RPGs as a Bible Study Aid

It might seem unconventional to use Tabletop RPGs (TTRPGs) as a Bible study aid, but in my experience, the format is a great learning tool. Anecdotally, playing TTRPGs helped me with quick math by forcing me to roll dice, add numbers together, and call them out to keep the game pacing steady for the rest of the group. But beyond my own experience, there are other people using TTRPGs for more than entertainment.

The organization that inspired my plan to create Royal Priesthood Roleplaying Game (RP2) is a group called Game to Grow. I heard them on a podcast a few years back talking about how they use TTRPGs as a clinical counseling aid, specifically to help individuals with social anxiety. After hearing their pitch, I thought, “Why can’t Christians do that with Scripture?”

I’m going to say this every time I bring up the subject, but if you’re thinking of running a Bible study RPG, like RP2, please remember Deuteronomy 4:2, 2 Timothy 3:16, and Revelation 22:18-19, which remind us that we are not to add or subtract from the God-breathed Scriptures. Your Bible study RPG stories should take place adjacent to Scripture. I’ll talk about this in more detail in a future post, but I’ll summarize by saying the best practice is to make sure players aren’t in a position to potentially change biblical history (like stopping David from murdering Uriah in 2 Samuel 11).

So why should Christians consider using TTRPGs as a Bible study aid? Well research shows that students who learn a lesson and immediately apply it have higher chance of retaining that information, and it increases their ability to learn and apply new information and skills1. Imagine the following scenario: a group of Christians get together and study Matthew 28. The entire chapter discusses Christ’s resurrection and the aftermath leading up to his ascension to heaven, and there are a lot of important doctrines in this single chapter. To simplify, we’ll focus on Matthew 28:16-20 where Jesus told his followers to go into the world and teach his commands.

After a discussion on why this is important (maybe 30 minutes, depending on how much time the group has dedicated to teaching and practice), the group leader, or Game Master (GM), can lead the rest of the group (the players) through a scenario where their characters might interact with fictional individuals in mid first century Near East locations to share the gospel message. The GM can sprinkle in historical details that help the players understand what the Bible’s original audience experienced, and the GM can talk players through methods to effectively explain why humanity needs salvation from sins.

The players then practice proclaiming Christ’s saving message, and the GM could roleplay potential responses non-believers might have. This practice can give players the tools they need to then share the gospel with their non-Christian friends and neighbors.

It’s worth remembering that the GM will need to put in a lot of work. However, as a pastor and elder for my church, this work was expected of me when I first took on the responsibility of teaching a weekly Bible study, and it’s the same level of effort every teacher should put into learning and teaching God-breathed Scripture to make sure students effectively learn and understand God’s word. Dedicated players can also help the GM out by doing research on their own, reading ahead in the book they’re studying and digging into the historical context behind their passages. Because of the work involved, a weekly game may not be the best option, but every other week or once a month gives everyone time to continue to study and practice what they learned at the gaming table.

For people who are interested in running a Bible study RPG, RP2 is free for anyone who wants to use it, and if you’d like training in the process, we can provide that, as well.

Sources and Notes

1 To find out why learning and immediate practice is so important, check out Mary Brabeck, Jill Jeffrey, & Sara Fry, “Practice for knowledge acquisition (not drill and kill): Applications of psychological science to teaching and learning modules.” American Psychological Association. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/education-career/k12/practice-acquisition.