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Tom Boylston is an anthropologist specializing in play, technology, and religion, with a particular interest in how these intersect in various cultural contexts. His research focuses on the immersive experiences and the processes of world-building inherent in play, particularly within the disciplines of religious practice and fasting. Boylston is currently developing a new research project that explores the relationship between games and mental health, specifically aiming to understand debates surrounding game addiction, ethics, aesthetics, and immersion. He leads a games research group known as Games Humans, promoting collaborative research-based game design. His work on Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity has significantly shaped his current research interests concerning media and worldbuilding. Notably, his monograph, 'Stranger Feast: Prohibition Mediation Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Community', published by the University of California Press in 2018, examines the religious prohibitions and the techniques of mediation that facilitate the construction of religious worlds in Ethiopian Orthodoxy. Boylston maintains an ongoing commitment to studying the anthropology of Ethiopia and aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of contemporary religious practices.
University of Edinburgh • Edinburgh, UK
Teaching and researching in the field of anthropology with a specific focus on games, technology, and religious practices.
Department of Marketing