“Celebration” as the Spiritual Expression of Leisure and Sport: Reflections on the L’Arche Tradition and the Special Olympics
The provision of leisure and sport for persons with disabilities is an integral part of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006, article 30), and in turn, these activities can positively contribute to the physical, emotional and spiritual lives of those with ph...
| Authors: | ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
2014
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| In: |
Journal of disability & religion
Year: 2014, Volume: 18, Issue: 1, Pages: 64-81 |
| Further subjects: | B
Special Olympics
B Play B Joy B Leisure B Celebration B L’Arche B Sports |
| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The provision of leisure and sport for persons with disabilities is an integral part of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006, article 30), and in turn, these activities can positively contribute to the physical, emotional and spiritual lives of those with physical and/or intellectual disabilities (Heintzman, this issue; Patterson & Pegg, 2009). Based on this premise, we argue that the activities of leisure and sport (especially the Special Olympics) offer those with disabilities in L’Arche communities—an international federation of communities founded in the mid-1960s by the French Canadian, Jean Vanier—a vehicle for spiritual expression through “celebration.” By way of interdisciplinary discussion, we explore the diverse and rich meanings of celebration within the context of leisure and sport, with specific reference to embodied experiences, such as fun, joy, belonging, festivity, laughter and play, as understood in the writings of the founder of L’Arche, Jean Vanier, the Catholic philosopher, Joseph Pieper, and scholars from a range of disciplines. In conclusion, we suggest that the experience of celebration through leisure and sport participation (especially via the Special Olympics) is an invaluable and understated source of meaning and hope for those with disabilities within L’Arche communities, and beyond. |
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| ISSN: | 2331-253X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of disability & religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/15228967.2014.868992 |