Seton Hall University
Duquesne University
Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
Western Kentucky University
Salve Regina University
St. John's University School of Law
DePaul University
Blue Army Of Our Lady of Fatima
Agapē, Aretē, And The Arena: Exploring Sport Through Faith, Reason, And Olympism,
2026
Junípero Serra High School
Agapē, Aretē, And The Arena: Exploring Sport Through Faith, Reason, And Olympism, Gary V. Meegan
Journal of Catholic Education
Young people have a passion for play, for competition and sport, a place where they feel fully alive. As a result, Catholic schools have introduced courses to explore sport and spirituality, delving into the working of God in their lives through athletics. However, the study of philosophy is integral to the understanding of the Catholic faith, therefore any education must also include the study of philosophy if it is to be authentically Catholic. The opportunity to create a course that incorporated both disciplines with sport resulted in a high school elective course titled, Philosophy and Theology of Sport. Its purpose …
Finding God In All Things: A Course On Theology Of Sport At A Jesuit High School,
2026
Fordham Preparatory School
Finding God In All Things: A Course On Theology Of Sport At A Jesuit High School, Craig M. Smith
Journal of Catholic Education
This article examines the development, structure, and impact of a senior elective course on the Theology of Sport at an all-boys Jesuit Catholic high school in the east coast of the United States. Grounded in Ignatian pedagogy and the Catholic theological tradition, the course invites students to reflect critically on their lived experiences in sport through the lenses of play, spirituality, and Church teaching Drawing on sources such as Jürgen Moltmann’s Theology of Play, papal and Vatican statements on sport, and contemporary theological reflections on athletic experience, the course challenges the tendency to silo athletics from other dimensions of student …
The Bambisanani Partnership: A Global Initiative Activating Faith And Sport,
2026
Volunteer CEO of The Bambisanani Partnership, and St. Mary's School (Leeds, UK)
The Bambisanani Partnership: A Global Initiative Activating Faith And Sport, David Geldart, Matt Hoven
Journal of Catholic Education
The Bambisanani Partnership: A Global Initiative Activating Faith and Sport Partnership is a United Kingdom-based charity that originated as a sports-based partnership between St. Mary’s Catholic High School in the UK, and Mnyakanya High School in rural KwaZulu- Natal (KZN), South Africa, in 2006. Inspired by papal teaching about sport, this article explores the ways in which this particular program has been successful in providing opportunities to live out the Catholic faith through sports participation. The partnership, which remains based at St. Mary’s School and is run entirely by volunteers, operates in the Nkandla region of South Africa, which is …
The Magis Ministry Model - Building Sustainable Sports And Performing Arts Ministries,
2026
Saint Ignatius High School, Cleveland, OH
The Magis Ministry Model - Building Sustainable Sports And Performing Arts Ministries, Drew J. Vilinsky
Journal of Catholic Education
The Magis Ministry Model addresses the documented decline in youth religious practice by leveraging the high participation rates in secondary school athletics and performing arts. Recognizing that many students struggle to connect faith with what they value, the model embeds lay adult chaplains within teams and troupes to provide a "ministry of accompaniment". Key to this framework are chapel talks—weekly, 15- to 20-minute reflections that invite students to encounter God through their specific craft. Longitudinal data from Saint Ignatius High School demonstrates significant impact: over 74% of surveyed participants strongly advocate for the program's continuation, and successful head coaches now …
Faith, Formation, And Sport: How Diocesan Athletic Associations Articulate Catholic Mission,
2026
University of Oklahoma
Faith, Formation, And Sport: How Diocesan Athletic Associations Articulate Catholic Mission, Samuel Naab
Journal of Catholic Education
As Catholic schools navigate declining enrollment, expanding school choice policies, and increasing specialization in youth athletics, diocesan Catholic youth athletic associations represent an understudied site of mission articulation and identity formation within Catholic education. This study examines the organizational composition of diocesan athletic associations in the United States and analyzes how these organizations construct and communicate mission and Catholic identity through governing documents. Using structural topic modeling, the study analyzes 81 mission-oriented statements drawn from publicly available handbooks, bylaws, and policy manuals of 51 diocesan athletic associations. Results indicate that mission-oriented language across organizations reflects a consistent set of value-based …
A Comparative Analysis Of Educator And Parent Perspectives Of Catholic High School Athletics,
2026
University of Notre Dame/Cathedral Catholic High School
A Comparative Analysis Of Educator And Parent Perspectives Of Catholic High School Athletics, Kevin J. Calkins
Journal of Catholic Education
This study surveyed parents to compare their perceptions of the role of athletics in the Catholic high school environment with those of educators, and to examine the degree to which athletics influences parental enrollment decisions. Educators and parents mostly agree on the role of interscholastic athletics in Catholic high schools. The most noticeable difference between educators and parents is about the perceived role of athletics in student formation. While the strength and health of a Catholic high school’s athletic program are important considerations when parents choose a Catholic high school for their child, the results indicate that academic quality is …
