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Grace and Play: Christianity and the Meaning of Sport

Speaker(s): Dominic Erdozain
Date: July 25-29, 2011
Length: 11h58m
Product ID: RGDL4119S

Description

This course explores two related questions: "what is the meaning of sport in western culture?" and, "how should Christians seek to engage with it?" Tracing the interactions between Christianity and sport from classical times to the present, the course develops historical and theological perspectives on an often troubled relationship. Is sport a gift from God or a form of idolatry? Do sports build character? Are there models of Christian engagement which avoid the extremes we often find in professional sports? Is it possible to love God and love sport at the same time? Can sport be used in ministry without losing its distinctive quality of "play"? Examining individual case studies as varied as Augustine of Hippo and Lance Armstrong, the course aims to throw fresh light on an important area of popular culture. Ultimately it seeks to unite Christian reflection with Christian action, taking sport out of the trivial and into the sacred. Lectures include:

• Introduction
• The New Religion and the Ancient Games
• Contesting the Sacred
• Romanticism with Boots On
• Collective Effervescence
• Making the Best of It

See All Audio by Dominic Erdozain