Lara Croft as a spiritual seeker : religious and spiritual motifs in the Tomb Raider transmedia universe
Religio revue pro religionistiku June 15, 2025 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.5817/rel2025-40161 via OpenAlex
Summary
The survey identifies significant religious and spiritual motifs in the Tomb Raider series, highlighting influences from Western Esotericism in the older games and Alternative Spirituality in the Survivor Trilogy. It argues that Lara Croft can be interpreted more as a spiritual seeker than merely an archaeologist.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Lara Croft is interpreted as a spiritual seeker influenced by religious and spiritual motifs throughout the Tomb Raider series. |
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Abstract
In this article, I offer a concise survey of the religious/spiritual motifs identifiable in Tomb Raider. Based on hermeneutics and discursive analysis applied mainly (but not exclusively) to the main game series, I identify a marked influence of both Western Esotericism (in the case of the older games) and Alternative Spirituality (especially in the case of the Survivor Trilogy). Furthermore, there is enough ground to interpret Lara Croft as a spiritual seeker rather than an archaeologist.