Abstract
If sport can be understood as a kind of religion, then one may reasonably wonder about whether or not sport has a prophetic dimension. In other words, sport often has been understood to reflect the dominant values of culture. But does sport challenge those values, as religions throughout time have challenged the values of their cultures? This chapter argues that sport indeed has a prophetic dimension. In fact, at a time when sport increasingly is taking on various functions that are stereotypically the purview of institutional religion, the prophetic dimension of sport is needed more than ever. In making his case, the author draws upon the work of sociologist Harry Edwards, ethicist Robert L. Simon, and journalist/author Dave Zirin.
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Notes
- 1.
Edwards later adds that the “overriding value orientation salient throughout the institution of sport and the dominant sports creed is that of the ‘individual achievement through competition’” (334).
- 2.
Perhaps Simon (2010) sums up this perspective best when he writes: “[S]ports, properly conducted, express, illustrate, and perhaps reinforce values of enduring human significance. Through sports, we can learn to overcome adversity and appreciate excellence. We can learn to value activities for their own sake, apart from any intrinsic reward they provide, and learn to appreciate the contributions of others, even when we are on opposing sides. Through sports we can develop and express moral virtues and demonstrate the importance of dedication, integrity, fairness, and courage” (214).
- 3.
These elements tend to characterize youth sport more so than college or professional sport.
- 4.
- 5.
Zirin (2010) notes that sports used to be a “welcome diversion from economic crisis,” but now “highlights the crisis and, at worst, exacerbates it” (29).
- 6.
For an application of some of these ideas to the plight of African-American athletes in the United States, see Rhoden (2006).
References
Edwards, H. (1973). Sociology of sports. Homewood, IL: The Dorsey Press.
Feezell, R. (2004). Sport, play & ethical reflection. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.
Rhoden, W. C. (2006). Forty million dollar slaves: The rise, fall, and redemption of the black athlete. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Simon, R. L. (2010). Fair play: The ethics of sport (3rd ed.). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Zirin, D. (2005). What’s my name, fool? Sports and resistance in the United States. Chicago: Haymarket Books.
Zirin, D. (2007). Welcome to the terrordome: The pain, politics, and promise of sports. Chicago: Haymarket Books.
Zirin, D. (2010). Bad Sports: How owners are ruining the games we love. New York: The New Press.
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Bain-Selbo, E. (2019). Sport and Social Change: The Prophetic Dimension. In: Shoemaker, T. (eds) The Prophetic Dimension of Sport. SpringerBriefs in Religious Studies(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02293-8_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02293-8_2
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