Institute for Christian Teaching
Education Department of Seventh-day Adventists
THE TRANSMISSION OF CHRISTIAN
VALUES THROUGH SPORTS IN THE CURRICULUM OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION
IN HIGH SCHOOL
321
By
Campus
Adventiste du Salève
Collonges
sous Salève, France
546-03 Institute for
Christian Teaching 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904
USA
Prepared
for the
31st
International Seminar on the Integration of Faith and Learning
July
2003
322
There
are many ways of teaching Physical Education. It all depends on what one wants
to achieve and on the philosophy of life that one has and/or wants to transmit.
This paper intends to demonstrate
that P. E. is an effective means for the transmission of Christian values to
high school students, and that the Christian way of teaching P. E. needs a
philosophical and theological foundation rooted in the Bible.
Before going any further, we want to
delimit our paper in order to avoid any misunderstanding about the role of P.E.
In our opinion, in a holistic view, the curriculum of P.E. should comprehend
different physical activities that we could classify as sports, outdoor
activities, manual labour and physical exercise. In our paper we want to
concentrate on sport for three reasons:
1. In many countries, such as
2. We know that our students are
influenced by, and very attentive to, the issue of sports because they are
continually influenced by society, through the media and T.V. sports programs.
Given that we want to transmit values through P.E., we have chosen this area of
sports in order to reach students where they are with their comprehension about
sports and help them find a balanced way to do sports. One way in which we can transmit our
faith, as Paul did to the Corinthians, Philippians and Timothy, is by using
sports metaphors.
3. Although it might be useful to write
in an exhaustive manner about all the physical activities P.E. embraces, a much longer treatment would be
necessary than the one allowed by the limits of this paper.
So in our paper, we would like to
show first, that the basis of a good comprehension of P.E. is a holistic vision
of life. The understanding that all dimensions in a man’s life have the same
importance is not evident in a secularised western culture that is essentially
based on materialism and/or anthropological dualism. By showing the holistic
vision of biblical anthropology we underline the value of the person as a
physical, spiritual and intellectual being. Therefore, a balanced vision of the
physical dimension, that is neither underestimated (body = matter) nor too
exalted (body worship), is important. Once we are conscious of this aspect, it
is evident that the education of the physical is important not only because it
helps us to develop the other dimensions in a balanced way, but because it aims
for the restoration of God’s image in us.[1]
If our goal as Christians is to develop our personality, intellect, spirit and
body in order to reflect the image of God in all our being, it is evident that
P. E. plays a very important role.
Secondly, we would like to show that
we can draw values from the Bible that can be transmitted through P. E. and
sports. Some examples will be given from sports metaphors Paul used in his
letters in order to transmit his faith.
Thirdly, we would like to apply
these values in the teaching of P. E. and sports in the context of high school
life in contemporary European society.
We would like to conclude by
formulating a philosophy of sports within P.E. from a Christian perspective.
1.
A holistic vision as background for
physical education.
We would like to present here some
theological data on the holistic vision of man in order to give a biblical
basis to physical education and sports. We think it is important to situate
physical education in an anthropological biblical background on which the way
of understanding and teaching P. E. will depend. It is in this context that it
will also be useful to analyze Paul’s New Testament metaphors.
323
This
background seems important because, throughout history, the different
anthropological conceptions have conveyed various beliefs and ideals that have
exalted or repressed certain physical activities of human beings.
Most western societies have been
influenced by anthropological dualism, often credited to Plato, not because he
was its originator but because of his influence. “Nobody has indeed contributed
in such a lasting way to the triumph of anthropological dualism than Plato. He
is the one who sowed in philosophy the idea of the personal immortality of the
soul.”[2] His metaphysical ideas on the immortality of
the soul have not only influenced all philosophical thinking after him but also
theological and religious thinking.[3]
Some have supposed that Plato may
have influenced Paul in his anthropology. But an attentive study of Paul’s
thinking shows that the background of his thinking does not come from the
anthropological dualism of Greek philosophy, but from the anthropological
monism of biblical Semitic thinking.[4]
The first Greek philosophers looked
for the essence common to all beings (philosophical monism). The Bible, on the
other hand, does not look for an essence, but affirms from the beginning the
unity that is at the basis of all that exists (biblical monism): one God who is
unique and manifests himself in trinitarian ways, and one
humankind that is unique with multiple manifestations; physical, mental
and spiritual.
“In
its simplest and purest form, the biblical concept of man cannot be conceived
other than « in the image of God », as a being of perfect unity (…)
Therefore, unlike all the other
anthropological dualisms, ancient and new, biblical psychology is monist, that
is to say, that man forms a perfect and indivisible being: body, soul and
spirit.”[5]
The basic text on which biblical
anthropology is built is the one that describes man’s creation and that
expresses clearly how man is viewed. “The Lord God formed the man from the dust
of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man
become a living being”. (Genesis 2:7)[6]. Despite the text’s figurative
language and didactic character, it is possible to distinguish the fundamental
elements that compose man: soil, which constitutes man’s body, and the
life-giving breath, that constitutes the spirit. The text does not distinguish
the elements but takes into account their diversity in function of unity and
totality. Their fusion gives life to a living entity: the human being.[7]
That means that the soul, in its
most common sense, is not seen here as an ontological reality: the living soul
exists only as a result of the life-giving breath (spirit) on the soil matter
(body). The body in itself, deprived of its content-the life-giving breath-is
nothing but soil, or matter, and the spirit, without the body, has no existence
in human reality.[8] This text excludes the hypothesis of
considering man as a reality composed by two separated parts: a material body,
perishable, and a pre-existing soul, immortal.
