Pindar called Olympia ¿Queen of truth,¿ so it was appropriate that nearly 100 philosophers of sport from 18 countries on four continents presented 80 different papers there in September of 2016. This proceedings gathers fourteen of them, including two of the keynotes. Topics range from sport in education to transgender athletes to Taijiquan. Authors include Drew A. Hyland, Francisco Javier López Frías, José Luis Pérez Triviño, Terry J. McMurtry, Junko Yamaguchi, Emanuel Hurych, Boryana Angelova-Igova, Daniel T. Durbin, Kim Hee-sub, Kwon Oh-ryun, Matt Waddell, Angela Schneider, Matteo Cacchiarelli, Sarah Teetzel, and Heather L. Reid.

Aretism: An Ancient Sports Philosophy for the Modern Sports World applies a robust ancient ethic to the widely-acknowledged problems faced by modern sports. Aretism—from the Greek word arete ("excellence")—draws a balance between the hard commercialism of modern sports culture and the soft playfulness of recreational models to recover the value of sport for individuals, education, and society at large. The authors' approach proposes practical strategies for athletes, coaches, and physical educators to use when facing ethical challenges in the modern world. Holowchak and Reid present Aretism as a tripartite model of athletic excellence focused on personal, civic, and global integration. They reject the personal and social separation characteristics of much of contemporary moral reasoning. Aretism creates a critical and normative framework within which athletic agents can aim for spirited, but morally sensitive, competition by seeking the betterment not only of themselves, through athletic competition, but also of their teammates, fellow competitors, and even their communities. Holowchak and Reid also present a historical overview of sport and a critique of two traditional models—the martial/commercial model and the aesthetic/recreational model. This book is most applicable to students and academics concerned with the philosophy of sport, but will be of interest to all those in sports professions, including coaches, trainers, and athletes.

This book examines the relationship between athletics and philosophy in ancient Greece and Rome focused on the connection between athleticism and virtue. It begins by observing that the link between athleticism and virtue is older than sport, reaching back to the athletic feats of kings and pharaohs in early Egypt and Mesopotamia. It then traces the role of athletics and the Olympic Games in transforming the idea of aristocracy as something acquired by birth to something that can be trained. This idea of training virtue through the techniques and practice of athletics is examined in relation to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Then Roman spectacles such as chariot racing and gladiator games are studied in light of the philosophy of Lucretius, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. The concluding chapter connects the book’s ancient observations with contemporary issues such as the use of athletes as role models, the relationship between money and corruption, the relative worth of participation and spectatorship, and the role of females in sport. The author argues that there is a strong link between sport and philosophy in the ancient world, calling them offspring of common parents: concern about virtue and the spirit of free enquiry. This book was previously published as a special issue of the Ethics and Sport.

For over one thousand years between 776 B.C. and A.D. 395, princes, statesmen, and famous athletes gathered every four years at Olympia in western Greece to compete for the olive crowns of the ancient Olympic Games. Judith Swaddling traces the mythological and religious origins of the games and describes the events, religious ceremony, and celebrations that were an essential part of the Olympic festival. The book also features a large, detailed model of the site of ancient Olympia, where, alongside religious and civic buildings, there grew an elaborate sports complex with a stadium for 40,000 spectators, indoor and outdoor training facilities, hot and cold baths, a swimming pool, and a race course. This fascinating description of Ancient Olympia and the Games is superbly illustrated with vases, sculpture and other works of art, views of the site and photographs of the unique model.

How we minister matters—especially to those who have already been hurt by the church. Instead of ministering out of God’s love and compassion, the church has often ministered to the Queer community out of a deep-rooted fear. Why do we administer hatred instead of allowing the balm of the Holy Spirit’s tender care to define our actions? The integrity of the gospel message has been hurt by the way many of us have wielded the power we have been given. Becoming Community is a call for us to renew our Christian commitment to social responsibility and justice as a primary focus of the church. We must challenge the practices and visions which we hold most important in our communities. Are our ministries truly inclusive to all who would seek to find solace at the feet of Christ? Regardless of whether a person might adopt a philosophy of affirmation or denial of queer practices as God-honoring, one trait must remain in our response: inclusion. Without intentionally inclusive language, care, and practice, can the church live up to the higher calling that we have been given? Is it possible for every individual to be genuinely included in our communities?

This powerful new book looks at how private institutions governing and organising sport restrict political expression. Uniquely, it makes a case for the freedom of expression for athletes, spectators and audiences built upon philosophical foundations. In the era of Colin Kaepernick and taking a knee, politics and protest in sport have never been more visible and immediate. Drawing on a wide range of international cases, including protest actions from athletes such as Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Naomi Osaka and Feyisa Lilesa, as well as the reactions from sport organisations including the IOC, FIFA, UEFA and the NFL, the book argues that the organisation of sport at the hands of associations and leagues and their transnational power to regulate, adjudicate and enforce matters according to their interests lead to the restriction of freedom of expression. Focusing on the individual, the book presents a framework for the defence of freedom of expression in sport on moral grounds and also explores the limits to freedom of expression, especially those arising from hate speech, that might better serve both the individual and sport as an institution. This book is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the ethics, philosophy or politics of sport, sport governance, the relationship between sport and wider society, or moral or political philosophy.

From the very beginning, music has helped us create our world – everything from language, to technology, to philosophy and religion. The Art of Ancient Music discusses the important role music has played in shaping human development. While emphasizing shared human themes, the text has a special focus on the rise of Western music in the ancient Near East, the Bible, and the Classical worlds. A final chapter provides a discussion of the way music helped bridge the gap between the ancient world and the Middle Ages, especially in the guise of Church music.