Trauma-Informed Coaching: An Application Of Catholic Social Teaching To Formation And Healing Through Sport,
2026
Play Like a Champion Today Educational Series
Trauma-Informed Coaching: An Application Of Catholic Social Teaching To Formation And Healing Through Sport, Kristin K. Sheehan, Peter Piscitello, Elaine Cassidy
Journal of Catholic Education
Mission-driven athletic programs aim to form the whole athlete—physically, emotionally, socially, morally, and spiritually. A critical component of this mission is equipping coaches to serve as ministers of the Church while embracing trauma-informed practices. This paper introduces the rationale, process, and techniques for trauma-informed coaching as a research-based approach to supporting athlete mental health. Grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, this framework emphasizes community, participation, and the dignity of the human person, particularly care for the vulnerable. Drawing on neuroscientific and psychological research on trauma alongside Church documents and papal pronouncements, the paper demonstrates how trauma-informed coaching fosters healing and resilience …
The Case For Sports In Catholic Schools: Philosophical Considerations And Practical Guidelines,
2026
The Catholic University of America
The Case For Sports In Catholic Schools: Philosophical Considerations And Practical Guidelines, James Foeckler
Journal of Catholic Education
Building on the work of Jānis Ozoliņš, this article establishes a philosophical justification for the place of sports at catholic schools and follows with practical guidelines for the integration of athletics and academics in catholic schools. The justification relies primarily on the works of Patrick Kelly and Thomas Aquinas and asserts that moral formation and play are essential elements of the end of sport which is victory. The guidelines concern implementation of sports with respect to the student-athletes themselves, the academic curriculum, and families. The article considers moral formation with respect to Aquinas's cardinal virtues and makes distinctions between catholic …
Sporting Educational Pedagogy In Catholic Western Europe In The 19th And 20th Centuries: What We Can Learn From The Past,
2026
Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium
Sporting Educational Pedagogy In Catholic Western Europe In The 19th And 20th Centuries: What We Can Learn From The Past, Dries Vanysacker
Journal of Catholic Education
This article presents a historiographical overview of the development of the role of sport within the Western European Catholic education in the 20th century. Since the late 19th century, combining gymnastics with new sport disciplines was a huge challenge for Catholic schools. Within the 20th century, changing political situations and educational policies by governments continuously influenced the Catholic education theories and practice. Catholic schools also depended on the Holy See’s policy concerning education and its attitude toward sport. As the Catholic pedagogy is part of a broader theological concept of the human being, and the latter changed in the 1950s/1960’s, …
Sport, Human Flourishing And The Common Good: A Jesuit Perspective,
2026
Creighton University
Sport, Human Flourishing And The Common Good: A Jesuit Perspective, Patrick M. Kelly S.J.
Journal of Catholic Education
The author interprets humanist and early Jesuit education inspired by the Spiritual Exercises through the lens of the flow psychology theory of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to highlight that they bring about differentiation – the development of the different interests, skills, dimensions of the person – and integration – in a way that is connected to community and fosters the common good. The inclusion of physical education and sports in the humanist and early Jesuit schools – the first instance of it in Catholic schools – was influenced by longer traditions which emphasized the unity of the person and a “play ethic”, …
Sport Is The New Religion? Speculations In A Time Of Profound Cultural Change,
2026
The University of Notre Dame Australia
Sport Is The New Religion? Speculations In A Time Of Profound Cultural Change, Richard M. Rymarz
Journal of Catholic Education
Utilizing a narrative approach, this article begins with an indicative account of how religion and sport are related in a particular context. This narrative is a prelude to a closer examination of the decline of religion in contemporary culture. Religion is conceptualized following Durkheim. Its decline, using sources such as Berger, Luckmann, and Stoltz, is simply explained by using powerful descriptors such as loss of ritualized practice, secular competition, and diminishing plausibility. A second narrative is offered as a departure point for the oft-discussed maxim that sport is the new religion. Rather than one being seen as a substitute for …
Introduction,
2026
Creighton University
Introduction, Max T. Engel, Matt Hoven
Journal of Catholic Education
Sports are a big deal in Catholic schools. But their educational, communal, and even spiritual elements within participating school communities are often underestimated in the research. This introduction firstly offers a concise survey of the theoretical foundation for Catholic endorsement of sports. It then provides a framework for understanding the major authors in the field and the key issues that scholars confront in the area. It concludes by outlining the articles presented in this special issue and invites readers to consider engaging with this expanding community of scholars and practitioners. Overall, this introduction explains the purpose and rationale for this …
Review Of Francis Of Assisi, Movement Maker: The Unconventional Leadership Of A Simple Saint,
2026
St. Bonaventure University
Review Of Francis Of Assisi, Movement Maker: The Unconventional Leadership Of A Simple Saint, Andrew Gertner Belfield
The Journal of Social Encounters
No abstract provided.
