Religion and Sport

The relationship between religion and sport has changed dramatically throughout the centuries. Originally, with the Greeks, athletic competitions were mixed with religious ceremony. But, with the rise of Christianity and Puritanistic beliefs, athletics became a sinful activity scorned by the clergy and religious fanatics

The Greeks were a very religious people. Being polytheists, they believed that particular gods could provide assistance in all aspects of life. The competitive games of the Greek culture grew out of their religious and cultural ceremonies directed at these gods. The Greeks held religious festivals with feasts, dancing, and athletic contests to honor the gods. The most famous of these contests, the Olympic Games, was held in honor of the warrior god Zeus. The Olympic athletes swore to Zeus that they would obey the rules and play fair. The entire first day of the Games was made of religious ceremony including oaths, prayers, sacrifices and the singing of hymns. At the end of the second day, a black ram was sacrificed to the god Pelops, who myth said originated the games. The following morning, one hundred oxen were sacrificed at the altar of Zeus.

It is easy to see at this time that religion and ath

. . .

View the whole essay, without interruption

There was a far less restrictive way of life. However, if a sport became all-absorbing, or if it resulted in idleness or other social immoralities, then it must be avoided.

A group in the middle colonies felt the same way about sports as the Puritans. Blood sports such as gander pulling, wrestling, and “rough and tumble” fighting were popular in the back country areas. It was widely accepted that the Christian God would intervene on the behalf of the more just of the two participants, allowing him to win the duel.

One of the main arguments clergy and other religious advocates have had against sport is participation on the Sabbath. Occasionally, for punishment, the victor’s land would be confiscated by the Church. But were the wants of the Puritans that different from those of the Greeks? The Puritans encouraged sports that glorified and honored God. Football and bat-and-ball games were also played by young men.

With the Church of England in control in most of the couther colonies, a different sport world emerged. The Puritans did however encourage sport and recreation that glorified and honored God. The Greek games were to tame and too individualistic. That is exactly what the Greek sports were like.

The main sporting activity in medieval Europe was the grand tournament, seen as a preparation for war. All sports were ways to honor and please the gods.

Approximate Word count = 903
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Simply subscribe to view this paper, and 100,000 others.