Inaugural Global Congress on Sports and Christianity

Please consider making plans to attend the Inaugural Global Congress on Sports and Christianity, 24-28 August, 2016.

In light of the dramatic increase in academic research activity and practical initiatives on the topic of sports and Christianity over the last decade, the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at York St John University, in collaboration with the Bible Society, will host this event. http://www.yorksj.ac.uk/health--life-sciences/faculty-of-hls/faculty-events/igcsc.aspx

Aims

The aims of the IGCSC are to:

· Encourage global collaboration between academics, practitioners, politicians, clergy, administrators and athletes

· Produce quality academic and practitioner publications that have societal impact

· Through intentional mentoring and collaboration, develop individuals in their sphere of influence

· Affect a ‘culture shift’ in modern sport through the sharing of ideas and practices and a ‘coming together’ of individuals from across the academic disciplines and all streams and denominations of Christianity, culminating in an inclusive and ecumenical event.

Overview

The IGCSC will be held over four-and-a-half-days and will comprise: a gala dinner, keynote lectures, parallel sessions, a panel led by the Bible Society, a three-hour seminar for each of the fourteen ‘thematic strands’, a ‘student forum’, and a networking event, in which representatives from practitioner organisations, research centres and publishers will be able to share information. A sport-themed service will also be held in York Minster, one of Europe's finest Cathedrals, this event will include an interview with ex-premier footballer, Linvoy Primus MBE and ex-paralympian, Anne-Waflua Strike MBE.

To ensure the continued development and long-term sustainability of the field, an international organising committee has been established to devise and operationalize a long-term strategic plan to ensure similar events take place every three years (in appropriate institutions around the world). The importance and timeliness of the IGCSC, 2016, has been ‘endorsed’ by a wide variety of individuals.

Venue

York St John University campus is at the heart of the beautiful and historic city of York, England. Find out more about York St John University and the city of York here.

Thematic Strands

The IGCSC will comprise fourteen ‘thematic strands’, which collectively address existing and emerging topics in the broad area of sport and Christianity. During the congress there will be a three-hour interactive seminar on each thematic strand which will be facilitated by a small group of academics and / or practitioners who are recognised for excellence in their respective fields (click on thematic strand titles below for biographies of Strand Chairperson and Co-Leaders).

A number of academic and practitioner publications will emerge from these thematic strands, as detailed below.

Abstracts submitted for consideration for oral presentations (parallel sessions) to be scheduled through the four days of the congress, can focus on the thematic strands, or may address any topic within the broad field of sports and Christianity.

The thematic strands are as follows:

· Sports Chaplaincy

· Sports, Peace and Religion (with a focus, but not exclusively, on the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games)

· Theology of Disability Sport

· Sports, Bioethics, Performance Enhancements, and Biotechnology: Theological Reflections

· Fathering and Mentoring through Sports and Physical Education

· Women, Sports and Christianity

· Sports Ministry

· Historical Perspectives on Sports and Christianity

· Catholicism and Sports

· Ethical and Social Issues in Sports: Christian Reflections

· Global Perspectives in Sports and Christianity

· Christian Sociological Perspectives on Sport

· Sport, Christianity, Health and Well-Being/Wellness

· Sport, Psychology and Christianity

This is a link to the registration page. http://www.yorksj.ac.uk/health--life-sciences/faculty-of-hls/faculty-events/igcsc/registration.aspx

Please join me at this landmark event in the development of sports chaplaincy among both practitioners and academicians.