web02.fireside.fm Fri, 17 Apr 2026 05:20:32 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Play Saves the World - Episodes Tagged with “Work” https://boardgamefaith.fireside.fm/tags/work Sun, 16 Jun 2024 15:00:00 -0400 Daniel and Kevin explore the meaning of play for human flourishing – what it is, what it means, and how people create and maintain playful lives. We explore books, people, places, and ideas committed to engendering play in the midst of busy, working lives. en-us episodic On games and spirituality Daniel Hilty & Kevin Taylor Daniel and Kevin explore the meaning of play for human flourishing – what it is, what it means, and how people create and maintain playful lives. We explore books, people, places, and ideas committed to engendering play in the midst of busy, working lives. no play, gaming, game theory, work, human flourishing, the meaning of play Daniel Hilty & Kevin Taylor thomaskevintaylor@icloud.com Episode 101: What Is Work? https://boardgamefaith.fireside.fm/101 0da46014-e7bc-475c-a130-3dab664e16e1 Sun, 16 Jun 2024 15:00:00 -0400 Daniel Hilty & Kevin Taylor 101 What Is Work? full Daniel Hilty & Kevin Taylor To answer what is play we have to do something a bit odd. We have to ask, what is work? Because by defining work we will have a better sense of what play is, and what its role can be. 1:00:37 no To define what play is, we have to define what work is. (This isn’t all that unusual – scholars do it with secular vs. religious, or prose vs. poetry.) Work or labor is intentional human activity to support our needs and wants, or those of others or our larger group. Work is something we do for another purpose – it is 2-eyed, 1 eye to the activity itself and 1 to its outside result (payment, food, etc.). It is a means to an end. Work isn’t inherently bad. In the Bible it is implied that humans would work the earth before the Fall. Work is not a result of original sin, but original sin corrupts work, so that the ground is cursed, and there are thorns and thistles in our gardening. We will now sweat to make the bread we must eat. In fact, work can be marvelous - a sense of purpose and contribution and accomplishment - The pleasure of your earned paycheck for your labor - The ability to form and improve our world - The freedom to engage in different kinds of work to support us - The notion of vocation, that our work might be something God calls us to do with our time and energy Work and play are not necessarily opposed to each other Sometimes the distinction is said to be productivity, but this isn’t true (e.g., work day with nothing getting done versus Minecraft) Jane McGonagal says that play is just work we enjoy Brian Sutton-Smith: the opposite of work is depression One person’s work can be another person’s play (e.g., computer programming, professional athletes, spreadsheets) Work being play would be awesome!!! But clearly work can be oppressive Some forms of work are oppressive or dangerous – factories, or gig economy with no benefits and vulnerable employment Being underpaid because your labor is set by supply and demand You might hate your job but are stuck with it because you need the money If you cannot work you will have no way to support yourself You are vulnerable to work changing, being fired, AI The instrumentalization of all things, including our time (Oliver Burkeman) When we are only a cog in the machine, when we spend our days only in service to some other goal, then everything become a means to an end, and we never get to the end itself. Such instrumentalization also generates a disturbing lack of presence. We are always lost in the future (or sometimes the past), which spiritual traditions (and psychology) tell us are often the causes of restlessness and fear: “do not worry about tomorrow” (Luke 12), Buddhism’s grounding the present Protestant work ethic A rather strange valuing of work due to Protestant ideas about grace, salvation, and human effort (since you are saved by grace alone but cannot know if you are truly among the elect who are saved, your best hope is to be a good worker in the vague hope that this indicates your salvation, but it cannot actually impact it) As a result, we come to tie our sense of self worth and value to our work, to our productivity through work – so if you fail at work you fail at life. We value others based on their wealth and work habits Martin Luther King Jr. tied the Protestant Work Ethic to racism and the exploitation of the poor (“We have deluded ourselves into believing the myth that capitalism grew and prospered out of the Protestant ethic of hard work and sacrifice. The fact is that capitalism was built on the exploitation and suffering of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor—both black and white, here and abroad.”) This impacts many Western Protestant cultures where one should stay extremely busy and complain about work a lot – don’t take vacation, let work consume you because it’s inherently good to work. As a result, we can feel a profound lack of freedom, value, and agency. The truth is: work is often overwhelming. It can be good. But it cannot save us. It is not our true purpose. work, play, leisure, fun, work ethic, workaholic, Protestant work ethic, To define what play is, we have to define what work is.
(This isn’t all that unusual – scholars do it with secular vs. religious, or prose vs. poetry.)

