"Football is not a matter of life and death, it is more important than that."
Communicating on the playing Field
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Josef Solc, Xulon Press, 2009. Josef Solc, Xulon Press, 2009. ISBN 978-1-60791-763-2
The book is about the sports evangelism. The approach is very pragmatic: It works. The author uses phrases like: “using sports is a way of sharing the gospel”, “Sports evangelism can facilitate inroads into places where we are not even present right now”, “I claim that sports evangelism can facilitate this method of evangelising better than any other approach”.
The major argument of the book is the need to find a way to approach sports people with the gospel. Engaging in sports will give Christians an opportunity to introduce Christianity to the secularised and often violent world of sports. The author suggests that: “knowing the mind of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit should help us embrace the method of sports evangelism”. While the author has played two sports at elite or international level, the approach is very much to see sport as a means of evangelism.
There is a chapter “Biblical foundations for sports evangelism” but it is disappointing. It states: “There is nothing in the Bible that would speak directly about sports evangelism. We must be honest about it, but we can find concepts and words that illumine the relationship of sports and Christianity”. It includes exegesis of Biblical words that relate to sports activities. Such as – fight, wrestle, compete, agon, run, train and walk. It also suggests reading the Bible from the perspective of sports evangelism
Of Paul’s athletic metaphors, the author writes: “Paul’s analogy of an athlete competing according to the rules and having the victor’s crown placed on his head, is a clear picture of a Christian who lives the victorious life for Christ. There is just a small step from the spiritual to the secular. It makes sense to recommend Christians to step into stadiums, ball-parks, fields, and parks to engage our sports crazy culture to compete with those who do not accept our rules and regulations, but who might give in to our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”.
The book seems to suggest that it is normal for Christians to want God to be on their side and make them winners in sports and for chaplains to ask God for help to win a game.
The statement: “Christians interacted with athletes in the first century and we must do it in the 21st century as well” is not backed up by any first century evidence.
The book may help with evangelism but adds nothing to a theological understanding of sport.