Religion And Sports In The Undergraduate Classroom Research Paper Sample

A Surefire Way to Spark Student Interest

In the article “Religion and Sports in the Undergraduate Classroom: A Surefire Way to Spark Student Interest,” which was published in the Spring, 2011 issue of Southern Law Journal, the author Adam Epstein (2011) claimed that while public discussions about religion were considered taboo, religion was a topic of interest to many undergraduate students. As such, he proposed that the students’ interest in sports and religion be used as a way to spark classroom discussions, which would also lead to the students’ interest on doing further readings on other topics that pertained to business law.

Epstein (2011) proposed these as possible topics for discussion in business law courses. However, he also provided other examples that professors might consider as discussion topics should there be enough time during the semester. These included such topics as Muhammad Ali getting jailed for his refusal to serve in the military and the Church of Scientology sponsoring a NASCAR race car.

In conclusion, the author strongly suggested the use of sports-related examples as a way of engaging students in discussions of religion in business law courses. He considered this to be of great importance, especially given that the courts have different and inconsistent views and perceptions about intermingling religious practices with sports activities He asserted that the use of sports-related examples would facilitate the students’ understanding of the topics and issues because these are issues that the students can easily relate to. Moreover, such examples can initiate discussions on the similarities and differences between patriotism and religion. The author believed that these types of discussions would stimulate the students’ thinking and would create an active-learning environment as these are presented in a context to which the students can easily relate.

References

Epstein, A. (2011). Religion and sports in the undergraduate classroom: A surefire way to spark