Book Review: A Student’s Guide to Gaming by Reagan Rose
Whether they’re on consoles, computers, or cellphones, there is no denying that our culture is saturated with video games. As Christians, we have a few ways of responding to this reality. We can bury our head in the sand, having nothing to do with them and pretending that they have no impact on our lives (or the lives of our kids). We can give ourselves and our children over to them with as much carefree indulgence as the rest of culture. Or, we can exercise biblical discernment in evaluating whether or not there are redeemable aspects to video games, and consequently, if and how we can enjoy them to the glory of God. Whereas the first two options (legalism and licentiousness) require no discernment, the third option requires us to ask important questions, such as:
Why do video games have such an appeal in the first place?
How do video games affect our interactions with others?
Are there stewardship factors related to video games?
What do our entertainment choices say about our hearts?
These kinds of questions—and many more—are raised in a new book by Reagan Rose entitled A Student’s Guide to Gaming. Some of the questions are answered directly by Reagan, whereas others are given a set of principles to help the reader answer it on his or her own. In either case, having read through a pre-release copy provided by the publisher, I’ve found this to be a resource that provides a concise theological framework to help evaluate video games from a biblical perspective.
Thinking Biblically about Video Games
The book begins with a brief, though insightful, recap of video game history. Gone are the early days of playing a quick 15-minute round on the Atari or NES, as many of us remember. Today, as Reagan points out, video games not only provide opportunities for in-app purchases, subscriptions, and downloadable content, they’re designed that way in order to breed addiction for sales purposes. If you thought there was a danger in video game addiction decades ago, you can know for sure that the danger has only multiplied.
Addressing this early on in the book, Reagan writes,
The primary reason we should want to be wary of becoming addicted to video games is not because of the harm it can cause to us (though it certainly can do that). The primary reason Christians should be cautious about anything that has the potential to become addictive is because it dishonors God. If addiction is a matter of worship, then the real horror of video game addiction is that it trades the living God for the idolatry of a flickering screen.(p. 22)
Rather than driving home his point based on pragmatic reasoning (i.e. an addiction to video games could cause you to lose your job, jeopardize your health, or forfeit a relationship), Reagan makes it clear from the outset that the kind of video game addiction that is so prevalent today is ultimately sin against God in the form of idolatry. It was a point well needed, and well said. This kind of theocentric (God-centered) warning early in the book sets the tone for the entire rest of the discussion by positioning the danger of video game “addiction” in the more biblical terminology of “idolatry.”
Over the course of the rest of the book, Reagan dissects various aspects of video game culture as follows:
In the second chapter, Reagan compares the Christian life to a “quest” in an “RPG” (role-playing game: a genre of video games resembling a movie script in which the character you play prepares to accomplish an ultimate goal by developing skills, overcoming obstacles, and performing side missions along his journey). What I personally appreciated about juxtaposing the Christian life with an RPG is that it exposes precisely the issue that I have personally warned about in the past: much of today’s entertainment is, quite frankly, a far too immersive form of escapism to be compatible with the Christian life. What I mean by that is an RPG type of video game requires, by nature, the devotion of hours upon hours of a player’s time in order to engage with it in any level of enjoyment or competitiveness. It requires extended attention to detail, devotion of a large portion of memory and brain power, and a commitment not only of a large quantity of time, but in some cases a commitment to playing at a particular time of day. It’s not something you can just “dabble” in if you plan on participating as the developers intended. It would be like trying to play a quick pick-up game of Monopoly in the car while you wait for your fast food order to be ready—that ain’t happening. Truth be told, my bet would be that a vast majority of Christians could name all kinds of details about their favorite movie series or video game, but give few details about accounts, places, names, and themes in Scripture. That’s a problem.
The third chapter begins with a personal anecodote from Reagan that I found to be good. Really good.