Man is formed by matter and it is the divine breath that gives life to
man. The divine action is the source of life for the human being. There is no
pre-existing autonomous soul that comes from God and that is somehow warrantor
of the relation with God. It is up to men, in their entirety, to enter into
contact with God. Therefore, at the moment of death, man decomposes and returns
to the soil. “Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath
of life will go back to God, who gave it to us”. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)[9]. It is written that “the spirit goes back to
God”, not that the soul returns to God. God gives life and takes it back. Man
has nothing immortal that characterizes him[10] or belongs to him.
324
Paul,
by taking up the same Old Testament concept, confirms this vision of man in his
writings. Indeed, when speaking about the manifestations of our being and of
the ability to receive the blessings of a Christian life, he says: “May the God
who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being
–spirit, soul, and body- free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ!” (I Thessalonians 5:23).[11] This text does not imply a
tripartite conception of the human being, just as the text of Genesis 2:7 does not imply a dualist vision.
“We
think that Paul is not speaking about the metaphysical structure of men, (as
the text of Genesis does), but rather of the three orders of manifestations of
the being « as a whole ».The repetition of the conjunction in the
Greek text between each one of the terms (the spirit, the soul and the body),
highlights even more this fact. Even if the manifestations of the being are
multiple and very different depending if they are done by the body, the soul or
the spirit, they suppose each time man as a unity in a certain expression of
himself.”[12]
They are not three isolated entities
of the human being but three objective manifestations of man. In the Bible,
these manifestations always point to the totality of the human being.[13]
So, the Bible sees the human being
as an integral unity, holistic and with various ways of expressing its reality.
That is why all its manifestations are equally important. The physical, the
spiritual and the intellectual must be considered and developed in harmony. But
the problem arises in everyday life. Our society, with its dualistic heritage,
either underestimates the physical, in respect to the spiritual and
intellectual, or, on the other hand, by reaction exalts it in a worship of the
body. Unfortunately, these visions have entered our church and our schools.
In European Adventist circles there
is a form of pietism much closer to anthropological dualism than to biblical
wholism. Some questions should be raised on this subject: how much time is
employed in our schools, as obligatory courses, to practice music, painting,
physical education, and all the other arts in comparison with intellectual and
spiritual activities? Why doesn’t the curriculum of theology and foreign
languages have some courses in physical education? Why can only young children
have physical activities, while adults have to stay in the church for their
activities on Sabbath? It is important to give a biblical and
theological/philosophical basis to our religious positions.
Considering all we have said thus
far, we realize the important role P.E. plays in a holistic vision of a
balanced development of a person. As Zurcher said[14],
from a biblical and practical point of view, man has been conceived in the
image of God in his perfect unity; body, soul and spirit. This unity implies
that the physical life is part of the spiritual and intellectual ones as much
as the spiritual life is part of the physical and intellectual ones. Even if in
our condition of sin spiritual life has a clear priority in respect to intellectual and physical life, in God’s
ideal, in
325
After having stated that P.E. needs
biblical foundations in order to be properly understood, we are now turning to
the study of some of the most explicit sports metaphors we find in Paul’s
writings in order to identify the values they try to transmit.
First of all, we must say that
there are plenty of sports metaphors in Paul’s epistles,[15] and that we must not be surprised to find them. We
have asked ourselves two questions in relation to them: « Why does Paul
use sports metaphors addressing the first Christians? What message does he want
to convey by using them? Are there
any essential values still useful for us today? And if this is so, which
are these values? » We call values the ethical principles that are
considered the most important and that serve as standards of behaviour.
The historical and cultural context
of the New Testament helps us answer the first question.
On the other hand, since the
apostle studied and was raised in the Hellenistic world, it would have been
impossible for him not to notice the numerous sports images used by the Greek
and Jewish philosophers to the teaching of ethics. Some of these images had
become classic, teaching that life is a fight, that the world is a stadium
where men are called to exercise their virtues when facing the obstacles of
existence. For some philosophers,[18] the Olympic Games were mirrors of every man’s life.
Before Paul, the Jewish moralists who lived in the Hellenistic world had
already used these sports metaphors in order to illustrate their speeches on life
as a training exercise subject to the demands of the law. A good example is
Philo of Alexandria who defined life as an agonistic competition.[19] Even in the deuterocanonical, apocryphal and intertestamental books,[20] life is compared to a fight, to a competition, to a
constant struggle in which man is engaged: if he is defeated he will suffer
unnecessarily, but if he wins he will receive significant rewards.
That is why we can suppose that the world of sports
was doubly familiar to the ears of Paul of Tarsus: as curious observer of his
fellow citizens, the stoics, and as pupil of the rabbis, in the synagogue,
first at
Anyway, Paul’s language proves clearly that he was
knowledgeable and that the world of sports was familiar to him. He has not
found any better image for the Christian life than the long distance race,
maybe the marathon.
326
Paul, accordingly, draws
from his cultural heritage a sports language that was very familiar to his
audience. « Each citizen of the Greek world knew many sports well, for the
practice of sports was widespread and characterized a culture that tended to
worship the body. »[22] It is consequently very normal for the apostle to
use sports metaphors in order to transmit behavioural values and his faith in
the Almighty. In the same way, as much as for the apostle, P.E. and sports may
give me the oppotunity to transmit my faith and my
values.
Among the different metaphors used
by Paul we have chosen those contained in four paradigmatic passages: I
Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians
We shall now list the values that
emerge from the sports images mentioned by Paul following the canonical order
in which they appear.
A)
I Corinthians 9:24-27.
