ABSTRACT
The Introduction outlines how the book attempts to spark further thinking about the trans-disciplinary debate surrounding sport, physical culture and religion in relation to bodily training. It begins by offering a distinction between sport and physical culture in broad terms. Sport is defined as any activity that involves physical exertion and skill where an individual or a team competes against each other for entertainment or reward whereas physical culture, famously cultivated in ancient Greek gymnasiums, was deeply influenced by the ideal of a sound mind and sound body (often expressed as arete or virtue). Contemporary expressions (e.g. martial arts, yoga) continue this tradition. Finally, it outlines the multi-faith nature of the text allowing readers to draw from a wide range of spiritual perspectives – Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism and Christianity and describes how it offers a spectrum of worldviews and philosophies across time in the hope that each will shed light on the issue. Each discipline has a long history of reflection and practice about somatic discipline and its effects on human transformation.
