Movement Cultures: Sites of ‘Spiritualities of Life‘? - Dr Teemu Pauha (Pt 1) - Meaningful Sport Series

Especially in Europe, a growing number of people choose not to be affiliated with organised religion. But does it mean that they reject everything religious? And does sport have something to offer for spiritual life, at least for some?

In this episode, Dr Teemu Pauha helps us to explore the fuzzy lines between contemporary 'religious', 'spiritual' and 'atheist' identities and some of the key characteristics of new 'spiritualities of life' that are formed outside of organised religion. With the focus on embodiment and everyday life, these new spiritualities also sometimes find their expression in physical cultures such as martial arts. We explore various cultural characteristics of martial arts practices and Teemu shares what he sees as some key considerations for sports researchers when studying the spiritual in sport.

Dr Teemu Pauha is a University Lecturer at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki. His research has explored the religious and national identities of young Finnish Muslims and the role of religion in intergroup relations. Teemu is a long-term martial arts practitioner and has also recently worked on the topic of religion and sport (which will be the focus of the second part of our conversation).