Video games are big business, generating billions of dollars annually. The long-held stereotype of the gamer as a solitary teen hunched in front of his computer screen for hours is inconsistent with the current makeup of a diverse and vibrant gaming community. The rise of this cultural phenomenon raises a host of questions: Are some games too violent? Do they hurt or help our learning? Do they encourage escapism? How do games portray gender? Such questions have generated lots of talk, but missing from much of the discussion has been a Christian perspective.

Kevin Schut, a communications expert and an enthusiastic gamer himself, offers a lively, balanced, and informed Christian evaluation of video games and video game culture. In Of Games and God he expertly engages a variety of issues, encouraging readers to consider both the perils and the promise of this major cultural phenomenon. Readers engaged in contemporary Christian reflection on media, technology, and popular culture will value this work. It will also work well as a supplementary text in media, communication studies, and popular culture courses.