Work or labor is intentional human activity to support our needs and wants, or those of others or our larger group.

Work is something we do for another purpose – it is 2-eyed, 1 eye to the activity itself and 1 to its outside result (payment, food, etc.).
It is a means to an end.

Work isn’t inherently bad. In the Bible it is implied that humans would work the earth before the Fall. Work is not a result of original sin, but original sin corrupts work, so that the ground is cursed, and there are thorns and thistles in our gardening. We will now sweat to make the bread we must eat.

In fact, work can be marvelous

  • a sense of purpose and contribution and accomplishment
  • The pleasure of your earned paycheck for your labor
  • The ability to form and improve our world
  • The freedom to engage in different kinds of work to support us
  • The notion of vocation, that our work might be something God calls us to do with our time and energy

Work and play are not necessarily opposed to each other

  • Sometimes the distinction is said to be productivity, but this isn’t true (e.g., work day with nothing getting done versus Minecraft)
  • Jane McGonagal says that play is just work we enjoy
  • Brian Sutton-Smith: the opposite of work is depression
  • One person’s work can be another person’s play (e.g., computer programming, professional athletes, spreadsheets)
  • Work being play would be awesome!!!

But clearly work can be oppressive

  • Some forms of work are oppressive or dangerous – factories, or gig economy with no benefits and vulnerable employment
  • Being underpaid because your labor is set by supply and demand
  • You might hate your job but are stuck with it because you need the money
  • If you cannot work you will have no way to support yourself
  • You are vulnerable to work changing, being fired, AI
  • The instrumentalization of all things, including our time (Oliver Burkeman)
    • When we are only a cog in the machine, when we spend our days only in service to some other goal, then everything become a means to an end, and we never get to the end itself.
    • Such instrumentalization also generates a disturbing lack of presence. We are always lost in the future (or sometimes the past), which spiritual traditions (and psychology) tell us are often the causes of restlessness and fear: “do not worry about tomorrow” (Luke 12), Buddhism’s grounding the present

Protestant work ethic

  • A rather strange valuing of work due to Protestant ideas about grace, salvation, and human effort (since you are saved by grace alone but cannot know if you are truly among the elect who are saved, your best hope is to be a good worker in the vague hope that this indicates your salvation, but it cannot actually impact it)
  • As a result, we come to tie our sense of self worth and value to our work, to our productivity through work – so if you fail at work you fail at life. We value others based on their wealth and work habits
  • Martin Luther King Jr. tied the Protestant Work Ethic to racism and the exploitation of the poor (“We have deluded ourselves into believing the myth that capitalism grew and prospered out of the Protestant ethic of hard work and sacrifice. The fact is that capitalism was built on the exploitation and suffering of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor—both black and white, here and abroad.”)
  • This impacts many Western Protestant cultures where one should stay extremely busy and complain about work a lot – don’t take vacation, let work consume you because it’s inherently good to work.

As a result, we can feel a profound lack of freedom, value, and agency.

The truth is: work is often overwhelming. It can be good. But it cannot save us. It is not our true purpose.

]]> To define what play is, we have to define what work is.
(This isn’t all that unusual – scholars do it with secular vs. religious, or prose vs. poetry.)

Work or labor is intentional human activity to support our needs and wants, or those of others or our larger group.

Work is something we do for another purpose – it is 2-eyed, 1 eye to the activity itself and 1 to its outside result (payment, food, etc.).
It is a means to an end.

Work isn’t inherently bad. In the Bible it is implied that humans would work the earth before the Fall. Work is not a result of original sin, but original sin corrupts work, so that the ground is cursed, and there are thorns and thistles in our gardening. We will now sweat to make the bread we must eat.