“Do
you know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the
prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in
all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pummel
my body and subdue it lest after preaching to the others I myself should be
disqualified.”
This passage contains the most elaborate evocation
of athletic images in Paul’s epistles.[23] The way of referring to athletics shows Paul was
aware of the games that were practiced in
We
have picked up in this passage two groups of basic values which are the centre
of the metaphor[25]: on one hand commitment
and discipline, and on the other concentration and targeted effort.
a.
Commitment and
discipline.
In a sports competition, particularly in a
high level one, it is normal to meet disciplined athletes that are completely
focussed on obtaining their goal. The metaphor chosen by Paul, even if it does
not use the word commitment, underlines in various ways the necessity of
commitment in order to obtain the prize. This is most clear in verse 24:
« Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. » This sentence
introduces the theme of discipline, but in our opinion, it also underlines the
importance of commitment. It is not only a question of taking part with
discipline but also with a certain technique, and with the totality of one’s
faculties. In order to obtain the prize, it is necessary to devote oneself fully.
The
concept of self-control in the N. T. is neither a means nor an end in itself in
order to obtain salvation, but it is always linked to God the Almighty Creator,
who blesses man for his respect of the laws given at creation. Indeed, the man that controls himself as God
asks him to, for his own well-being, for that of his neighbour and for the
gospel, will receive the blessings that God will give him as a prize at the end
of life’s race.
327
Paul presents commitment and self-control as values
that make it possible for everyone to receive the promised reward. Those who
want to receive this transcendental prize must exercise self-control and submit
to God’s will, such as has been revealed for our own well-being and for that of
humanity.
b.
Concentration, targeted
effort
Concentration
is an essential value for athletic competitions. Competitors, both before the
games and during the trials, must stay concentrated in order to succeed.
Concentration is fundamental in order to know constantly where we are, where we
want to go, who are the opponents, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and
how victory can be achieved. It is important for the athlete to be on the alert
during the whole competition. The fight can be lost if the athlete is not
concentrated on each detail of the competition in which he participates. The
least distraction may be fatal.
Concentration
enables man, in his everyday life, to stay clear-headed and alert before the
challenge, to face his enemies, not to under-estimate others, nor to
overestimate himself. In this passage, the apostle vigorously encourages the
Corinthians not to loose sight of the goal, the incorruptible prize, while
keeping concentrated on the race, in spite of the fact that weak human beings
are always tempted to be distracted.
We
have said the principal theme of this metaphor is self-control, although we
must not confuse it with the ascetic effort to obtain salvation, as was the
case for some contemporaries of Paul. This does not mean Paul underestimates
the importance of personal effort. He shows in this passage that he knows what
his final goal is and that he is ready to give up everything to obtain it. Paul
does not beat the air but addresses his adversary’s weak points in order to
win. He recommends the Corinthians to follow his example.
« Many Christians know that there is need to gain the
victory over the desires and appetites that are in opposition
to the will of God, but they are half-hearted in their efforts to subdue the
self. They make a pretence of fighting, but they do
not really wish their blows to punish that which is part of themselves, because
they fear the pain of such well-directed blows. They love their sinful nature
too much to hurt it, and lack the strength of will to ignore the pleas of the
flesh for mercy. »[26]
Its therefore important to focus all
our efforts in order to leave the enemy no chance to disperse energies that
could be useful for fighting the adversary and for reaching our final goals.
B)
Philippians 3 :12-14
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already
perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Jesus Christ has made me is
own. Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my
own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to
what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of
God in Jesus Christ.”
Through this metaphor Paul highlights many values
which, added to the ones we have already seen, are essential in order to
construct a biblical philosophy of sport.
Here
again Paul underlines two groups of main values[27]:
first, persistence and perseverance, and secondly, determination to reach the
goal.
a.
328
Persistence, perseverance.
The
first of the two major values from this second group of Paul’s sports metaphors
is persistence. The apostle’s persistence in obtaining his goal is like the
athlete’s will for wining a race.
It
is necessary for a runner to run with perseverance, without letting up, in
order to succeed. For Paul letting up,
even in the face of difficulties is out of the question. He insists in verse 12, « … I keep
striving… » in order to underline that he does not want to stop for three
reasons: a) he is not content whit himself and the road he has travelled; b) he
has not yet arrived at the destination ; c) he has already been taken on
by Jesus Christ.
Indeed
Paul, in this metaphor, gives us three main reasons to face the race of life
with persistence.
First
of all, it would be imprudent to be content with the distance covered till now,
because of the fatigue, discouragement and problems, without attaining the
goal. Because even if we have a better score than others, even if we are first,
we cannot stop or we will loose. The fact of still being in the race makes us
persevere.
Secondly,
as long as we have not yet won, as long as the finish line is still in front of
us, it would be a pity to lose it all. The aim urges us to go on. The prize
certainly stimulates us to continue. The prize is surely the strongest
motivation that makes us never give up.
Thirdly,
Paul does not want to deceive the one who has taken him on, the one who has
done everything and has given everything, even his life, for him: Jesus Christ.
He has called the apostle and has engaged him in this race, in this mission. He
has bought him to run in his team. In sporting language, Christ is the
manager/trainer who has bought a very expensive player to play on his team. And
Paul (which means « small ») has become a « big » athlete
thanks to Jesus Christ. Our motivation can only be strong, when called by
Christ our trainer.
b.
Determination in striving towards
the goal
The
second major value in this metaphor is the immediate consequence of the
application of persistence, which is determination in striving towards the
goal.
