Special Olympians as a “Prophetic Sign” to the Modern Sporting Babel

Abstract

Drawing on the work of Jean Vanier, Stanley Hauerwas, Amos Yong, and Wolf Wolfsenberger, I will examine how sportspersons with disabilities, especially intellectual disabilities, and the “movement” that represents them, the Special Olympics, are one prophetic sign to the multi-billion dollar business of sport, which, it has been argued is a major edifice in the modern “Tower of Babel” alongside other cultural idols, such as scientism, healthism, intellectualism, unhealthy perfectionism, commercialism, and materialism. In an extended conclusion, I identify areas within disability sport that may benefit from further theological reflection and highlight current church and para-church initiatives that seek to raise awareness and affect change in this area. It is my hope that this will encourage scholars and empirical researchers from sports studies and theology alike to take this discussion forward.

KEYWORDS:

• Special Olympics
• prophetic sign
• disability sport
• intellectual disabilities