a sense of holy imagination and to advance the causes of justice.

In this episode, Rev. Derek White (aka The Geekpreacher) talks about the history of the Satanic Panic in regard to gaming, how roleplaying games played a pivotal role in his faith, and how he sees them inspiring a more just and grace-filled vision of the world today.

Derek White is an ordained minister who is best known for work on 3 documentaries on faith and imagination. His latest project is now available on Tubi for streaming, it’s called “The Satanic Panic and the Religious Battle for the Imagination.” Derek uses Dungeons and Dragons to teach ministry leaders how roleplaying games may be used for community formation, building bonds of commonality in an increasingly diverse world, as well as social skills training for speaking out on issues of social justice.