I used to play a phone game where you ran a quaint little bakery. The goal was to make cute cartoon pastries, raise profits, cut costs, and deal with precious little emergencies. After playing for a week everything was running smoothly in my virtual bakeshop. I felt really good that I was doing so well. Sure, I’d put in a lot of hours to reach this level, but all my hard work was finally paying off! I was succeeding. One day I was playing the game at home when I paused it to get a drink. As I took a sip of my water and looked out the kitchen window to rest my eyes, I saw my neighbor building a shed in his backyard. It got me thinking about all of the projects around the house that I’d been putting off. In that moment, I had this sinking realization: What did I have to show for all the hard work I put into that video game? Nothing.
Here, Reagan discusses three aspects of human life that gamers often try (whether knowingly or not) to satisfy through simulation: dominion, fellowship, and reward. Going back to Genesis, this chapter talks about what mankind was truly made for, and the potential pitfalls that video games can set forth in those regards. I appreciated the way in which this chapter provided the overarching worldview before the rest of the book goes into more specifics about video games.
The fourth chapter discusses the issue of fellowship, which is probably not an issue that is immediately apparent to most when they consider video games. Again going back to Genesis, Reagan works quickly through Genesis 2:18 and 3:7 to lay the groundwork not only for mankind’s need for relationships, but also his attempt at hiding when his sin is exposed. Both factors are important to consider when it comes to gaming. Doing a great job of not only identifying this problem, but the biblical solution, Reagan writes,
Games promise relationships without the mess, a place to hide from the gaze of other people, a world where people can’t hurt you. But they are no replacement for face-to-face fellowship. It might be messy, it might hurt at times, but we were made for real relationships. In fact, God has made us for eternal relationships. He has designed Christians to grow together with a family that we will be with for all eternity. I’m talking about the Church.(p. 50-51)
The fifth chapter expounded further on the concept of “reward” by explaining the drive behind video games that appeals to many: the opportunity to overcome obstacles and achieve success. Whether it’s defeating a boss, advancing to another level, or unlocking a reward, video games are adept at feeding that desire. And Reagan affirms that the desire itself is not only alright, but God-given. However, as he points out, that desire is what should drive us to seek Christ for forgiveness, looking forward to the day when we find eternal rest, perfect peace, and ultimate enjoyment upon glorification. Drawing from Hebrews 11:6, which says, “…for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him,” he explains that the rewards offered in video games scratch our innate itch, but in an infinitely inferior way. According to Reagan, “I’m afraid that just as with dominion, too many Christian students are enjoying the artificial rewards of video games to a degree that it is numbing their desire to seek those things which are above (Col. 3:1)” (p. 60). I couldn’t agree more with his assessment.
The sixth chapter discusses the issue of stewardship, which is likely one of the most obvious concerns to most. As was touched upon in the second chapter, video games today can be big time-wasters. Here, Reagan makes an important additional point though: it’s not your time to waste. After all, stewardship, by definition, refers to how one utilizes the resources that belong to another. Looking at the parable of talents in Matthew 25, Reagan, explains that how we use our time matters to God. This issue is perhaps one of the most important in my mind, because the reality is that the endless hours wasted on video games actually represent twice the amount of sin: not only the sinful excess of entertainment (which amounts to idolatry), but also the sinful neglect of serving God in the numerous avenues He has commanded. In other words, the time wasted on video games could have been used for Bible study, fellowship, evangelism, teaching, prayer, or many other aspects of devotion to God that we ought to be doing. And beyond purely spiritual matters, other necessary aspects of life such as work, care for others, maintaining our homes, and physical fitness require our time. In a world where everyone is always “just too busy,” despite having more time-saving conveniences than at any other time in history, I have a feeling that the problem is self-imposed. Furthermore, though we often think that single men and women have greater freedom to devote more of their time to leisure, the Bible actually assumes just the opposite: “One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife” (1 Cor. 7:32b-33). Whether you’re single, and video games are robbing you of time to expedite your growth in Christ, or you’re married, and video games are robbing you of time to invest in your family, the bottom line is almost always the same: video games are robbing you.