Through
his beautiful image of the athlete running straight towards the goal, Paul
underlines the determination he has in reaching the goal. He describes it as
forgetting (« …to forget what is behind me »), like a striving
(« I do my best to reach what is ahead ») and as a wonderful effort
(« So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize, which is
God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above … ») « Paul does
not enumerate the things he has in mind, but they are implied in his reasoning,
and are covered by v. 14. To the runner in a race the only object worthy of
attention is the finishing line, and so it was with Paul in his spiritual
course. He fixes his eyes on the goal of eternal life and the inheritance in
the world beyond. A clear vision of this goal will stimulate the Christian to
faithfully and cheerfully run the race that is set before him. »[28]
With
this image Paul transmits a good formula for keeping our determination in the
Christian race: a) do not think about the past; b) reach
what is ahead; c) fix your eyes on the finishing line.
The
marathon runner knows he must forget the road behind him in order to
concentrate on the one ahead of him. He knows too that he will get better
results if his body and spirit are both concentrated on what is ahead. From a
technical point of view of the race, we can choose the way of running we want.
But it is only if all the muscles, limbs and personal energies are oriented
towards the goal and used in the best economy of movement
that we can hope to finish the race.
An
athlete knows that difficulties may come at any moment. The only way to succeed
is to be determined in striving towards the goal, because if he is not, he can
be distracted and discouraged and forced to stop. It is difficult to be at the
top of our physical capacities in each competition; that is why it is important
to keep our eyes on the finishing line.
329
C)
II Timothy 2:4-6 and II Timothy 4:6-8
“No
soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to
satisfy the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes
according to the rules. It is the hard working farmer who ought to have the
first share of the crops”. “For I am already on the point of being sacrificed;
the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth
there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to
all who have loved his appearing.”
Paul
was at the end of his life when he wrote this letter to Timothy. This letter is
considered his spiritual testament. So, with these metaphors he wants to
transmit the higher values to help Timothy in his work.
The sports values
highlighted in these two last texts[29]
are respect for the rules and the satisfaction of the accomplished duty.
a. Respect the
rules, loyalty and « fair-play »
One of the most important conditions
in sports competitions is respect for the rules of the game. Of course, if one
tries to play soccer with his hands he will be put out because he does not
comply with the rules of soccer but of a game like rugby.
It is then clear that each
discipline has its own precise rules. It is established to be played in the
limits imposed by the rules and, within them the players may develop their own
creativity, personality and originality.
In this metaphor, Paul underlines
the importance of respecting the rules of the game. The rules are there in
order to enable all athletes to play under the same conditions and to exploit
their skills in all the possible situations the game offers in order to achieve
victory.
The rules give the conditions and
limits of the game in which the players may express their creativity. They mark
out the trajectory between the start and the arrival of our race. Indeed, the
respect of the rules becomes an essential framework for the participants in the
game, if they want to obtain the prize.
In our society, there are more and
more people, young and old, who reject or doubt that respect of the rules has
essential value in life. They think that to be free is to live without rules.
For the sportsperson, on the contrary, to play in freedom means to learn how to
live within the rules that guide the game.
We think this sports metaphor
applies perfectly to all aspects of everyday life because it is evident that
young people who learn to play respecting the rules of the game in sports
normally have a greater sense of responsibility in all dimensions of their
adult life: family, work, social, religious.
Paul the rabbi, Pharisee of
Gamaliel’s school, when writing this metaphor is certainly conscious of what he
meant: he referred to obedience to the Divine rules. He knows that a person’s
set of beliefs is constructed on universal principles which God has transmitted
to men. The law, like the rules, does not just limit, but protects so that we
can interact safety.[30]
For the apostle, it is not only
essential to have rules and to respect them but also to be loyal and act with
« fair-play ». To practice loyalty is not simply to respect the
rules; it means respect, protection and freedom for oneself and for the others.
330
This
metaphor teaches us that it is only with an attitude of loyalty and
« fair-play » that we can receive the prize one day. That is to say,
it is only with this attitude, both theoretical and practical, respecting
rules, oneself, others and God, that we will be winners in life.
b. Evaluation and
assessment of the accomplished task; certainty in the hope of receiving the prize ; receiving the prize with joy.
An important aspect of the life of an
athlete (as much as in the life of a student, a researcher, a manager) is the
evaluation of the accomplished task. This enables the athlete to evaluate his
strengths and weaknesses and to acknowledge where he stands in respect to his
preparation and his commitment, in order to get ready for the next competition,
and do better.
Paul is at the end of his life. He reveals
his own evaluation in verse 7 of II Tim. 4. He observes that he has worked in
the right way. His energies, his commitment have not been used in vain but were
well adapted to the goal. He has run the full distance. He has not been
distracted. He has fought the good fight, he has seized the essential in life,
that which really counts.
The evaluation Paul makes of his life, like
that of athletes after a competition, is surely an example to follow if we want
to avoid failure. When we postpone the evaluation to tomorrow, we risk arriving
at the end of our lives only to find that we have lived in vain, for we have
not reached the goal we wanted, since we had no precise goal in mind. Instead, regular self evaluation allows us to
realize which fight we are committed to and how effectively we are confronting
it.
Paul affirms that he has reached the goal.
He has not stopped on his way. He has reached the end of his life having
accomplished his task in the best possible way: keeping his faith. He has
reached for the essential: Jesus Christ.
It is indispensable for an athlete to
evaluate at each crossroad whether he is effectively running towards the goal;
otherwise the competition may be a failure.
This same metaphor shows how important it
is to relish the winner’s prize. Indeed, Paul’s life long faith in Jesus Christ
has enabled him to believe and hope to receive the best award: eternal life. In
other words, it is essential for the athlete to believe in his goal from the
start and to have certainty of being able to win the prize.
