Book Review: ‘Gaming and the Heroic Life’

Is it possible to love playing video games while loving and serving God? According to Bobby Angel, author of “Gaming and the Heroic Life,” the answer to this question is a resounding, “Yes!”

Given I am not a “gamer” in the context of video games, I wasn’t sure what to expect before reading “Gaming and the Heroic Life.” However, reading the sub-title – “A Quest for Holiness in the Virtual World” – and the various reviews on the back cover of the book, it sparked my interest and hope for gaining fresh insights on how gaming might connect to growing spiritually. 

“Gaming and the Heroic Life,” written by Bobby Angel, is a book that “explains how we can pursue a heroic life by the way we engage in video games (as well as in various other games like playing cards or sports).

Angel, a Catholic father of five, author, speaker, certified @catholicpsych Partner Mentor and lifelong gamer takes us from the early beginnings of gaming technology, connects us with the relationship gaming has to God, and leads us through discovery on how our Catholic Faith can intersect with gaming and lead to spiritual development.

The context for the book content seemed to have been set when Angel was a senior in high school when he “experienced God’s love in a profound ‘really real’ way.” 

According to Angel, he “experienced Eucharistic Adoration, serious prayer with friends” at a summer youth conference and “his heart was ready to see God.” This led him to ask challenging questions of his faith. In this book he dives into many of those questions, some many of us may have had, and shares his experiences and thoughts as to what the answers may be.

The book contains three Levels of content. 
* Level One explores why people love games and what games have to do with God.
* Level Two examines how the Easter eggs of truth, beauty and goodness in games impact players in much the same way that they impact your relationship with God.
* Level Three demonstrates how gaming can propel players AFK (away from keyboard) to find purpose and meaning in service to others.

Progressing through the three levels we find ourselves on a “Quest” to explore gaming as related to purpose and to spend time pondering on what might be our response to God’s call for us to be “heroic” by loving and serving others.

I found the “Quest” interesting and educational thanks to Angel sharing personal experiences, relevant quotes from various religious leaders and insights shared by well-known authors.

Reading this book has definitely given me a new perspective on “gamers” and how “gaming” can be an effective option for pursuing spiritual development. “Gaming and the Heroic Life,” as the author suggests, “is a map to becoming not only a better gamer but also a better person – one who has a purpose and knows where they fit into the world.” 

I highly recommend this book to all “gamers” no matter what game you may play or enjoy.

John H. Dolezal is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.