In fact, work can be marvelous

  • a sense of purpose and contribution and accomplishment
  • The pleasure of your earned paycheck for your labor
  • The ability to form and improve our world
  • The freedom to engage in different kinds of work to support us
  • The notion of vocation, that our work might be something God calls us to do with our time and energy

Work and play are not necessarily opposed to each other

  • Sometimes the distinction is said to be productivity, but this isn’t true (e.g., work day with nothing getting done versus Minecraft)
  • Jane McGonagal says that play is just work we enjoy
  • Brian Sutton-Smith: the opposite of work is depression
  • One person’s work can be another person’s play (e.g., computer programming, professional athletes, spreadsheets)
  • Work being play would be awesome!!!

But clearly work can be oppressive

  • Some forms of work are oppressive or dangerous – factories, or gig economy with no benefits and vulnerable employment
  • Being underpaid because your labor is set by supply and demand
  • You might hate your job but are stuck with it because you need the money
  • If you cannot work you will have no way to support yourself
  • You are vulnerable to work changing, being fired, AI
  • The instrumentalization of all things, including our time (Oliver Burkeman)
    • When we are only a cog in the machine, when we spend our days only in service to some other goal, then everything become a means to an end, and we never get to the end itself.
    • Such instrumentalization also generates a disturbing lack of presence. We are always lost in the future (or sometimes the past), which spiritual traditions (and psychology) tell us are often the causes of restlessness and fear: “do not worry about tomorrow” (Luke 12), Buddhism’s grounding the present

Protestant work ethic

  • A rather strange valuing of work due to Protestant ideas about grace, salvation, and human effort (since you are saved by grace alone but cannot know if you are truly among the elect who are saved, your best hope is to be a good worker in the vague hope that this indicates your salvation, but it cannot actually impact it)
  • As a result, we come to tie our sense of self worth and value to our work, to our productivity through work – so if you fail at work you fail at life. We value others based on their wealth and work habits
  • Martin Luther King Jr. tied the Protestant Work Ethic to racism and the exploitation of the poor (“We have deluded ourselves into believing the myth that capitalism grew and prospered out of the Protestant ethic of hard work and sacrifice. The fact is that capitalism was built on the exploitation and suffering of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor—both black and white, here and abroad.”)
  • This impacts many Western Protestant cultures where one should stay extremely busy and complain about work a lot – don’t take vacation, let work consume you because it’s inherently good to work.

As a result, we can feel a profound lack of freedom, value, and agency.

The truth is: work is often overwhelming. It can be good. But it cannot save us. It is not our true purpose.

]]> Episode 38: Imitating God By Playing Games (Moltmann part 2) https://boardgamefaith.fireside.fm/38 0f9f52c9-ea27-4775-ab12-b966eed4fea7 Sun, 10 Sep 2023 15:00:00 -0400 Daniel Hilty & Kevin Taylor 38 Imitating God By Playing Games (Moltmann part 2) full Daniel Hilty & Kevin Taylor How can we imitate God? By realizing that the world is meaningful but not necessary because God created it that way, and intends us to live lives of beauty, enjoyment, meaning, and not always productive. "We are to glorify God and enjoy God forever" in the Westminster Catechism of 1647; “To put it simply, the birds are singing more than Darwin permits” (Buytendijk). Games and play allow us to be fully and authentically ourselves, from achievement to being. These are topics we explore in our Book Club episode on Moltmann's A Theology of Play (pp. 15-25). 59:52 no Moltmann, A Theology of Play part 2 Pp 15-25 Did God create the world as an act of play? God is a free creator - could have made the world or not, yet is still divine so it can’t be just random. God did not have to create the world, but neither did God make something random. The world is meaningful but not necessary – and necessary labor will not save us. Work is productive and gainful but not play. It is a game in the sense – God made the world for God’s pleasure, God’s play Prov 8:30-31 then I was beside him, like a master worker, and I was daily his delight, playing before him always, playing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race. Without the freedom of play, the world turns into a desert. How we imitate God God can make and play out of nothingness because of divinity – we can only play with reality and created things. But we imitate God when we receive the kingdom of God like a child, when we absorbed and serious about a game but also transcend ourselves in knowing it is just a game. "Where everything must be useful and used, faith tends to regard its own freedom as good for nothing." (15) Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: one of the greatest temptations of the Christian leader (leader of faith) is to be relevant. "Relevance" is such a difficult topic - both encouraged and discouraged in the church. Perhaps it is really the temptation "to be needed" - to make others dependent on oneself. We are to glorify God and enjoy God forever in the Westminster Catechism 1647. So not through our usefulness or work or purposes, in our service, but in our enjoyment. We negotiate this in a society that only rewards usefulness, labor, and consumption. The problem of the Puritan work ethic. The other challenge of religion only being about ethics, and not about aesthetics. “To put it simply, the birds are singing more than Darwin permits” Buytendijk. Instead of life being “the seriousness of making history,” it becomes the “calm rejoining in existence itself.” Otherwise the seriousness of making history can be demonic, despairing, or all about us (23). To not only play but to be played, as the game of life impacts us. We might be “sheltered by the game,” because “the loser wins” (24, quoting Péguy). Victor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning - our most fundamental drive is in life is for meaning. The spiritual benefits of creation and games (18) * Sincerity * Mirth * Suspense * Relaxation * Full presence * Transcendence * Freedom Our purpose--the purpose of creation--AND the purpose of play--is not found in usefulness or meeting goals, but in the "demonstrative value of being" (Buytendijk, Dutch) (19) Seeing the meaning of life only in terms of usefulness will inevitably lead to a crisis. (19). Ideologies that seek to tell us otherwise are simply trying to turn us into cogs in their machinery. "Infinite responsibility destroys a human being because he is only man and not god." (23) Play shifts the focus away from achievement and more toward simply being. game theory, Moltmann, Christian theology, authentic being, Puritan work ethic, creation, nature, aesthetics, religion, spirituality Moltmann, A Theology of Play part 2

