“All I know most surely about morality and obligation I owe to football”,
Theology of play
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Jurgen Moltmann, Harper and Row, NY, 1972
The significance of this book is that it represents the rare occurrence of an eminent mainstream theologian writing about play and sport.
The approach is grounded in Scripture with references to Psalm 16:11, Psalm 126:1-2, Psalm 137 and Proverbs 8:30. Even creation, which was an act of God’s free will is interpreted as play: “creation is God’s play, a play of his groundless and inscrutable wisdom. It is the realm in which God displays his glory”. He continues “creation suits his deepest nature or else he would not enjoy it”.
This has implications for humans too: “Like the creation, man’s games are an expression of freedom and not of caprice, for playing relates to the joy of the creator with his creation and the pleasure of the player with his game. Like creation, games combine sincerity and mirth, suspense and relaxation. The player is wholly obsorbed in his game and takes it seriously, yet at the same time he transcends himself and his game, for it is after all only a game. So he is realizing his freedom without losing it. He steps outside of himself without selling himself”.
Moltmann sees a problem for humans that we have lost our capacity for leisure because we are obsessed with work. Play is not valued for its own sake, only as a distraction from work so that we recreate in order to work more! Our society only values what is deemed to be useful.
Moltmann argues for a higher view of play: “On first glance Christian theology is indeed the theory of a practice which alleviates human need: the theory of preaching, of ministries and services. But on second glance Christian theology is also an abundant rejoicing in God and the free play of thoughts, words, images and songs with the grace of God”.
Easter is the key. As we understand and accept what Christ has done for us, it “opens up the boundary-crossing freedom to play the game of the new creation. This is possible and meaningful because there is a hell and a hopelessness, which Christ’s death has conquered once and for all and which for those who are liberated has been put into the past... He suffered that we might laugh again. He died that we may live as liberated human beings. He descended into the hell of the forsaken to open for us the heaven of freedom”. This leads to what Moltmann calls “the laughing of the redeemed”.
Almost mischievously he asks if believers can play? Surely they have more important
things to do? He agues that in our innocence we must play. It is rather the guilty person who “wavering between self-assertion and self-hatred” who is unable to play.
In an appendix he suggests the rules of the game:
1You need not play if you don’t want to..freedom to play or not to play”.
2 The Puritan of work easily changes into the Puritan of play and remains a Puritan.1You need not play if you don’t want to..freedom to play or not to play”.
3 If on earth everything turns into play, nothing will be play. 1You need not play if you don’t want to..freedom to play or not to play”.
4 The world is not yet consummated. It still knows laughing and crying.1You need not play if you don’t want to..freedom to play or not to play”.
5 “The divine life and the divine knowing may well also be understood as a play of love with itself” Hegel.1You need not play if you don’t want to..freedom to play or not to play”.
6 Play should liberate you, not tranquilize, awaken and not anaesthetize.1You need not play if you don’t want to..freedom to play or not to play”.
7 You need not become obscene. 1You need not play if you don’t want to..freedom to play or not to play”.
8 Everyone plays his own game and like Narcissus is in love with his mirror image”,