Those who do not want to achieve victories,
who do not dream of accepting the challenge, who do not believe in the
possibility of winning, do not dare to participate. It is a single minded focus
on the goal that enables the athlete to be on the winner’s podium the day of
the final reward.
As
we have seen, Paul highlights through these metaphors values that can help us
construct a biblical philosophy of sports.
In order to transmit values to the
students through sports the pupils need to understand the real aim of sports
and P.E. in theory and practice. Our social context makes us think about P.E
and sports in terms of competition, as we see them on T.V., whether we like
sports or not. Often I have heard my students ask me “When will we do real
sports?” alluding to a match they may have seen on T.V. the day before. It is
up to us as P.E teachers to seize the opportunity in order to transform the
clichés the students have in mind into reflected and motivated ideas. Like
Paul, using the Olympic Games, we must prepare them to receive Christ’s
teachings.
The clichés that most people have in
mind associate sport and P.E. with players that have become myths, celebrities
that have a lot of success and money. Therefore, people try to identify with
these stars, but not only in the positive aspects but mostly in the negative
ones like doping, excessive effort, disrespect of rules and the desire of
eliminating the competitors. They are looking for their own glory.
We are aware that in teaching sports
in the curriculum of P.E. we will encounter problems related to the way in
which sports are practiced today. Sports, after becoming a matter of show
business, have endured a process of globalisation, which is dehumanising for
the human being if they are practiced mainly for money.[31]
The influence of money has helped in this transformation, contributing at the
same time, to the loss of their original goals, which included also the
transmission of values.[32]
The level of competition that we see on T.V. is a distortion, far removed from
positive competition. The agonistic dimension has become mainly antagonistic.
331
The
Greeks usually used two words to speak about competition[33],
one with a positive meaning, which is also used by Paul in his metaphors, and
the other with a negative meaning. The first one is agonizo (to compete
with, to strive with), and the second one is polemizo (to compete
against, to strive against). Agonizo is seen as a good strife in which
the atlhete strives together with others. As Hamerslough says: “It is a cooperative venture. Each
offers himself to the other as a testing ground. One still still plays to win
as you cannot provide a good test unless you do what the game is set up to
do.You strive for the mutual development of both parties.”[34]
Polemizo describes bad strife in which the atlhete fights or makes war
against others. “A person strives to exalt him/herself by trying to get others
to submit to his/her will. One tries to belittle, to destroy if you please, to
BEAT them until they recognize their own weakness and the other’s superiority.”[35]
This is the mannner in which sports are practiced today.
Sports are part of western culture
and many school systems require the teacher to teach sports in the P.E.
curriculum. Not all sports have only positives values[36];
so it is up to the teacher to evaluate which values are developed by each
different sport[37]. Christian P.E. teachers
must try to teach sports in order to transmit values and to avoid problems
usually associated with competition by favouring a positive competition. “The
issue in sport education is not too much or too little competition, but
appropiate competition. There is much to be learned from appropiate
competition, both individually and as a member of a competitive group...”[38]
Miller gives a few suggestions: [39]
·
Ensure
that specific behaviours related to fair play are made clear to students.
·
Use
an accountability that promotes and rewards fair play.
·
Encourage
positive, supportive spectator behaviour.
·
Use
a well defined team selection system with equal competition as a primary
objective.
·
Appoint
an elected sports council which decides on issues related to competition and
fair play.
·
Make
fair play awards as important as awards for winning competitions.
·
Teach
and reward ritualistic ways of showing that fair play is valued in sport and
that opponents are honoured for their efforts.
So, I think that we can
find a manner to change this distorted vision of sport. In order to do it:
332
“It is necessary to avoid reducing the practice of sports to simply
learning a technique. We need to make the effort of teaching a certain number
of values that sport conveyed in the beginning. We have forgotten them! We need
to reintroduce a humanistic dimension to the practice of sport. The same
principle applies to competition. Why does it have to lead to violence? Because
it generates real tension! Therefore we need to diminish this tension instead
of exciting it as it is done today. In my opinion (…) the sports educators on
the field hold the key. They play a decisive role.” [40]
Now, we would like to give an
example of theoretical and practical classes for students between 16 and 18. In
the theoretical classes we present three points.
1. Awareness that sports and P.E. help
to maintain good health.[41]
2. Discover the spirit of the first
sports events: Altius, fortius,
citius; that is
higher, stronger, and faster, that is, to go beyond our limits in a positive sense.
3. Understand that sport and P.E. are a
good means to convey values important for our whole life.
These three principles may help the
students to restore the image of God in their beings. Afterwards, the practical
classes will rest on this data. Let us take the example of the race whose
values we have seen before by studying Paul. First of all we will explain the
physical, technical and tactical aspects of running, asking the students to
apply them in their training, and to keep in mind the three theoretical data as
a goal. After a few sessions, when the students master the techniques, it would
be interesting to do a workshop dividing the students into groups and asking
them what other values may be cultivated by running (30 minutes). The teacher’s
role is that of giving some issues for reflection and facilitating discussion
through small questions, for instance:
“What is it that makes you ready for the race? When you are tired or when you
want to stop running what helps you finish the race? After a race, what is it
that makes you better for the next time?
The teacher’s aim is to transmit the
following values:
·
Determination in striving towards
the goal;
·
Concentration:
·
Commitment and discipline;
·
Evaluation
of the accomplished performance;
·
Certainty
in the hope of receiving the reward;
After that, we may listen to the
student reports and the teacher can summarize the lesson of the situation (30
minutes) and in every lesson that
follows he or she will explain different values relating to running and life.