Senghor, Negritude And African Political Theology Senghor’S Eucharist: Negritude And African Political Theology,
2026
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
Senghor, Negritude And African Political Theology Senghor’S Eucharist: Negritude And African Political Theology, Rev. Fr. Basile Sede Noujio (Ph.D.)
The Journal of Social Encounters
No abstract provided.
Review Essay: The Persistence Of Community In Our Transactional Age,
2026
National Center for Laity
Review Essay: The Persistence Of Community In Our Transactional Age, Bill Droel
The Journal of Social Encounters
No abstract provided.
Theology Of The People As Modernity’S Alternative: A Review Essay,
2026
Mount St. Mary’s University, MD
Theology Of The People As Modernity’S Alternative: A Review Essay, William J. Collinge
The Journal of Social Encounters
In Modernity’s Alternative, Rocco Buttiglione presents the Argentinian theology of the people as an alternative to modernity as it has developed in Europe and North America. After an introduction, the first main part of this review essay discusses Buttiglione’s account of the development of the theology of the people and the major figures in it and how the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe marks the beginning of an alternative modernity. The second section considers Buttiglione’s parallel between Christian Platonists’ inculturation of Christian faith into Greek culture and Guadalupe’s inculturation of Christian faith into Mesoamerican culture. The third section …
The Vatican’S Moral Voice In The Critical Mineral Era: Does The Vatican Need A Policy Platform For Its Meetings With Mining Ceos?,
2026
University of Notre Dame
The Vatican’S Moral Voice In The Critical Mineral Era: Does The Vatican Need A Policy Platform For Its Meetings With Mining Ceos?, Raymond Offenheiser, Keith Slack
The Journal of Social Encounters
On January 19, three American Catholic bishops issued a striking warning about the future of American foreign policy, lamenting that it was undermining “the moral foundation for America’s actions in the world.” The bishops responded to a retreat toward transactional, power-centric diplomacy – one where human rights, international solidarity, and the common good are increasingly secondary to narrow national interests. This shift is most evident in the global race for “critical minerals,” – and perhaps nowhere is the need and opportunity for Church moral leadership clearer.
Pax Christi International’S Representation Within International Governmental Organisations,
2026
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi International’S Representation Within International Governmental Organisations, Fr. Paul Lansu, Giulia Bordin
The Journal of Social Encounters
Pax Christi International (PCI) has used its consultative status at the United Nations since 1979 to connect grassroots peacebuilding with international policymaking. Initially focused on disarmament and human rights, PCI contributed to key international treaties and advocated against human rights violations worldwide. Over time, its advocacy expanded to include active nonviolence, ecological justice, sustainable development, and the accompaniment of local peacebuilders. By strengthening collaboration across its global network and enabling partners from conflict-affected regions to engage directly with international institutions, PCI continues to promote human dignity, international law, and a just and lasting peace through inclusive multilateral advocacy.
The Church And Nature’S Cathedral: Catholics, Protestants, And The Yosemite Chapel,
2026
Texas Tech University
The Church And Nature’S Cathedral: Catholics, Protestants, And The Yosemite Chapel, Adam Hogan
Eastern Sierra History Journal
John Muir saw nature and national parks as religious symbols themselves. Since Muir’s day, generations of Americans have worshipped in the outdoor sanctuaries. However, while much scholarly attention has focused on national parks as symbols or religious icons, scholars have paid far less attention to the actual church services that have taken place in America’s national parks. Yet, a church in a national park presents many complications, and Adam Hogan explores these dilemmas through a history of the controversies surrounding who could pray in the Yosemite Chapel.
Cultural Humility, Reformation Of Power Structures, And Cultural Competence As Seeds And Fruits Of Interculturality,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Cultural Humility, Reformation Of Power Structures, And Cultural Competence As Seeds And Fruits Of Interculturality, Doug Herbek
Obsculta
This piece examines how interculturality both promotes and is fostered by cultural humility, reformation of power structures, and development of cultural competence. As we pursue interculturality, we incarnate the Gospel. In the process, local church leadership becomes inclusive and integrative, worship becomes more heartfelt, and community and unity are fostered as we celebrate our differences.
