Sport and Religion : Nathan Harding

Review: Sea Spirituality, Surfing and Aquatic Nature Religion by Bron Taylor

A look into Sea Spirituality and a discussion on the idea that the sport of surfing could be identified as an aquatic nature religion will seem foreign and absurd to some people. However, Taylor makes it seem as natural and an almost predictable connection in his article on ‘Sea Spirituality, surfing and aquatic religion’.

 

Taylor’s point regarding the lack of scholarly attention given to the significance of water in religious phenomena is a poignant one. Water is central to many practices of religion e.g. Christian baptism, Muslim cleansing of the body before prayers, Jewish immersing ritual to mark significant occasions, Hindu cleansing before prayer, but yet its actual significance is rarely discussed. It is interesting to note that where most religious rituals involving water use it as symbolism for cleansing, newness and renewal sea-spirituality views water itself as holy, sacred and encompassing the divine. To sea-spirituality water is not something to be simply utilized in religion it is something to be revered as apart of the divine.

 

Taylor discusses the whole concept of ‘what counts as religion’. He points out that there is no consensus on what is considered essential ingredients in religious phenomena. He puts forward the concept of ‘lived religion’ which is religion that has come, ‘… into being in an ongoing dynamic relationship with the realities of everyday life’. This definition is a useful one because it helps to reveal whether a person has a deep sense of the relevance of his/her religion or not. The definition of ‘lived religion’ also gives one an opportunity to validate a deep, sacred, metaphysical experience, e.g. a surfer’s communion with Mother Ocean and nature, under the category of religious phenomena.

 

For many people today surfing offers a powerful spiritual experience, a collective identity with their fellow man and an inner peace of mind not found onshore. This articulation could be heard from various religious adherents anywhere in the world. The connection between surfing and religion is legitimized theoretically in Taylor’s article where surfing spirituality is equated as religious phenomena.

Reference:

Taylor, Bron. "Sea Spirituality, Surfing and Aquatic Nature Religion," in Deep Blue: Critical Reflections on Nature, Religion and Water, Edited by Sylvie Shaw and Andrew Francis. London: equinox, 2008.