The teacher will then ask the
students to apply the different values they have found in their everyday life
as much as in the race.
This example is applicable to other
sports and to the teaching other values.
Conclusion
To conclude this paper we would like
to underline the importance of basing the teaching of physical education and
sports on biblical philosophy. If we want a balanced idea about the role of
physical education and sports we have to consider the holistic vision of man in
the Bible. Man is a unity and physical education contributes to educating this
unity, not just a part of it. Only in this way it is possible to say that
physical education works in restoring the image of God in us.
From the Bible we can also draw values that can guide the teaching of physical education and sports in order to favour integration, solidarity, motivation in life, etc. and to avoid problems of negative competition, excess, and abuse. The Pauline metaphors on sports that we have seen are useful examples of values that contribute to success in our lives. Commitment, discipline, and concentration help us to handle our projects; perseverance, targeted effort, determination in striving towards the goal, respect of values, and loyalty help us never to give up our projects, in the hope of receiving the prize. Receiving the prize with joy gives us a reward for our efforts. Evaluation and assessment of the accomplished task prepare us for new challenges. In this way physical education and sports may become good means of transmitting values when both theory and practice are biblically-based.
|
|
Badenas Roberto, Mas alla de la Ley, Madrid: Safeliz,
1998.
Barbaglio Giuseppe, Le
lettere di Paolo, vol II, Roma: Borla, 1980
Barth Karl, Commentaire de l’épître aux Philippiens, Genève : Labor
et Fides, 1927.
Benoit P. and Bickel J., Religion
et sport : essai historique et philosophique, St. Maurice : Ed. de l’œuvre de St. Augustin, 1994.
Bosio Enrico, Le Epistole Pastorali di San
Paolo a Timoteo ed a Tito, Torino: Claudiana, 1909.
Busso Eduardo, “La educación física
como agente educativo en la adquisición de hábitos de salud: una experiencia
práctica” in 19 Christ in the Classroom,
No. 288-97, Silver Spring: Institute for Christian Teaching. p. 33-51.
Cadwallader E.M., Principles of Education in Writings of Ellen
G. White, Leaves of Autumn Books,
Diana M., Appunti di Storia dell’Educazione Fisica, Course notes for a History of Physical
Education class, academic year: 1992-1993 at I.S.E.F., Florence.
Ralph Earle, Word Meanings in the New
Testament,
Gianfranceschi Fausto, Il senso del corpo: segni, linguaggio, simboli, Rusconi, Milano, 1986.
Gori Mario, I contenuti dell’educazione fisica, Società Stampa Sportiva, Roma.
Gori Mario, Pedagogia della corporeità nella Antropologia cristiana, Pezzini Ed., Viareggio, 1993.
Grosheide F. W., The first Epistle to the Corinthians (The New International Commentary
on the N.T.),
Fee Gordon D., The First Epistle to the Corinthians
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989.
Ferrero de Esparcia
Cristina, “La educación física:
una perspectiva adventista”, in 13
Christ in the Classroom, No. 177-94,
Hamerslough Walter S., “Physical Education and
Sport from a Christian perspective”, in 10
Christ in the Classroom, No. 128-93,
Higgs Robert J., God
in the Stadium: Sports and Religion,
Hildmann Kathy and
John, Devotions from the World of Sports,
Hoffman Shirl J., Sport
and Religion,
Jantzen René, Sport et sacré, Bordeaux: Presses Universitaires de
Bordeaux, 1992.
Ladd Tony. and Mathiesen James. A., Muscular Christianity:
Evangelical Protestants and the Development of American Sport,
Maillot Alphonse, Aux Philippiens
d’aujourd’hui, Genève : Labor et Fides, 1974.
Marshall Howard, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles,
Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1999.
Mehhl-Koenlein Hrrade, L’Homme selon l’apôtre Paul, Delachaux et Niestlé, Neuchâtel-Paris,
1951.
Miller P. Wayne, “Team
Sports in Adventist Education: Another Look”, in 19 Christ in the Classroom, No. 297-97,
Moth Fabrice, Politiquement incorrect, Sport et Vie, Mars-Avril
2003.
Overman Steven, The
Influence of the Protestant Ethic on Sport and Recreation,
Peifer Bruce G.,
“Seventh-day Adventist Intercollegiate Competition: a North American
Perspective”, in 19 Christ in the
Classroom, No. 300-97,
Pfitzner Victor C., Paul and the Agon Motif,
Pikaza Xavier, Antropologia
biblica, Salamanca: Ed. Sigueme, 1993.
335
Prebish
Charles S., Religion and Sport: the Meeting of Sacred and Profane,
Santiago
Fernández Ardanaz, Las Olimpiadas y el espíritu
deportivo de la vida en la Biblia y en el cristianismo primitivo, in Reseña Biblica,
Otoño, 1994, nº3.
Robertson A. and PlummerA.,
The First Epistle of
Robinson John A.T., Le Corps, étude sur la théologie de St.
Paul, Ed. Du Chalet, Lyon, 1966.
Rougemont Jean, Vie du corps et vie de l’ame,
P. Derain, Lyon, 1945.
Salas Antonio, A imagen de Dios, Ed. Grafinat, Madrid, 1990.
Samperio-Lehmann, Choisis ton sport!,
Forum, 2-3ème trimestre 1992.
Sciarabba Davide, Attualitá pedagogica nel Nuovo Testamento. Riflessioni critiche nel gioco e nello sport, Firenze: Tesi ISEF, Academic year 1999-2000.
