In Defence of Fun: Pastoral Care of Young People and the Seriousness of Fun

The human enjoyment of fun is meaningful and yet optional. Fun is meaningful in the sense that fun is a celebration of goodness. Fun is optional in the sense that fun is an activity of responding to goods already realized more than it is an activity expected to produce these goods. Despite its optional character, fun is important within pastoral work, for fun can be employed as a caring practice, celebrating goodness within community. Fun is an activity that is related to, but distinct from, play. Play tends toward the development of self-concept, body, and social roles, whereas fun celebrates these goods. While overindulgence can render fun trivial, fun at the right moment may be an avenue of care and nurture, allowing persons to recognize and celebrate God’s good gifts within a community. Within the Christian tradition, fun, done well, will ideally approach a shared sense of joy.