Modern Religion
My wife tivoed the closing ceremony of the Vancouver Games, wanting me to see the comedic routine accompanying the presentation of the Olympic torch (it was funny). But, what caught my attention was the ritual celebration that officially closes the winter games for 2010. I said offhandedly, "A visitor from the first-century Mediterranean world would see this and ask, 'What god are you worshiping?'"
Indeed, the celebration had all the necessary parts: the fiery altar in the center, the priests serving, the celebrants parading, songs lifted in praise to the Spirit of the Olympics, the stadium filled with joyous revelers. Talk of sacrifice and the offering of much money would convince any first-century visitor that this god was worthy of veneration.
What's fascinating to me is how many of us would never describe these athletic games in religious terms. In fact, it would be downright offensive to most of us to suggest that all of this was nothing more than a modern form of idolatry. Perhaps it would take a visitor from the first-century to point out the obvious.
4 comments:
Or someone like Robert Orsi, who is often venerated as a saint himself around the Religious Studies Dept. at MSU.
Or Stephen Prothero.
did you see the opening ceremonies? they were a religious service through and through: from the parade of nations down to the singing of "hallelujah" (by kd lang of all people).
my thoughts on the opening ceremony: http://www.facebook.com/jd.reynolds?v=app_2347471856&ref=profile#!/note.php?note_id=301155031333
what else would we expect from a revival of an ancient Greek event?
(although to be fair, more "worship" probably occurred during the commercial breaks for the ceremonies than for the events themselves.)
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