The World Cup, the Super Bowl, the Olympic Games—arguably, these and other sporting events are among the most "sacred" events on the calendar for people around the world. But how should Catholics and other Christians think about the role of sports in society, communities, churches, and families? In this interview with CWCIT's Michael L. Budde, J. J. (Jay) Carney thinks through such timely questions, offering wide-ranging and challenging thoughts on Catholicism and sport—the good and the not-so-good. 

Jay teaches theology and African studies at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska (USA), where he also serves as director of the Contemporary Spirituality Program. He has written extensively on Catholicism and society in Africa, and most recently has co-authored "On the Eighth Day: A Catholic Theology of Sport."

Faith and Sports? An Interview with J. J. Carney

A CWCIT interview with Fr. Bernhard Udelhoven, MAfr, a longtime missionary in Zambia. Fr. Udelhoven holds an MA in social anthropology (SOAS University of London) and has 20 years' experience in mediating witchcraft-related disputes in Zambia. 

For CWCIT's 2018-19 Spiritual Works of Mercy lecture series, Fr. Udelhoven gave a talk at DePaul University on the topic of this podcast's title. In the West, witchcraft and demons are typically the stuff of fiction. But in Zambia, these are real issues that affect real people. Those who have occult experiences, feel afflicted by demons, or stand accused of witchcraft are ostracized, even by their own families, often with threats to their very lives. Fr. Udelhoven's "Fingers of Thomas" support group offers them comfort. Its culturally-sensitive approach takes seriously people's fears yet also pursues justice for those who are victims of moral panics and minority demonization.
(Learn more about the "Fingers of Thomas" here: https://www.fenza.org/fingers-of-thomas.html)

Comforting the Afflicted—Witchcraft & Demons in a World of Plural Beliefs (Bernhard Udelhoven, MAfr)

Conversations with journalists, pastoral leaders, activists, theologians, and scholars from across the globe who are working on the forefront of issues affecting the Catholic Church in the southern hemisphere—Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Based at DePaul University, the Center for World Catholicism & Intercultural Theology (CWCIT) is a leading center of research and reflection on the Church in the global South; it hosts visiting scholars each year, publishes the Studies in World Catholicism book series, and collaborates internationally with institutions such as the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the St. Vincent School of Theology in Manila, and the Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations in Nairobi.

Faith and Sports? An Interview with J. J. Carney

Near and Far (a world Catholicism podcast series)

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