IRSS review of Fighting for Rec 2015 Hazelwood 763 5

2011

Bragging is generally offensive on fi eld or off, but here I am not that concerned about reaction. In the interest of manners, though, I will ask to be pardoned for that offense in order to render praise where praise is due, in this case to Theology, Ethics and Transcendence in Sports, to the editors and to the contributors. In August of 2008 I am glad to say that I served as a reader for this text and was much impressed by what I saw even it its embryonic form. Here is a bit of what I wrote at the time. This kind of book is desperately needed in the modern world. Sport is not the cause of our social and cultural problems, but I would be hard put to suggest another area of our lives that better refl ects the symptoms owing to their connection with what Thorstein Veblen in Theory of the Leisure Class (1899) calls the "occupations" of predatory cultures, government, religion, warfare and sports.. .. Here is a sincere and honest endeavor to shed light on the crucial issues of modern sport, especially from a theological and ethical perspective. Very effectively the book engages the issues of winning, prayer, the relation between science and technology, sin and evil, ethical and spiritual concerns, sectarianism and resulting antagonism, to name only a few of the themes. A familiar credo in sports and politics and even traditional religion is "winning is the only thing," but the spirit in this book echoes the admonition in Proverbs 4:7, "With all thy getting get wisdom and with wisdom get understanding." Sport is about "standing"; genuine scholarship, on the other hand, is about "understanding." "Winning is the only thing" is warped, but that may not be the most distorted axiom, which might well be the following, generally regarded in a spirit of humor which is necessary for us to retain: "Sport is not a religion-it is more important than that," attributed to Paul "Bear" Bryant and others. Not surprisingly, Theology, Ethics and Transcendence in Sports is even more impressive in fi nal form than previously. The text moves on several fronts, the physical, intellectual, spiritual and ethical but not necessarily the doctrinal although that may be part of the Foreword xi wonderful essay on Augustine's notion of evil as the absence of good, also famously the response of Emerson, himself an advocate of sport. Theology, Ethics and Transcendence in Sports raises pressing questions, old and new, as does Sport and Spirituality: An Introduction (2007), several of the same editors and scholars involved in both projects. Ideally, what is needed is a paradigm shift in the study or sport, a multidisciplinary approach on a topic regarded by some as "the little brother of war" (at least Lacrosse), more important than religion, even a key to victory in politics, and as Simon Kuper in an article on July 25, 2009, the most popular topic in the world, number one in standing: If we would know ourselves, as counsel on the ancient Temple at Delphi advises, the study of sports in all its connections to the rest of art and life would seem to be an ideal quest for understanding of self and the world.

The Chinese Olympics, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Delhi Commonwealth Games, and the approaching 2011 Rugby World Cup demonstrate that sport is an amazing spectacle of the modern world. Sportsmen and women are admired and emulated by millions. Sport is a vast world-wide business. At the time of the emergence of Christianity sport was a bloody, idolatrous and often fatal activity for those who participated. This paper will argue that Christianity has profoundly influenced modern sport. We will explore the origins of sport; its value and effects on society; how Christianity has influenced sport; and explore some of the pastoral and theological implications.

Journal of Higher Education Athletics & Innovation

Dr. Darron Smith's book, When Race, Religion, and Sport Collide makes the connection between historical teachings of Christianity, more specifically Mormonism, and the contemporary realities of the Black male student-athlete. This exploration is heavily informed by Feagin's (2009) theory of racial framing, which is a generic meaning system that rationalizes the system of material of oppression. Since Smith is Black, Mormon although not practicing, and graduated with his doctorate from Brigham Young University (BYU), his analysis is informed by personal experience, as well as theoretical research. This insider examination of the ways religious universities exploit Black athletes allows the secular individual to understand how religion is used disproportionally against non-religious student-athletes but ultimately exploits most student-athletes similarly. The book is divided into eight chapters and begins by making the connection between sports and the frames by which society sees and stereotypes the Black body, then ushers the reader through an in-depth historic contextual understanding of how Blacks are viewed in the Mormon Church. The final chapters expound on the idea of free education, whether student-athletes obtain an education at all, and just how free it is. Because Smith is both a Ph.D. and a physician assistant, links between injuries incurred throughout studentathletes' free education, the consequences of social isolation for Black males on predominately white institutions (PWI) and the detrimental effects of colorblindness are solidified by cross-referencing medical studies, statistical data on student-athletes, and a sociological understanding of race, religion, and sports.

2015

Sports have captured the minds and hearts of people across the globe but have largely evaded the attention of Christian theologians. What is the meaning of sports? There seem to be two polar responses: some dismiss sports as merely a game, while others worship sports as nearly a god. This essay argues that when viewed through the lens of Scripture, sports are more than a game, less than a god, and when transformed by the gospel can be received as a gift to be enjoyed forever.

Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, 2015

AJS Review, 2009

The equipping of leaders for effective and sustainable sports ministry in the South African context, 2017

The previous chapter began the normative task by conducting an exegesis of two Old Testament passages and highlighting theological principles that can be applied as part of a normative foundation for sports ministry leaders in the South African context (see 4.2.2.7 and 4.2.3.7). The normative task is the third of Osmer’s (2008) four tasks of theological interpretation and seeks to answer the question “what ought to be going on?” (Osmer 2008:184). This chapter will continue this task by conducting an exegesis of three New Testament passages which have been chosen according to the criteria given in 4.2.1. Further theological principles will be derived from these passages which will contribute towards the Scriptural Manifesto for sports ministry leaders, presented in chapter 6. The Scriptural Manifesto will then be utilised to evaluate theological paradigms which have historically influenced the church’s approach to sport and sports ministry.

Dr. Darron Smith's book, When Race, Religion, and Sport Collide makes the connection between historical teachings of Christianity, more specifically Mormonism, and the contemporary realities of the Black male student-athlete. This exploration is heavily informed by Feagin's (2009) theory of racial framing, which is a generic meaning system that rationalizes the system of material of oppression. Since Smith is Black, Mormon although not practicing, and graduated with his doctorate from Brigham Young University (BYU), his analysis is informed by personal experience, as well as theoretical research. This insider examination of the ways religious universities exploit Black athletes allows the secular individual to understand how religion is used disproportionally against non-religious student-athletes but ultimately exploits most student-athletes similarly. The book is divided into eight chapters and begins by making the connection between sports and the frames by which society sees and stereotypes the Black body, then ushers the reader through an in-depth historic contextual understanding of how Blacks are viewed in the Mormon Church. The final chapters expound on the idea of free education, whether student-athletes obtain an education at all, and just how free it is. Because Smith is both a Ph.D. and a physician assistant, links between injuries incurred throughout studentathletes' free education, the consequences of social isolation for Black males on predominately white institutions (PWI) and the detrimental effects of colorblindness are solidified by cross-referencing medical studies, statistical data on student-athletes, and a sociological understanding of race, religion, and sports.