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SPORTS & AMERICAN CULTURE

UNIT 2: SPORTS & RELIGION

Sports have their origins in religion beginning with the Olympics in honor of the Greek Gods.  However, religion has not always been accepting of sports in America dating back to Puritans and Quakers who saw the idle mind as the devil’s workshop.  Eventually sports became accepted by religious groups, which justified their practice with the Protestant work ethic and what Luther Gulick refers to as “Muscular Christianity.”  While today’s sports are not overtly linked with religion, they have developed “religious” followings.  Fans collect memorabilia, follow teams blindly, and worship sports heroes, while the media have helped to create the sacred texts of the professional leagues.  As a result, students will explore the evolution of sports from religious to secular (and back to religious).

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

  • Are sports religious or secular?

  • Are sports sacred?

  • To what extent can athletes express or celebrate their faiths?

Essential Questions

VIDEOS

Fencer is First US Olympian to Compete in Hijab

  • Should sports accommodate an athlete's faith?

  • Can an athlete's expression of faith create positive social change?

  • Should sports be void of religious expressions?

Faith First: When Religion and Sports Collide

  • To what extent can athletes freely express their faith?

  • Should sports accommodate an athlete's faith?

Concussion Movie Clip

  • Does the NFL really own Sunday?

  • If the NFL owns a day reserved by the Church, does it make football sacred?

"Sports Is My Religion" from Fantasy Football, The Musical?

  • Are there actual parallels between sports and religion?

FIFA & The World Cup: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

WARNING! There is use of one profanity during this clip.

  • According to John Oliver, what do sports and religion have in common?

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Videos

UNIT SOURCES

Sources
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