Pp 15-25

Did God create the world as an act of play?

God is a free creator - could have made the world or not, yet is still divine so it can’t be just random.

God did not have to create the world, but neither did God make something random.

The world is meaningful but not necessary – and necessary labor will not save us. Work is productive and gainful but not play.

It is a game in the sense – God made the world for God’s pleasure, God’s play

Prov 8:30-31
then I was beside him, like a master worker,
and I was daily his delight,
playing before him always,
playing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the human race.

Without the freedom of play, the world turns into a desert.

How we imitate God

God can make and play out of nothingness because of divinity – we can only play with reality and created things. But we imitate God when we receive the kingdom of God like a child, when we absorbed and serious about a game but also transcend ourselves in knowing it is just a game.

"Where everything must be useful and used, faith tends to regard its own freedom as good for nothing." (15)

Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: one of the greatest temptations of the Christian leader (leader of faith) is to be relevant. "Relevance" is such a difficult topic - both encouraged and discouraged in the church. Perhaps it is really the temptation "to be needed" - to make others dependent on oneself.

We are to glorify God and enjoy God forever in the Westminster Catechism 1647.

So not through our usefulness or work or purposes, in our service, but in our enjoyment. We negotiate this in a society that only rewards usefulness, labor, and consumption.

The problem of the Puritan work ethic.

The other challenge of religion only being about ethics, and not about aesthetics.

“To put it simply, the birds are singing more than Darwin permits” Buytendijk.

Instead of life being “the seriousness of making history,” it becomes the “calm rejoining in existence itself.” Otherwise the seriousness of making history can be demonic, despairing, or all about us (23).

To not only play but to be played, as the game of life impacts us. We might be “sheltered by the game,” because “the loser wins” (24, quoting Péguy).

Victor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning - our most fundamental drive is in life is for meaning.

The spiritual benefits of creation and games (18)

  • Sincerity
  • Mirth
  • Suspense
  • Relaxation
  • Full presence
  • Transcendence
  • Freedom

Our purpose--the purpose of creation--AND the purpose of play--is not found in usefulness or meeting goals, but in the "demonstrative value of being" (Buytendijk, Dutch) (19)

Seeing the meaning of life only in terms of usefulness will inevitably lead to a crisis. (19). Ideologies that seek to tell us otherwise are simply trying to turn us into cogs in their machinery.

"Infinite responsibility destroys a human being because he is only man and not god." (23)

Play shifts the focus away from achievement and more toward simply being.

Links:

]]> Moltmann, A Theology of Play part 2

Pp 15-25

Did God create the world as an act of play?

God is a free creator - could have made the world or not, yet is still divine so it can’t be just random.

God did not have to create the world, but neither did God make something random.

