Description
Book SynopsisSport is extremely popular. This ground-breaking book explains why. It shows that sport has everything to do with our deepest identity. It is where we resonate with the most-basic nature of reality. A Brief Theology of Sport sweeps across the fields of church history, philosophy and Christian doctrine, drawing the reader into a creative vision of sport. The book begins with an examination of how the Church has approached sport in the past, before turning to consider sport on the basis of the divine act of creation. In doing so, Harvey is able to distinguish sport from all other human activities, identifying it as a set-aside sphere in which the unnecessary-but-meaningful nature of life is celebrated. This constructive proposal is used to shed light on a wide range of issues in sport, including the role of competition, professionalization and celebrity culture today. As such, A Brief Theology of Sport constitutes a significant contribution to our understanding of the value of sport in
Trade Review"Both thought-provoking and intelligent, as well as ground-breaking, witty, informative and very down-to-earth." -- Benedict SSF * Franciscan Vol.27 *
Table of ContentsPart 1: Historical Soundings 1. Ancient Sports and Religion 2. Classical Sports and Religion 3. The Early Church's View of Sport 4. Case Study (I): Sport and the Medieval Catholic Church 5. Case Study (II): Sport, Puritans and Muscular Christians Part 2: Analytic Soundings 6. Notes on Sport: A Working Definition 7. Towards a Christian Theology of Sport 8. The Liturgical Celebration of Contingency: A Brief Theology of Sport 9. Exploration and Explanation: Seven Avenues for Further Thought 10. Concluding Comments: Christians and Sport Today
