This essay will delve into the twining topics of sport and religion. This essay will focus on how sport is seen as religion, but will also show the challenges with this theory.
David Chidester, a religious theorist, suggested that ‘the very definition of religion continues to be contested in American popular culture.’ This is especially seen in the area of sport. Many Americans deem that sports are their religion. Mainstream religions, such as Southern Baptists, would argue with the previous statement stating that ‘sports cannot be considered a religion because there is no belief in God’ (Higgs and Braswell 2002). However, this brings up the controversy with the definition of religion. What is it? There is no universally accepted definition. So who is in control of deciding what a religion is and what isn’t? It certainly cannot be put into the hands of any religious hierarchy; their definitions would be so narrowly focused that only their religion would be true. So who gets to define something that is deemed ‘indefinable’? Does a religion have to be about a belief in something intangible? This essay will discuss how sport is a religion based on the ideas of civil religion and the imagined community.
DEFINITION OF RELIGION:
In order to establish whether or not sport is religion, it is important to define what religion is and see if sport fits the criteria. This would be fairly simple if a single definition of religion existed; unfortunately there is no universally accepted definition. Many dictionaries, such as The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1990), Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, and Webster’s New World Dictionary (Third College Edition), all contain different definitions, and major theorists all have their own ideas of what religion is (Robinson 2007).
Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist, attempted to define religion in his book The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912). Durkheim believed that society was religion and that “religion affected the establishment of society to such a degree that the two were inseparable.” (Breaux) Durkheim proposed this definition:
“A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral
community called a Church, all those who adhere to them.” (Breaux)
Durkheim “observed that being religious in this broad sense refers not to a matter of personal choice but to a fundamental human drive to make sense out of reality.” (Geothals 1986) That being “religious” was more about answering “What is real to me and others?" and "What do we value?" Rather than “What must I do to be saved?” (Geothals 1986)
Durkheim was also preoccupied with the idea of “collective consciousness.” Collective consciousness (as used by Durkheim) is the idea that “religion played an important role in uniting members through the creation of a common consciousness.” (The Division Labor in Society)
With the idea of collective consciousness in mind, it is easy to see how sport is religion. Collective consciousness “describes the impact of ecstatic communal worship.” (Kant 2006) This is seen throughout the sporting world. It is mainly evident when sports fans unite as one and riot for a common goal. One can hear the worship whilst attending a sporting event; the stadium will roar with the sound of communal worship. Durkheim also states how collective consciousness “unleashes passions in the crowd.” (Kant 2006) This can be seen by fans in almost every sport. The passion that a fan feels is intangible, the ecstasy running through their veins; it is often this kind of passion that leads to “outlandish behaviour” (Kant 2006)
CIVIL RELIGION
Jean Jacque Rousseau coined the phrase “civil religion” in his essay The Social Contract. (Bellah 1976) The idea of civil religion is that religion can be seen/expressed in areas that are not necessarily deemed religious. Civil religion can be defined as:
“…the existence of God, the life to come, the reward of virtue and the punishment of vice, and the exclusion of religious intolerance. All other religious opinions are outside the cognizance of the state and may be freely held by citizens.” (8)
It was American sociologist Robert Bellah that took the idea of civil religion and applied it to America. In the opening of his controversial article Civil Religion in America (1967), Bellah stated the following:
“While some have argued that Christianity is the national faith, and others that church and synagogue celebrate only the generalized religion of “the American Way of Life,” few have realized that there actually exists alongside of and rather clearly differentiated from the churches an elaborate and well -institutionalized civil religion in America.” (Bellah 1967)
Bellah further explains how Americans put their faith and religion into their everyday lives and are not even aware of it. He believes that with the idea of civil religion, religious beliefs can be expressed in other aspects of life. (Bellah 1967) He goes on to say how it is “… a collection of beliefs, symbols, and rituals with respect to sacred things…” (Bellah 1967) In simpler terms, civil religion is having beliefs, values and practices in something that one deems as sacred; something that one puts complete faith into.
