Play the Game!

Beneath America's present cultural war, is a debate about the nature of conflict and competition. This book will be read by a cross section of people who would normally have nothing in common: atheists/agnostics versus religious, progressives versus conservatives, socialists versus capitalists. Most people have never read the Bible as a primary resource with as fresh eyes as has Dr. Barr. Most of the debates about the Bible, religion, politics, psychology, and sexuality are so typical and routine that they produce much smoke and heat, but little light and compassion. Our competition is our greatest teacher. Play the Game Is a paraphrase of Jesus' first sermon: "Repent and believe the Good News" Mk 1:15 In this personal, original, and idiosyncratic testimony and study, Game replaces the idea of God, and to play replaces the action to know. Our central thought is that our species should be called homo ludens, man the player, rather than homo sapiens, man the knower, because man hides what he knows from God, from his neighbor, and from himself, but meets what he hides in the Game through his enemy and his competition. The simple premise of the book is that there is a holy order of exuberance, and five approaches of play towards conflict and competition that begin in utter indifference to utter exuberance, from the Philosopher to the Overcomer. Without appreciating what all five players see in the Game, we are always partially blind, even though the Overcomer can understand the Philosopher, but not the other way around.