After the the majority of the book considers the nature of video games, the seventh chapter examines the content. Specifically, this chapter talks about gore and violence. Here, Reagan looks at the issue of the heart, based on Matthew 5:22, in which Jesus talks about murder beginning in the heart. One difficulty in discussing this aspect, as Reagan affirms, is that there are different kinds and amounts of violence (warfare, animal attacks, crime, pranks, cartoon physical comedy, etc), meaning a blanket statement as to whether violent video games are biblically allowable may not be all that helpful. In fact, he concedes in this chapter that his counsel is a “non-answer” and that “it depends.” Nevertheless, he explains that we should never glory in bloodshed, that violence does indeed affect our hearts, and that the participatory nature of video games increases the caution of this form of entertainment versus other forms. In the end, he does make it clear that “Christians should not enjoy the kind of violence which God hates even if it’s pretend.”
The final two chapters get more practical in nature. Chapter 8 provides three unhelpful responses (“Unbiblical Legalism,” “Uncritical Praise,” “Unthinking Apathy”) followed by a fourth helpful response (“Unapologetic Discernment”). He not only speaks to the issue of honoring God, but for his underage readers, he speaks to the issue of honoring parents. Chapter 9 provides a gameplan for gaming, in which Reagan helps the reader ask the right kinds of questions in order to proceed: when and how long games should be played, what types of games should be played, and how should you approach gameplay itself. Between this final chapter and Appendix A (which has a few specific ideas/challenges for the reader to implement immediately), the book concludes nicely with helpful steps to implement going forward.
Based on the aforementioned aspects I pointed out, you may get the wrong impression that the entire book is just a multifaceted attack on video games. But the reality is, in a sense, just the opposite. In multiple places, Reagan actually encourages those who wish to game—but, of course, within the context of the biblical framework he sets forth. Far from condemning video games outright, he says, “Play games in moderation, but don’t let their siren song draw you to the rocks of addiction and a wasted life” (p. 43), and, “So, yes, enjoy your video games, but enjoy them like a steward” (p. 69). Nevertheless, I think this book does provide a multifaceted caution to video games that ought to be embraced by both children and adults.
A Small Book with a Large Audience
So, what are some ways I envision this resource being utilized?
First, it could be given to an unbelieving student as part of an evangelistic effort. Since the book’s cover (a joystick) and size (roughly 100 pages) are both nonthreatening, it’s a perfect item to give to a gamer who’s open to guidance—and the Gospel presentation in Chapter 2 is undoubtedly thorough enough to bring a reader to saving faith!
Second, it could be handed out to youth in the church who need guidance navigating this difficult topic, and especially those without parents who are as heavily invested in this issue as they could (or should) be. In fact, because each chapter ends with a “Main Point” that summarizes the driving theme, followed by a few “Questions for Reflection” to consider, it could very easily be used to facilitate a small group study for students.
Third, it could be used within the context of a family, as a discipleship tool between a parent and child. For those who greatly limit the usage of video games in the home, this book would be a valuable addition for explaining to your child why it’s actually the gamer, rather than the non-gamer, who is missing out in life. The folly of digital escapism can be hard to communicate to a young person; this book can help parents provide a concrete application of the book of Ecclesiastes.
Finally, I envision this book as being incredibly insightful for the parent or pastor with either limited knowledge of video games or limited time to research and unpack the issue. The various matters involved in video games are far more expansive than what those on the outside might otherwise assume.
As for me, do I condemn parents who purchase video games for their kids? No. Do I encourage parents to purchase video games for their kids? No. Do I think video games should be entirely off-limits for kids? No. Do I see any reason that video games should play a large enough role in a child’s life for him or her to be considered a “gamer?” No.
I think Reagan’s book has provided me with many biblical reasons for this position. Pick up a copy and see if you agree.
The book is available for purchase on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Track-Gaming-Students-Guide/dp/1527107981
The book is also available for purchase from the publisher here: https://www.christianfocus.com/products/3009/track-gaming
Other books in the Track student discipleship series can be found here: https://www.christianfocus.com/series/167/track