A Christian Response to Dungeons and Dragons - The Catechism of the New Age

Oct 6, 2026

A Christian assessment of Dungeons and Dragons presents the game as a spiritual influence on children and explains why parents should respond. The text frames modern media and fantasy entertainment as a “generation at risk” issue, then explains how Dungeons and Dragons works, including character creation, dice-based attributes, races and classes, hit points, equipment, and alignments. It also describes the Dungeon Master’s central role in shaping each dungeon campaign through a mapped fantasy environment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

What is Dungeons and Dragons?

# A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TODUNGEONS AND DRAGONS Other books by Peter Leithart: The Reduction of Christianity,1987 [with Gary DeMar] Other books by George Grant: Bringing in the Sheaves:Transforming Poverty into Productivity,1985 In the Shadow of Plenty:Biblical Principles of Welfare and Pouerty,1986 The Dispossessed:Homelessness in America,1986 The Changing of the Guard:Biblical Principles of Political Action,1987 Rebuilding the Walls:A Biblical Strategy to Restore America's Greatness,1987[with Peter Waldron] The Big Lie:The Scandal of Planned Parenthood,1988 A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TODUNGEONS AND DRAGONS # The Catechism of the New Age Peter LeithartandGeorge Grant Dominion PressFort Worth,Texas Dedicated to our children: May they ever be able to discern the difference.Philippians 1:9-11 Special thanks to Jim Stewart and Robert Saxon,former Dungeon Masters,fortheir evaluation and input on this project. Copyright ®1987 by Dominion Press.Second edition,revised March 1988. All rights reserved.Written permission must be secured from the publisher to useor reproduce any part of this book,except for brief quotations in critical reviewsor articles. Published by Dominion Press 7112 Burns StreetFort Worth,Texas 76118 Printed in the U.S.A. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 87-071865 ISBN O-930462-60-2 # A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TODUNGEONS AND DRAGONSThe Catechism of the New Age Parents are concerned. And well we should be.Our children are growing up in a veryhazardous world.Not only are they forced to pick their way througha complex maze of conflicting values at school,in the neighborhood,and out in the marketplace,but they are even being assaulted in the“safety”of their own homes. Across the airwaves has come a barrage of violent,irreverent,fantastic,and occultic Saturday morning cartoons.Out of the toy boxhas come a haunting phalanx of magical and monstrous macho images!Off the bookshelf has come a frightening parade of pulp and pap:comics and paperback books that exalt the basest of vices and disdainthe highest of virtues.And then,of course,there is MTV:sex,drugs,violence,rebellion,and defilement on tap twenty-four hours a day,allat the flick of a switch and the turn of a dial. The seductive siren's song of the world has begun to seep into eventhe most protected of environments.And as a result,the hearts andminds and souls of our children have become a battleground. Amazingly though,the chief weapon used in this spiritual raid onour children is a game-just a simple little game.It is called Dungeonsand Dragons.Even more than all the cartoons,toys,comics,books,videos,and music,this simple little game has served to make ourchildren a “generation at risk.” ## What is Dungeons and Dragons? It's Christmas morning.Brimming with excitement Junior openshis first gift,a Basic Dungeons and Dragons Set.Inside he finds a rulebook,some graph paper,and an odd set of dice.No game board.Nolittle “men”to move around.He checks the wrapping paper for miss- 1 ## A Christian Response to Dungeons and Dragons ing pieces,then begins to open the other packages,hoping to find “therest"of his game. But,Junior has all he needs to play Dungeons and Dragons(D8D),the granddaddy of the fantasy role playing games(FRPs)and one ofthe fastest selling games in the United States.The game,you see,doesn't take place on a board.Instead,you play in your head.In D8Dthe basic rule is,"Use your imagination.Stretch it to the limit."Gameboards and little men can be so confining. There are rules,of course.Thousands and thousands of them.Butthe whole point of an FRP is to play a character whose actions aredictated by your imagination,not by the rules.Like drama without ascript,D8D is so complicated that we can give only the barestdescription of how the game is played.Before the game begins,eachplayer must define his character.A roll of the dice determines thecharacter's basic personality.Seven areas are rated:strength,i

FAQs

Why does the book focus on Dungeons and Dragons in relation to children?

It argues that the game is a key weapon in a broader spiritual assault, shaping children’s hearts and minds alongside other violent and occultic influences.

How is a character created in Dungeons and Dragons according to the text?

Each player defines a character, then uses dice rolls to set personality traits across seven rated areas and to determine age, diseases, special skills, and related details.

What role does the Dungeon Master play in the game?

The Dungeon Master prepares the dungeon map, populates it with monsters from the rule book, and guides players through the maze by directing the game space and events.

Oct 6, 2026

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