Owen, Diana

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Conversations on Jesuit Higher EducationVolume 45 Article 224-1-2014Book Review of Catholic Perspectives on Sports: FromMedieval to Modern Times, by Patrick Kelly, S.J.Diana OwenFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversationsRecommended CitationOwen, Diana (2014) "Book Review of Catholic Perspectives on Sports: From Medieval to Modern Times, by Patrick Kelly, S.J.,"Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education: Vol. 45, Article 22.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol45/iss1/2246 ConversationsFaculty and staff atCatholic colleges aredivided in their viewsabout sports on cam-pus. Some believethat athletics, espe-cially high-profile,competitive sports,divert resources and attention fromacademic pursuits. Others, likemyself, consider sports to be integralto a well-rounded college experi-ence, fostering an active lifestyle andcommunity building. Countlesshours are spent debating the properrole of sports in meetings andaround the water cooler.Patrick Kelly, S.J., brings animportant perspective to this debateby illuminating the centrality of sportsin Catholic theology and spiritualpractices throughout history. Heargues, contrary to prevailingaccounts, that sports have been inte-gral to the spiritual life of Catholicsfrom the medieval period to the pres-ent. His study employs a combinationof theological argument and historicalanalysis that establishes a foundationfor his observations about Catholicismand sports in America. His work high-lights the fact that debates over theintersection of sports and faith far pre-date the establishment of Catholicacademic institutions.Father Kelly demonstrates thatsports were readily accommodatedin medieval and early modernCatholic culture and institutions,including schools. Games wereplayed on Sundays and holy daysaround faith practices. ThomasAquinas, humanists, and earlyJesuits believed that diversions likesports were necessary to achieve avirtuous life. Indeed, Aquinas feltthat “it was possible to sin by hav-ing too little play in one’s life” (5).In keeping with these sentiments,early Jesuit schools in Europeand in the North American mis-sions made sports central to astudent’s experience.Puritan notions associatingwork with godliness and playwith sin shaped earlyAmericans’ beliefs aboutsports. American Catholic clergy andlaypersons embraced play and read-ily integrated sports into their dailylives, reinforcing their status as out-siders. Jesuit schools, in keepingwith their European counterparts,established elaborate facilities andmade sports integral to campus life.Small yet compelling portions ofthe book address women’s participa-tion in sports, an area that usuallyreceives scant scholarly treatment.Fr. Kelly challenges conventionalassumptions that females did notengage in athletic play in medievaland early modern times. Womenworkers, like their male counter-parts, played team sports, includingfootball, cricket, and a precursor tobaseball, and ran foot races, whilearistocratic women hunted andplayed tennis. Young Americanwomen attending Catholic schoolsas early as the 1930s played compet-itive sports, offering a contrast to themale-dominated institutional churchhierarchy and signaling possibilitiesfor a more feminine view of thefaith. The Immaculata College“Mighty Macs” women’s basketballteam revolutionized the game andwon the first women’s nationalchampionship in 1972, repeating theBook ReviewCatholic Perspectives on Sports: FromMedieval To Modern Times, by Patrick Kelly, S.J.New York:Paulist Press, 212 pagesReviewed by Diana Owen00621_conversations #26   12/13/13  5:38 PM  Page 461Owen: Book Review of <em>Catholic Perspectives on Sports: From MedievalPublished by e-Publications@Marquette, 2014Conversations 47feat in 1973 and 1974. The Catholicfaith/sports nexus was seamless forImmaculata students whose commu-nity, under the tutelage of theImmaculate Heart of Mary sisters, wasunited in prayer, a “love of work,”and “a love of play.” In the final chapter, Father Kellyaddress sports in the contemporarycontext in light of the considerablechallenges that have emerged as ath-letics have become synonymouswith business and entertainment.Athletes are pressured from an earlyage to perform and win prestigiousscholarships or professional con-tracts. Such pressure takes the joyout of sports for many athletes andmakes them vulnerable to chronicinjury. Jesuit institutions face theconundrum of how to be competi-tive in this environment whileremaining true to their mission.Father Kelly draws upon the insightsof theologians from earlier periods toprovide guidance. Pope John Paul IIbelieved that the goal of sportsshould be to foster spiritual growth byemphasizing the dignity of the humanperson. Sports should be part of a bal-anced life, and Father Kelly asks us toconsider Aquinas’s emphasis on mod-eration and enjoyment. He concludes,“An important task of Catholic theolo-gians in the contemporary context isto safeguard the play element in sport,and particularly in youth sport. Afterall, if play is similar to contemplation,then the experiences of a person atplay must themselves be of consider-able significance” (154).Father Kelly’s well-researched,neatly articulated volume fills a majorvoid left by Catholic theologians’ reluc-tance to address the connectionbetween religion and sports. The bookappeals directly to sports scholars andenthusiasts, theologians, and Catholichistorians. It is a must-read for univer-sity faculty and administrators whodeal with athletics. The book also issuitable for a general audience, includ-ing those who are not interested insports. Father Kelly makes sophisticat-ed theological arguments accessibleand relevant while taking readers on alively journey through Catholic andJesuit history in brief.  ■Book ReviewDiana Owen is an associate professorof political science and the directorof American Studies at GeorgetownUniversity. She is a member of theConversations seminar.Regis University.00621_conversations #26   12/13/13  5:38 PM  Page 472Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, Vol. 45, Iss. 1 [2014], Art. 22http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol45/iss1/22

Book Review of \u3cem\u3eCatholic Perspectives on Sports: From Medieval to Modern Times\u3c/em\u3e, by Patrick Kelly, S.J.

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Book Review of \u3cem\u3eCatholic Perspectives on Sports: From Medieval to Modern Times\u3c/em\u3e, by Patrick Kelly, S.J.

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