This kind of religion is easy to see in the sports world. Many sports teams have certain practices and rituals that are known only to them. Many fans put their complete faith into their favorite sports teams; treating each game as if it was a sacred ritual. The symbols for this kind of religion are obvious: mascots or emblems. Each team is given a symbol that is universally known, but only the fans know the true meaning of them. Upon seeing their particular symbol, it provokes their inner passion and brings about their true feelings for their team. James A. Mathisen, a sociologist at Wheaton College, compares the symbols found in the halls of fame to the remembrance of saints that have passed on. He states that halls of fame:
“…preserve the sacred symbols and memorabilia which encourage us to rehearse the contributions of the saints who have moved on…sacred writings and the historical accounts of any religious group, providing a timeless, normative guide by which later disciples’ accomplishments are judge.” (Buursma 1987)
An example of civil religion is seen with Canada and hockey. For Canadians, hockey is their religion. Everything they do is centered on hockey. From what clothing they wear, to what tattoos they put on their bodies; to them, hockey is everything. As a hockey fan, they feel certain connectivity with other fans of the same team. They form rallies and hold parades and act as one unified community. When they meet someone who has faith in the same team, they have an instant connection. Thousands are seen worshipping for one particular deity, all trying to help their team in pursuit of the most sacred Holy Grail: the Stanley Cup. (Kant 2006)
IMAGINED COMMUNITY
Benedict Anderson proposed a theory on the idea of the imagined community. Imagined community is “…a community socially constructed, which is to say imagined by the people who perceive themselves as part of that group.” (Wikipedia Definition) Anderson (1991) explains this notion of the imagined community in terms of nationalism. He suggests that nationalism is an imagined community because people feel as if they belong to this larger community; where they feel comradery with those around them; they feel united as a whole, and even though they have a common goal or belief, their community is imagined. There is no face-to-face contact with most others in their community; and, according to Anderson (1991), “…the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion.”(Zuelow 1983)
These communities are formed on the basis of shared experiences. Most members have had similar experiences and therefore find it easier to identify with those who can empathize with them. Many similar experiences can be seen in the sporting world; these experiences create ever-binding bonds of community. Janet Lever stated in her 1983 study Soccer Madness that “…sport fosters a sense of identification with the others who shared the experience.” (Buursma 1987)
A prime example of this kind of community is seen during the Olympics. The Olympics are a chance for nations to come together and form one unified state; to cheer on the athletes of those that come from their same community. Even though most people have no idea what is going on in the sport, they feel they have an obligation towards their nation; they feel they have to have a certain faith and belief in each and every athlete simply because they are from the same community. The community shares similar experiences while watching the Olympic games; each experiencing the same high’s and low’s that come with the games. For some, the experience may be deeper, more profound, but nonetheless, the community comes together in the same common belief: to cheer on their nation to victory.
CHALLENGES TO SPORT AS RELIGION
There are many who would argue against the belief that sport is a religion of any kind. First off, (primarily) religion does not condone violence as an everyday practice. But as seen in the sports world, violence is everywhere. This brings up the argument of the ethical concerns and values of sport. What are they in the sports world? In one of America’s favorite sports, football, violence is promoted. The violent feeling that surrounds the stadium is almost palpable the day of a game. Players cannot wait to get out onto the field so they can crush their opponent. Spike said it best in the popular American movie Little Giants (1994) after tackling his opponent, “No Mercy!” Isn’t that the exact opposite of what religion is all about?
Second, sport is all about creating a division between one sports team and the next. There is no unity; there is only the attitude of “my team is the best team.” There is this same attitude in religion, of course, but not within the same religion. For example, the Green Bay Packers have a major rivalry with the Minnesota Vikings. Both of these sports teams are part of the Nation Football League and plenty of fans would state that football is their religion. So why, on the day of the game between the Packers and Vikings, is there animosity all around?
Third, the sport culture is all about winning vs. losing. The winners are treated as gods, while those who have lost are treated as if they have failed. This forces the idea of perfection onto sport, something that is impossible to achieve. Sport is all about perfection; perfecting the way one throws a football or perfecting the way ones toe points during a double pirouette. But religion isn’t about finding perfection. In most religions, we are striving to serve something more powerful than ourselves; trying to find what it is that calls us to this earth. Religion is also realizing that faults are what make us human. This idea is seen in Christianity by the use of confession. Carnegie Samuel Calian argues that