The world is meaningful but not necessary – and necessary labor will not save us. Work is productive and gainful but not play.

It is a game in the sense – God made the world for God’s pleasure, God’s play

Prov 8:30-31
then I was beside him, like a master worker,
and I was daily his delight,
playing before him always,
playing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the human race.

Without the freedom of play, the world turns into a desert.

How we imitate God

God can make and play out of nothingness because of divinity – we can only play with reality and created things. But we imitate God when we receive the kingdom of God like a child, when we absorbed and serious about a game but also transcend ourselves in knowing it is just a game.

"Where everything must be useful and used, faith tends to regard its own freedom as good for nothing." (15)

Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: one of the greatest temptations of the Christian leader (leader of faith) is to be relevant. "Relevance" is such a difficult topic - both encouraged and discouraged in the church. Perhaps it is really the temptation "to be needed" - to make others dependent on oneself.

We are to glorify God and enjoy God forever in the Westminster Catechism 1647.

So not through our usefulness or work or purposes, in our service, but in our enjoyment. We negotiate this in a society that only rewards usefulness, labor, and consumption.

The problem of the Puritan work ethic.

The other challenge of religion only being about ethics, and not about aesthetics.

“To put it simply, the birds are singing more than Darwin permits” Buytendijk.

Instead of life being “the seriousness of making history,” it becomes the “calm rejoining in existence itself.” Otherwise the seriousness of making history can be demonic, despairing, or all about us (23).

To not only play but to be played, as the game of life impacts us. We might be “sheltered by the game,” because “the loser wins” (24, quoting Péguy).

Victor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning - our most fundamental drive is in life is for meaning.

The spiritual benefits of creation and games (18)

  • Sincerity
  • Mirth
  • Suspense
  • Relaxation
  • Full presence
  • Transcendence
  • Freedom

Our purpose--the purpose of creation--AND the purpose of play--is not found in usefulness or meeting goals, but in the "demonstrative value of being" (Buytendijk, Dutch) (19)

Seeing the meaning of life only in terms of usefulness will inevitably lead to a crisis. (19). Ideologies that seek to tell us otherwise are simply trying to turn us into cogs in their machinery.

"Infinite responsibility destroys a human being because he is only man and not god." (23)

Play shifts the focus away from achievement and more toward simply being.

Links:

]]> Episode 11: Can Board Games Save the World? With Dave Bindewald https://boardgamefaith.fireside.fm/11 8d0dbbed-3f1c-4256-920a-772cf0738e58 Sun, 07 Aug 2022 14:00:00 -0400 Daniel Hilty & Kevin Taylor 11 Can Board Games Save the World? With Dave Bindewald full Daniel Hilty & Kevin Taylor We interview Dave Bindewald, founder of the Center for Play and Exploration, on the question of whether board games can save the world – or at least help cultivate our "curiosity, divergent thinking, and freedom to fail." Games help us become better thinkers and problem solvers, colleagues, and participants in God's creative acts of creation. 1:02:10 no The goal of the Center for Play and Exploration is to encourage adults to be more curious, more divergent in their thinking, and empowered to fail. Dave argues that curiosity and imagination are ways to dismantle anxiety and fear. We respond to listener feedback and speculate whether God does indeed play dice with the universe, because creation is God's joyful act of play. Post your thoughts, responses, and questions on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/boardgamefaith/) and Discord (https://discord.gg/RTpwD9V2). board games, play, religion, theology, God, creation, creativity, work, curiosity The goal of the Center for Play and Exploration is to encourage adults to be more curious, more divergent in their thinking, and empowered to fail. Dave argues that curiosity and imagination are ways to dismantle anxiety and fear. We respond to listener feedback and speculate whether God does indeed play dice with the universe, because creation is God's joyful act of play.

Post your thoughts, responses, and questions on Instagram and Discord.

Links:

]]> The goal of the Center for Play and Exploration is to encourage adults to be more curious, more divergent in their thinking, and empowered to fail. Dave argues that curiosity and imagination are ways to dismantle anxiety and fear. We respond to listener feedback and speculate whether God does indeed play dice with the universe, because creation is God's joyful act of play.

Post your thoughts, responses, and questions on Instagram and Discord.

Links:

]]>