Entertainment dominates modern life. It is everywhere. And yet, Christians don’t seem to talk about it enough. We study doctrine and other key areas of Christian living, but a biblically sound, God-honoring theology of entertainment seems to be missing from the discussion.
Oh, there’s plenty of reactionary discussion, i.e. whether or not video games are evil, what objectionable content is or is not tolerable, etc. but entertainment itself? Entertainment as a whole? What does God think about entertainment? What place does entertainment have in a Christian’s life?
Young people today desperately need a theology of entertainment. I speak from personal experience. In my opinion, entertainment is society’s greatest idol. Regardless of the kind–whether it’s video games, music, social media, partying, streaming, YouTube, books, movies–no matter how innocent or corrupted, entertainment is devouring the time and energies of so many. In my own life, entertainment has been something that has dominated my desires and has led me to areas of great compromise.
Upright Downtime: Making Wise Choices about Entertainment is the first book I have ever read that takes God’s Word and seeks to build a well-rounded theology of entertainment. I wish I had read this book years ago. I wish that it was used in youth groups and taught on in Christian college classes. This topic is so profoundly relevant and needed today!
The book is short. It is only five chapters of gold.
Here are just a few of the things I appreciated about Dr. Hand’s book:
- He goes back to Creation to explore why man desires entertainment and to see what God’s perspective on it is.
- He is not interested in splitting hairs over whether this or that kind of entertainment is acceptable. He wants to give us a biblical framework to be able to discern for ourselves.
- He does not go beyond Scripture. He argues for enjoyment of entertainment under the parameters of God’s design, but does not hesitate to draw hard lines where God has done so.
- Even though this book was written in 2008 and many forms of entertainment have grown or been introduced since then, it doesn’t really matter, since this book’s focus is broader than specific forms.
I strongly recommend this book. May it help many form a biblical theology of entertainment for their lives.
We have this in our church Resource Center. Can’t wait to see you in a few weeks!
Thank you for your recommendation, Savannah! Sounds like a wonderful and beneficial resource. I can’t wait to read it.