The origins of nearly all sports can be found in religious ceremonies. The Olympic Games and Sumo wrestling are clear examples of how civilizations, both ancient and modern, connect athletic performance and achievement to a higher spiritual plane - to an indescribable yet clearly recognized "something more."
The Gift of Sports will give readers an understanding of and appreciation for the religious dimensions of sports. The selections in the text demonstrate that the appeal and popularity of sports is based on viewing them, not just as business or entertainment, but as ceremony.
Topics covered in the book include:
- Religion as a gift exchange between different beings
- The sacred nature of sporting events and venues
- Sports as a vital force in youth and community development
- Fan devotion
- Mascots
- Sports and Money
- "The Creator's Game" of Lacrosse
- Racism and Sexism in sports
The Gift of Sports offers a unique perspective on two familiar topics by showing that in many respects, they are one and the same.
Philip P. Arnold is Associate Professor of Religion at Syracuse University in New York, which is located in Onondaga Nation Territory--the heartland of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). He has written on Aztec and Haudenosaunee traditions and advocates for Indigenous peoples and their traditions through the Indigenous Values Initiative. As a sports fan he enjoys watching games of all kinds, particularly those involving family and friends.