“…the confession of sins is the confession of human failings, helping us to maintain our perspective. God does not expect perfection, nor does he demand winners… God knows that we are not perfect; everyone’s life is tainted with failure.” (Calian 1979)
As athletes are striving for perfection, the fans believe that they are perfect. Athletes become this “god-like” role model, and the fans believe that they can do no wrong. Reverend David Tyndall states it best saying: “… people aren’t perfect…they’ve put others up there thinking, ‘Isn’t this person wonderful and I can gain some meaning by following this team or following this person’, and then the person fails and they are betrayed…” (Collins 2002)
Lastly, many who claim that sport is their religion also claim they have a fundamental religious background; meaning they also have faith in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc. This brings up to the topic of polytheism. Most major religions are monotheistic religions, meaning having a belief in only one god. This argument also brings up the fact that many athletes claim to have God on their side. Many experts would suggest that this belief is just wrong, that God has better things to do than pick sides in a sporting match. (*)
SUPER BOWL: RELIGIOUS FESTIVITY
There is nothing quite like Super Bowl Sunday in America. It is the event in which dedicated fans wait for all year; the day their fate is decided. Those who aren’t even fans of football participate, making Super Bowl Sunday the most watched day in all of television. It is “…a Sabbath-day event that will bring thousands to a contemporary cathedral – and tens of millions more via television – to watch gridiron gladiators who call on God’s help for their success.” (‘Gods and Games’ 2005) The Super Bowl has turned into a major religious festivity. The rituals that are now performed are something straight out of ancient Greece; honouring the gods of the sport. Joseph Price (1984) notes, “The innate religious orientation of the Super Bowl was indicated first by the ritual of remembrance of ‘heroes of the faith who have gone before’… pregame show personalities from each team were portrayed as superheroes, as demigods…” (Price 1984) The game itself is seen as a religious conquest. Price (1984) describes the Super Bowl as this:
“The object of the game is the conquest of territory. The football team invades foreign land, traverses it completely, and completes the conquest by settling in the end zone. The goal is to carry the ritual object, the football, into the most hallowed area belonging to the opponent, his inmost sanctuary. There, and only there, can the ritual object touch the earth without incurring some sort of penalty, such as the stoppage of play or the loss of yardage.” (Price 1984)
The winners of the Super Bowl are seen as immortals; conquering the test and taking what belongs to them. Many religious phrases are given to the Super Bowl, such as when an under-dog team wins it is deemed the event in which David beat Goliath. Price (1984) also noted how the game is seen as an apotheosis, elevating it to the rank of God. The practice, the values, the beliefs in this one game make it the most religious festivity in the sport world; because after all, it is no ordinary game it is the Super Bowl.
CONCLUSION
Sport as religion is powerful. It gives a sense of belonging to something that is seen as greater than mankind, a feeling of self-worth, and the worship that is practiced is unlike any other. The feeling of sitting in a crowded stadium with thousands who worship the same as you is an unexplainable feeling. The ecstasy that builds up inside is something that words cannot even begin to describe. There are many who fight against sport as religion, but how can they? Sport has endless amounts of believers, followers who take pilgrimages to their favorite stadiums to see their gods first hand, and a faith that is so strong, that leaves fans weak at their knees. Sport is religion.
References:
Bellah, Robert N. "Civil Religion in America." Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 96 (1967): 1-21.
Bianchi, Eugene C. "The Super Bowl Culture of Male Violence." Christian Century 18 Sept. 1974. 2 June 2009
Breaux, Jarred J. "Durkheim's definition of religion, sacred, and rituals." Learn What You Need, Share What You Know. 2 June 2009
Buursma, Bruce. "Are Sports America's Religion?" Philosophy and Religion. 1987. 2 June 2009
Calian, Carnegie S. "Theologizing in a Win/Lose Culture." Christian Century 10 Oct. 1979. 2 June 2009
Collins, Paul. "Sunday Spectrum." Sport. ABC. 16 June 2002. Sunday Spectrum - ABC TV Religion. 16 June 2002. 2 June 2009
Demarco, Donald. "Sports and Religion." America's 'most complete' Catholic Newsweekly. Oct. 2007. 2 June 2009
Geothals, Gregor. "TV Faith: Rituals of Secular LIfe." Christian Century 23 Apr. 1986. 2 June 2009
"Gods and Games: Is sports a religion? Is religion a sport?" Religion story ideas & sources. 18 Jan. 2005. 2 June 2009
Higgs, Robert J., and Michael C. Braswell. The High Seriousness of the Religion as Sports: A Return to Polytheism? An Unholy Alliance: The Sacred and Modern Sports. Macon: Mercer UP, 2004. 337-66.
Little Giants. Dir. Duwayne Dunham. Perf. Rick Moranis and Ed O'Neil. DVD. Warner Bros, 1994.
Price, Joseph L. "The Super Bowl as Religious Festival." Christian Century 22 Feb. 1984. 2 June 2009
Robinson, B. A. "What is "religion"?" Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 15 Dec. 2007. 2 June 2009
"Sport and Spirituality in Popular Culture." Bringing Buddha Dharma Home. Apr.-May 2005. 2 June 2009
Zuelow, Eric G. "Benedict Anderson: The Nation as Imagined Community." Nationalism Studies Information ClearingHouse. 1983. 2 June 2009
*: I heard this statement while watching a video on Tony Dungy. I cannot find the video online so I cannot properly site this.
No comments:
Post a Comment