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Toward a Theology of Competition and Sport
Chapter 1 - The Philosophic Foundation of Competition
By Dr. Greg Linville

The following is the first installment in a series outlining a Theology of Competition and Sport. This article:
  • 1. Articulates the philosophical foundation from which an integration of competition and Christianity emerges
  • 2. Outlines seminal thinking on factors which both positively and negatively influence competition
  • 3. Presents a pioneering work on charting the predictability of an athlete’s fulfillment within his or her athletic endeavors
  • 4. Defines competition, sport and athletics, demonstrating how each is distinctively different from the other two and yet how they are interrelated to one another


Subsequent articles will feature discussion on: the Theological Foundation for Competition; Theological Foundation for Sports; Biblical Basis for Specific Sports and Athletics; Historical Models of Competition and Sport and the Biblical Basis for Individual Participation in Sport and Athletics.

The overall goal is to present a Philosophical rationale and a Theological justification for the compatibility of Competition, Sport and Athletics within a Christian worldview.

This article is broken up into component sections. Please choose a section below to read.
Introduction - The Question
The Philosophical Foundation
Progressive Intensity Levels of Competition (PIL)
Motivational Influences (MI)
Combining PIL With MI on Competition
Summary of Competition Philosophy
Definitions

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All rights reserved. Copies of this material not permitted without express permission of the author.
For any reproduction right, including federal copying, computer reproduction, etc. contact:
Dr. Greg Linville at CSRM International c/o The World Outreach Center 5350 Broadmoor Circle N.W., Canton, Ohio – USA 44709 or glinville@csrm.org