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Gaming and the Heroic Life: A Quest for Holiness in the Virtual World Paperback – November 3, 2023

4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 15 ratings
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Video games fuel a fundamental human drive for adventure—like the epic quest to slay zombies, a solo voyage to rescue the princess, or setting off with a clan to defeat the final boss.

The desire to be a hero in your journey is something Bobby Angel can relate to. A lifelong gamer, he was the cohost of the God and Gaming series on YouTube and often appears as a guest on Bearded Blevins’s Around the Halo on Twitch. In Gaming and the Heroic Life, Bobby explains that you don’t have to just play the role of hero in a game—you can actually pursue a heroic life by the way you engage the virtual world.

Gaming and the Heroic Life 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.

The book contains three levels:

  • 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.
 

Bobby shows where video games intersect with a life of faith in God—how games echo with our call to holiness and how we can respond to that call in both the virtual and real worlds.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    128 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Ave Maria Press
  4. Publication date
    November 3, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    5.6 x 0.6 x 8.1 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1646802497
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1646802494
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

Gaming and the Heroic Life, A Quest for Holiness in the Virtual World, gifts for gamers, Bobby Angel
gift ideas for gamers, Christian video games, video game books, video gaming books, Catholic books

Finding the Good in Video Games

Sometimes we don’t think that video games and the Christian faith are compatible. Our wider culture can still offer a remnant of belittling attitudes toward people who play video games, disregarding the medium as purely mindless entertainment that dooms individuals to live in the basements of their parents.

What Bobby Angel found as a life-long gamer is that, just like our faith in general, Christian gamers just need to ask:

Lord, how can I best love and serve you today?

and

Am I living a good life?

Gaming and the Heroic Life shows that not only is it possible to enjoy video games and be madly in love with God, but also that, with the right approach, video games can actually inspire you to strive for the greatness to which God is calling you.

Katie Ruvalcaba, twitch gamers, books about video games, Christian gamers, Bobby Angel gaming
what we are drawn to video games, is playing video games a sin?, a heroic life, books for gamers

Level 1: Why We Are Drawn to Video Games

"If you're going to win a battle royale match or school your friend in a race, it's quite essential to know the map you're playing on and where you're actually going. Without knowing your directions, you will be flailing about and likely lose the match. Likewise, in the challenge of being a human person here on earth, we need to know where we're going if we're going to live life well.

A good life is a life lived in balance with all our responsibilities, one that is attentive to our nature and call as created by God. It is a life in which a person can enjoy the things of this world--food, athletics, relationships, and video games--without worshipping those things as ends in themselves. It is a life attuned to others and seeks to serve them because we only come to find who we are when we become a gift to another person. And that is where a good life becomes a heroic one."

what we are drawn to video games, is playing video games a sin?, a heroic life, books for gamers

Christian video games, gaming heroic life, virtue, easter eggs, Christianity and art, faith books

the good of gaming, the gaming community, the benefits of games

Catholic author, CatholicPsych Institute, Bearded Blevins, Around the Halo, God and Gaming v

About Bobby Angel

Bobby Angel is a Catholic author, speaker, and mentor-in-training with the CatholicPsych Institute with more than twenty years of experience in ministry. He is the coauthor with his wife, Jackie, of Pray, Decide, & Don’t Worry (also with Fr. Mike Schmitz) and Forever: A Catholic Devotional for Your Marriage. Angel contributed to the books Catholicism after Coronavirus, Wisdom and Wonder, and The New Apologetics.

