Video games tap into a deep human drive for adventure and greatness, whether it is an epic quest to slay zombies, a mission to rescue the princess, or teaming up with a clan to defeat the final boss. But what if that same desire could shape more than just your gameplay? What if it could transform your entire life?
In Gaming and the Heroic Life, Catholic author and lifelong gamer Bobby Angel invites readers to see gaming not simply as entertainment but as preparation for a real-life adventure in virtue, courage, and purpose.
Inspired by Blessed Carlo Acutis—the first millennial saint who loved Halo, Super Mario, and Pokémon—Angel shows how gaming can train us to become saints in the digital age. This book offers a map to becoming not only a better gamer but also a better person, one who knows their identity and purpose as a child of God.
The book is organized into three levels:
-
Level One: Why we love games and what they reveal about our relationship with God
-
Level Two: How the “Easter eggs” of truth, beauty, and goodness in games reflect divine realities and shape the heart of the player
-
Level Three: How gaming can move us AFK (away from keyboard) and inspire courage, service, and holiness in real life
With humor and heart, Angel explores how faith and gaming intersect, showing that every gamer is called to heroism and holiness both in the virtual world and beyond.
About the Author
Bobby Angel is a Catholic author, speaker, and certified mentor for the CatholicPsych Institute with more than twenty years of experience in ministry. He is the author of Gaming and the Heroic Life and coauthor of Pray, Decide, and Don’t Worry: Five Steps to Discerning God’s Will with his wife, Jackie, and Fr. Mike Schmitz, as well as Forever: A Catholic Devotional for Your Marriage. Angel has contributed to Catholicism After Coronavirus, Wisdom and Wonder, and The New Apologetics.
He holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of Florida and St. John Vianney College Seminary and master’s degrees from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary and the Augustine Institute. He has also trained at the Theology of the Body Institute and previously worked as a firefighter and EMT.
Angel has spoken at the National Catholic Youth Conference, Life Teen retreats, and numerous diocesan conferences. He has appeared on the Ascension Presents YouTube channel, Word on Fire’s God and Gaming series, and Around the Halo with Jonathan “Bearded” Blevins. Angel contributes to the National Catholic Register and serves as a guide for JP2 Trails retreats. He lives in the Dallas, Texas, area with his family.
Jonathan “Bearded” Blevins is the founder of the BeardedBlevins Stream Team and Little Flower Media, where he uses gaming and streaming to evangelize and build online Catholic community.
