Centre for Sport, Spirituality and Religion 

Introduction

Building upon the ground-breaking work of the Centre for the Study of Sport and Spirituality (CSSS) at York St John University, UK, the establishment of the Centre for Sport, Spirituality and Religion (CSSR) at the University of Gloucestershire, UK, is a new and exciting development that provides a forum for on-going academic study, discussion and debate in this expanding field of enquiry.

The focus of the Centre is premised on the belief that the relationship between sport, spirituality and religion is the subject of considerable academic and public interest. The Centre is dedicated to promoting scholarly activity through research, teaching, publication, conferences, workshops and training via collaboration with a wide range of partners. CSSR aims to foster a culture that emphasises the importance of the spiritual, moral and ethical dimensions of sport whilst maintaining a commitment to the practical and applied aspects of the sport/spirituality relationship. Although the Centre operates in a multi-faith context and acknowledges the value of all world religions, much of its intellectual work is currently focused on the intersection between sport and the Christian faith. Our interdisciplinary outlook seeks to foster connections between a range of substantive perspectives (i.e. psychological, philosophical, theological, historical and sociological) and differing methodological approaches.

Activities

The Centre is located in the University’s Faculty of Applied Sciences and is directed by Professor Andrew Parker. Academic study is available through CSSR via our suite of taught courses (Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma/MA) in Sport and Christian Outreach. The purpose of these qualifications is to provide students with a thorough theoretical/theological and practical/applied grounding in contemporary sports ministry/chaplaincy. The Centre also welcomes applicants who wish to undertake graduate research leading to an MPhil or PhD qualification. A central aim of the Centre is to facilitate a regular programme of seminars, workshops and conferences which feature both academic speakers and those with more practical experiences of sport.

Governance

The Centre is also supported by an Advisory Board whose members include:

• Revd. Dr Stuart Burgess (Chair of the Commission for Rural Communities, HM Government’s Rural Advocate since 2004)
• Canon Prof. Leslie J Francis (University of Warwick, and Canon Theologian of Bangor Cathedral, Wales, UK)
• Graham Daniels (Christians in Sport, UK)
• Nick Watson (York St John University, UK).

The work of the Centre is also endorsed by a number of key experts in the field. These include:

• Professor Michael Novak (American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Washington DC, USA)
• Emeritus Professor Shirl Hoffman (University of North Carolina, at Greensboro, USA)
• Emeritus Professor Robert Higgs (East Tennessee State University, USA)
• Professor R. Scott Kretchmar (Pennsylvania State University, USA)
• Dr Greg Linville (Malone University, Canton, Ohio, USA).