RELIGST 2EE3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Wayne Gretzky, Stephen Prothero, Clifford Geertz
21 Apr 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Lecture 16
November 11, 2019
Sports Icons: Deities and Missionaries
- E. B. Tylor -- anthropologist – 1871: religion = belief in spiritual, supernatural beings
- Stephen Prothero, Religious Studies, Boston College: “Celebrity is the new sainthood…
where religion forgets to be confined to its own domain
o See this is sports, movie, music
o New saints or icons
- Clifford Geertz – 1973: religious symbols are models of/for how to live according to a
particular ethos, worldview
o Religious symbols are icons or models on how we should live life
o Athletes who strive to over come limits
o EXAMPLE JORDAN RETIRED AND CAME BACK
▪ A second coming
St. Rita of Cascia 1381- 1457
- Wanted to become a nun
- Parents didn’t want this
- Married some old abusive man
o He was murdered after he changed his life
o Sons wanted to take revenge and she prayed they would die, they died
St. Sebastian ( C. 256- c.258)
- Was in army was fit
- Stood up to roman empire
o Bound to trees and shot with arrows
Roy Halladay 1977-2017
- Seeing how type of religious expression is in sports
- Pitcher for blue jays
o After death
o Someone wrote in the mail that memory of his life
o Provided a motto to teammates to follow on how to play and practice with all
you have
Halladay Memorial
- Died in plane crash
- Cathal Kelly, Globe and Mail: Halladay exemplifies baseball ethos of hard work, day in,
day out, predictability, loyalty to team, humility and modesty
o Example of persona
o What a good athlete should be
▪
- A saint for contemporary late capitalist society
- Sport as religion
Wayne Gretzky – Sport as Religion
- Model of social construction national identity of Canada
- Achievements and what he has got out of hockey and given to the people
- After the trade people were shocked
Document Summary
E. b. tylor -- anthropologist 1871: religion = belief in spiritual, supernatural beings. Stephen prothero, religious studies, boston college: celebrity is the new sainthood where religion forgets to be confined to its own domain: see this is sports, movie, music, new saints or icons. Married some old abusive man: he was murdered after he changed his life, sons wanted to take revenge and she prayed they would die, they died. Stood up to roman empire: bound to trees and shot with arrows. Seeing how type of religious expression is in sports. Pitcher for blue jays: after death, someone wrote in the mail that memory of his life, provided a motto to teammates to follow on how to play and practice with all you have. Cathal kelly, globe and mail: halladay exemplifies baseball ethos of hard work, day in, day out, predictability, loyalty to team, humility and modesty: example of persona, what a good athlete should be.