S.D.A.B.C.,
South Pacific Division
Education Department, Education physique:
SDA Secondary Curriculum,
Tresmontant Claude, Etude de métaphysique biblique, Paris,
1955.
Wendland Heinz-Dietrich, Le lettere ai Corinti,
Brescia: Paideia, 1976.
White Ellen G., Education,
Zanon Roberto, Gioco, sport, educazione, Società Stampa Sportiva, Roma, 1981.
Zurcher Jean, La perfection
chrétienne, Dammarie les Lys : ed. Vie et Santé, 1997.
Zurcher Jean, L’Homme sa nature et sa
destinée, Delachaux et Niestlé, Neuchâtel, 1953.
Zurcher Jean, Essai
d’anthropologie biblique. pp. 2-3. Unpublished document distributed by professor Zurcher, academic year 1995-96.
336
APPENDIX 1
ADAPTED LIST OF THE SPORTS INCLUDED IN THE BACCALAUREAT EXAM
|
Sports
activities |
Sports
list |
Caracteristics
|
Values |
Warnings |
|
Athletic activities |
· Long distance race and middle distance race · Speed, hurdle race · Throwing the discus, hammer, javelin · Jumping |
Individual
sports aimed at the surpassing oneself. These
activities develop the body harmoniously. |
· Perseverance · Striving towards the aim · Concentration · Commitment and discipline |
|
|
Water sports |
· Swimming |
As written above |
As written above |
|
|
Out-door activities |
· Orienteering
race · Free climbing |
Adapts one’s
movements to a variety of environments |
· Appreciating God’s creation · Accepting the value of challenge · Exploring one’s own limits |
· Putting life at risk as for free climbing |
|
Gymnastic and artistic activities |
· Apparatus · Horse jumping · Choreography |
Individual sports whose actions have an artistic and aesthetic
purpose. Full body development |
· Creativity · Rhythm · Consciousness of space, body orientation · Self-control |
|
|
Teams Sport |
· Basket-ball · Handball · Football · · Volley-ball |
Collective
sports developing cooperation and opposition. Almost all are contact games |
· Respect for others performance · Cooperation · Fair play · Honesty |
·
Risk of hurting others physical and moral integrity |
|
Combative sports |
· Judo · Wrestling · Boxing |
Individual
sports with violent contact |
· Self defence |
· Hurts the physical and moral integrity of the other · Danger of death |
|
Racket sports |
· Tennis · Ping-pong · Badminton |
Individual
or double sports. Dual opposition activities.
Development of body-ball-racket coordination. |
· Perseverance · Concentration · Commitment and discipline |
|
337
APPENDIX 2
VALUES DEVELOPPED BY DIFFERENTS SPORTS
|
VALUES |
SPORTS |
|
Harmonious body development |
Water sports, gymnastics, judo, basketball, free climbing |
|
Respect of the opponent and of his physical integrity |
Athletics, water, outdoor, gymnastics, artistic, racquet activities,
volleyball |
|
Collaboration and trust in the other |
Sports games |
|
Development of will, decision, and perseverance |
Generally all sports but especially athletics and water activities |
|
Management of problems of confrontation |
Team sport and combative sports |
|
Endurance, discipline, fair-play, respect of rules |
All sports |
|
Appreciation of God’s creation |
Out-door activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
338
APPENDIX 3
List of sports problems by Samperio-Lehmann
|
Sport |
Violence |
Cheating |
Intemperance |
Pride |
Money |
Danger |
|
|
Aerial Paragliding |
0 |
+ |
+ |
+ |
0 |
+++ |
|
|
Athletics Races |
+ |
++++ |
+++ |
++ |
+++ |
+ |
|
|
Throwing |
0 |
++++ |
++ |
+ |
+ |
0 |
|
|
Jumping |
0 |
++ |
++ |
+ |
++ |
0 |
|
|
Cycling Bike |
+ |
+++ |
+++ |
++++ |
+++ |
+ |
|
|
Small Balls Golf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
++ |
+++ |
0 |
|
|
Tennis |
+ |
++ |
+++ |
++ |
+++ |
0 |
|
|
Ping-pong |
0 |
++ |
+ |
+ |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Balls Basket |
+++ |
+++ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
|
|
Soccer |
+++ |
+++ |
++ |
+++ |
++++ |
+++ |
|
|
Handball |
++ |
++ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
|
|
|
++++ |
+++ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
+++ |
|
|
Volley |
0 |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
0 |
|
|
Combat Boxing |
Beyond |
++++ |
+++ |
++++ |
++++ |
Beyond |
|
|
Fencing |
++ |
+++ |
+ |
++ |
+ |
+ |
|
|
Judo |
++ |
+ |
++ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
|
|
Karate |
+++ |
++ |
++ |
+ |
+ |
++ |
|
|
Ice Hockey |
++++ |
+++ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
+++ |
|
|
Figure
skating |
0 |
+ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
0 |
|
|
Snow Downhill skiing |
0 |
+ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
0 |
|
|
Cross-country
skiing |
0 |
++ |
+++ |
+ |
+ |
0 |
|
|
Equestrian activities Horse
riding |
0 |
0 |
+ |
+ |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Mechanized Car |
++ |
+++ |
+ |
+++ |
+++ |
+++ |
|
|
Motorbike |
++ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
+++ |
|
|
Water Swimming |
0 |
+ |
++ |
+ |
+ |
0 |
|
|
Water
Polo |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Roving |
0 |
0 |
+ |
+ |
+ |
0 |
|
|
Canoeing |
0 |
0 |
+ |
+ |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Surfing |
0 |
0 |
+ |
++ |
+ |
+ |
|
|
Yachting |
0 |
+ |
+ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
|
|
Various Mountaineering |
0 |
+ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
|
|
Badminton |
0 |
+ |
+ |
+ |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Body-building |
+ |
+++++ |
++++ |
+++++ |
+++ |
+++ |
|
|
Jogging |
0 |
0 |
+ |
+ |
0 |
+ |
|
[1] Ellen White, Education,
[2] J. Zurcher, L’homme sa nature et sa
destinée, Neuchâtel : Delachaux et Niestlé, 1953. p.34.