Angel has spoken at NCYC, the Good News Conference, Life Teen retreats, and diocesan youth conferences. He is a regular on Bearded Blevins’s Around the Halo on Twitch, on the Ascension Presents YouTube channel, and the God and Gaming video series with Fr. Blake Britton. He contributes to the National Catholic Register and served as a fellow of parish life at the Word on Fire Institute.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Finally we have a gamer and missionary disciple leading the conversation about video games and their impact on the human person.” --from the foreword by Jonathan “Bearded” Blevins

“With the soul of a gamer and a heart for Jesus, Bobby Angel really nails the mission field of gaming that a lot of people simply overlook. This is a perfect guide to being in the culture but not of it. It’s dangerous to go alone—take this book!” --Katie Ruvalcaba, Twitch streamer @MrsRuvi

“Bobby Angel’s insight into the world of video games, young people, and the life of virtue has qualified him in a unique way to offer the wisest counsel for anyone interested in all three.” --Fr. Mike Schmitz, host of The Bible in a Year podcast

“Gaming and the Heroic Life is a must read for gamers seeking to take their own gaming experience (and life) to a deeper level, and a must read for non-gamers seeking to understand the appeal and fulfillment that comes from gaming. I know it will be a gift to many!” --Sarah Swafford, Catholic speaker and author of Emotional Virtue

“This book is both timely and relevant as we seek to reach the next generation. Gaming and the Heroic Life continues the work of the New Evangelization by branching into a topic not much discussed but very much needed in the Church. As is evidenced by the recent beatification of Blessed Carlos Acutis, video game culture will be a pivotal place of catechesis and encounter in the years to come, and this book will prove a valuable tool to that end.” --Fr. Blake Britton, cohost of the God and Gaming podcast

About the Author

Bobby Angel is a Catholic author, speaker, and mentor-in-training with the CatholicPsych Institute with more than twenty years of experience in ministry. He is the coauthor with his wife, Jackie, of Pray, Decide, & Don’t Worry (also with Fr. Mike Schmitz) and Forever: A Catholic Devotional for Your Marriage. Angel contributed to the books Catholicism after Coronavirus, Wisdom and Wonder, and The New Apologetics.

He earned bachelor’s degrees from the University of Florida and St. John Vianney College Seminary and master’s degrees from the St. Vincent DePaul Regional Seminary and the Augustine Institute. He trained at the Theology of the Body Institute. He also worked as a certified firefighter and emergency medical technician.

Angel has spoken at NCYC, the Good News Conference, Life Teen retreats, and diocesan youth conferences. He is a regular on Bearded Blevins’s Around the Halo on Twitch, on the Ascension Presents YouTube channel, and the God and Gaming video series with Fr. Blake Britton. He contributes to the National Catholic Register and served as a fellow of parish life at the Word on Fire Institute.

He lives with his family in the Dallas, Texas, area.



Jonathan “Bearded” Blevins is the founder of BeardedBlevins Stream Team and Little Flower Media.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ave Maria Press (November 3, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1646802497
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1646802494
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 0.6 x 8.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 15 ratings

About the author

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Bobby Angel

Bobby Angel

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Bobby Angel is an author, speaker, and personal mentor trained by the CatholicPsych Institute. He taught theology and philosophy while also serving as a high school minister for almost a decade.

Bobby and his wife Jackie present regularly on the topics of Christian marriage and discernment, and minister through podcasts and media on YouTube.

Bobby has authored “Gaming and the Heroic Life” with Ave Maria Press, co-authored “Pray, Decide, and Don’t Worry” alongside his wife and Fr. Mike Schmitz, and with his wife co-authored "Forever: A Catholic Devotional for Your Marriage" with Pauline Books & Media.

Bobby and Jackie currently live in Dallas, Texas with their five children.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
15 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Olivia Hoegstrom
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome read- exactly what my teen needed
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
Loved Bobby's take on how gaming and faith can find a life and home together.
Thanks for writing this!
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Yosoybrod
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
Beautiful read to help our family navigate video games.
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Matilde Godinez
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for all
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
I got this book for my boys. They enjoy it and now planning to share with their friends.
I totally recommend this book to parents, so they can introduce or reinforce their children’s faith.

