All in Good Fun A Theology of Fun (and Why Christians Should Have More of It)

Can Christians have fun? Or is fun just a distraction from the urgency of real life? What does fun really mean, anyway? Contrary to popular belief both in and out of Christian circles, fun is not a byproduct of or distraction from "real life." Fun, if rightly understood, is essential to being human.

How can we know? Join author and gaming expert Jaclyn S. Parrish as she examines what Scripture has to say about fun: what it is, how it works, what happens when it goes wrong in the Fall of Man, and what changes when it's done right. As you walk through the pages of the Bible, hear the rhythm of fun echoing throughout God’s Word, from the Garden of Eden to the City of Heaven. And moreover, discover that to be made in the image of God is to enjoy the rhythm of fun in all our activities and relationships. Fun doesn’t have to be confined to our weekends and holidays. It can and should infuse the full spectrum of our lives, including our work and our rest, our leisure and our labor.

Fun, like everything else in our fallen world, no longer works as it should, but taking time to have fun changes us, and can even change the world around us. Which means that yes, Christian, one the best uses of your time is to explore how you can have more fun, and how you can make not just leisure time, but all of life, funner for others.

Jaclyn S. Parrish is the director of marketing at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. She holds a B.A. in English and Christian Studies from Dallas Baptist University, and an M.A. in Religion (Ministry) from the B. H. Carroll Theological Institute. When not engaging in academia, Jaclyn can be found around the table, embracing the fantastic wilds of Dungeons & Dragons with some of her closest friends.