[3] For a further study of this topic,
see J. Zurcher, Idem. pp.19-30. […] « Le dualisme philosophique
plonge ses
[4] For a further study of this topic,
see J. Zurcher, Idem.
[5] J. Zurcher, Essai d’anthropologie biblique. pp. 2-3. Unpublished document distributed by professor
Zurcher, academic year 1995-96.
[6] New International Version (NIV), London: International Bible Society, 1996.
[7] Other versions translate
« living soul », (ex. La Nuova Riveduta, Roma: Società Biblica
Britannica & Forestiera, 2000), or “living creature”, (Traduzione Interconfessionale in Lingua corrente, Torino: Elle Di
Ci Leumann – United Bible Societes, 1985). I will use the terms “living soul” and “living
creature”.
[8] Psalms 104:29,30; 146:4; Ezekiel 37:6-10; Jacques 2:26.
[9] Good News Bible ( today’s English Version),
[10] Ecclésiaste 3:18-21.
In fact, there is no difference between the human breath of life and that of
animals.
[11] Maybe the Nuova
Riveduta, and the Traduzione
Interconfessionale in Lingua Corrente, respect better the concept because
they respectively say: “(…) and your whole being, spirit, soul and body, (…);
and “(…) all your person, spirit, soul and body (…).
[12] J. Zurcher, Essai
d’anthropologie biblique. p. 4.
[13] Deutéronome
6:5; Matthieu 22:37; Marc 12: 30; Luc 10:27.
[14] See page 4.
[15] Victor C. Pfitzner, Paul and the Agon Motif,
[16] M. Diana, Appunti
di Storia dell’Educazione Fisica, course notes for a History of physical
education class, academic year: 1992-1993 at I.S.E.F.,
[17] Santiago Fernández Ardanaz, Las Olimpiadas y
el espíritu deportivo de la vida en la Biblia y en el cristianismo primitivo, Reseña
Biblica, Otoño, 1994, nº
3. p. 46. Cf. Gordon D. Fee The first
epistle to the Corinthians Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989. p. 433; Leon
Morris, La prima epistola di Paolo ai Corinzi, Roma: G.B.U., 1974, p.
163.
[18] See for instance Crisipe, Zénon, Aristocreonte, Philocrates, Arquedeme et Antipatre, Antenodores etc.. Cf. Heinz-Dietrich Wendland, Le lettere ai Corinti, Brescia: Paideia, 1976. pp.146-147.
[19] Som II, 145.
[20] Sagesse 4 :2; 4 Esdras 7:127; 3 Maccabées 4:11; 4 Maccabées 6:10; 11:20; 16:16; 17:10; 18:23; Testamentum Jobi 4.
[21] See A. Maillot, Aux Philippiens d’aujourd’hui, Genève : Labor et Fides, 1974 p. 112-113.
[22] G. Barbaglio, Lettere di Paolo vol.1, Roma: Borla, 1980. p. 410.
[23] Idem. p. 76, 81.
[24] S.D.A.B.C.,
[26] S.D.A.B.C., Op. cit,
vol. 6. p. 737
[27] See A. Maillot,
Op. cit. p.
113-114; and Karl Barth, Commentaire de l’épître aux Philippiens,
Genève : Labor et Fides,
1927. p.104-109.
[28] S.D.A.B.C., Op. cit.,
vol. 7. p. 170.
[29] See Howard Marshall, A Critical
and Exegetical Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles, Edinburgh: T&T
Clark, 1999. p. 729; and Enrico Bosio,
Le Epistole Pastorali di San Paolo a Timoteo ed a Tito,
[30] For a further study of this topic see R.
Badenas, Mas alla de la Ley,
[31] See Davide Sciarabba, Attualitá pedagogica nel Nuovo Testamento. Riflessioni critiche nel gioco e nello sport, Firenze: Tesi ISEF, Academic year 1999-2000. p. 63-174.
[32] Ibidem.
[33] For
a further reflection about competition in sports, see Peifer Bruce G., “Seventh-day Adventist
intercollegiate competition: a North American perspective”, in 19 Christ in the Classroom, No. 300-97,
[34] Walter S. Hamerslough, “Physical Education and Sport from Christian
Perspective”, in 10 Christ in the Classroom,
No. 128-93,
[35] Ibidem.
[36] See Appendix 1. This is the sports list of the State exam at the end of
high school. Students can choose between these possibilities. The teacher can’t
teach all these sports, so that he must choose which sports to teach. See also
Appendix 3 done by Samperio-Lehmann, Chiosis ton sport!, Forum, 2-3ème trimestre
1992. p. 10-11.
[37] See Appendix 2.
[38] D. Siedentop, Sport
education:
[39] P. Wayne Miller, “Team sports in Adventist ducation:
another look”, in 19 Christ in the
Classroom, No. 297-97,
[40] Fabrice Moth,
Politiquement incorrect, Sport et Vie,
Mars-Avril 2003. p. 45.
[41] South Pacific Division Education Department, Education Physique,