Thank you Mr. Angel!
One person found this helpful
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Christopher Blackwell
5.0 out of 5 stars Reluctant father changes tune on gaming after reading
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2023
I had been familiar with Bobby Angel through his online media aimed at young adults, and because I work as a high school counselor and am raising five children, I wanted to see how he connected the search for God and video games. Honestly, I approached the book with skepticism because I grew up in the 90s era of video games and remember gaming in my youth, mindlessly for hours on end, which led me to strictly limit my kids’ time and discourage their desire to play. What this book helped me see is that our collective love for “gaming” relates to the inherent longings of the human heart.

I appreciate that the book has content that I could relate to as a game-loving kid-turned-adult, now seeking ways to bond with his children; I can also give this book to my teenagers and students so we can discuss our shared interests. Angel is very positive on video games, but he also devotes an entire chapter to the importance of virtue and moderation, addressing some of the common pitfalls. My problem does not need to be with “video games” as a whole, just like I don’t have to eschew “movies” because of some poorly made or morally problematic ones. There are wholesome and beautiful movies that serve a higher purpose, and the same is true for video games. Just as people find God and evangelize through athletics, music, or their work, Angel shows that video games can also witness to the truth.

The book is well organized, making it super readable, and the content can be read by someone mature in the faith, or by young adults wondering why they’re so drawn to video games who have no faith at all. Bobby observes that if there's a game, there's also a game designer and loving the beauty in a game begs the question, “where does beauty come from?” This parallels the “intelligent design” argument for the existence of God. Angel also shows how our love of playing with an online community also comes from our human desire to be in community with others, and how the mission-oriented/heroic aspect of the games draws on our nature to want to save the world and fight for the good, to be virtuous, to have a quest… to have a purpose in our life.

I believe that this book will be a healing resource for families with parents like me who haven’t taken the time to reflect on the “ultimate good” that our kids are seeking. It helped me understand why they like the games they want to play. And by introducing readers to Blessed Carlo Acutis, Angel shows that if saints can be relatable teenagers who used their gifts for the Lord and also love video games, then maybe I can change my tune.
3 people found this helpful
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Jesse
5.0 out of 5 stars Graham Greene's Favorite Book about Gaming
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024
Book Club for life.
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SamSch
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, flew through it!
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2023
Really enjoyed this book. I chose to read it because my kids love video games and I wanted to be in the loop/make sure I’m not doing to much damage to them by letting them do what they enjoy (with limits). The authors love for God and gaming are both obvious while reading and the research accompanying the point were great. I’d recommend this to parents, young Christian readers, older Christian readers trying to understand the younger generations, and gamers that are early in getting to know God.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for gamers wrestling with the big questions in life
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2023
Easy to read, written from one gamer to another. It doesn't take long to get through yet is packed full of insights on the Christian perspective regarding who we are, how we were made, and the adventurous life we are called to live. Bobby uses video games as the lens through which to understand the yearnings on everyone's heart. If you game, enjoyed video games in the past, or know others that do - you'll find that his video game references are humourous and hit home. I'm going to encourage my gaming friends, particularly young people, to read this book.
One person found this helpful
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Josh Beckman
5.0 out of 5 stars Press ‘START’ on this new adventure to ‘Level Up’ your own game!
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2023
Gaming and the Heroic Life" is a captivating exploration of the intersection between video games and the human desire for adventure. Bobby Angel's personal experience as a lifelong gamer and cohost of the God and Gaming series on YouTube shines through in this thought-provoking book.

The book's structure, with three distinct levels, delves deep into the reasons behind our love for games, the parallels between gaming and spirituality, and how gaming can lead to a purposeful life of service. Bobby Angel's insights are both enlightening and inspiring, offering readers a unique perspective on how to harness their passion for gaming to become better individuals.

Whether you're a seasoned gamer or simply curious about the connection between gaming and personal growth, "Gaming and the Heroic Life" provides valuable insights and guidance. It's a must-read for anyone looking to understand the profound impact of video games on our lives and our potential to find purpose within them.
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