Christianity and Boxing: A Review Essay and Position Statement

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

please see the attachment.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Comment: “The second aim of the paper is to consider boxing related to the teaching of Jesus yet there are very few actual citations from Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels of John, Luke, Mark, and Matthew. Line #398 (Mark 8) is the only direct quote from the Gospel sources that I notice”.

Answer: I have added a paragraph and amended the abstract to cover this point.  As, I am sure you are aware, Jesus did not explicitly refer to boxing.

Methodology

Answer:  I have clarified that the methodology is a thematic review.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper raises an issue that has been bandied about in pulpits and theological circles for a while--can Xty and violent sports be reconciled or not? It an interesting issue and the author does a good job of presenting a thorough slate of statements (including from the Bible) criticizing or celebrating boxing. Two primary things about the paper--it relies way to heavily on quotes from others without descriptive annotation/analysis from the author throughout the paper. Therefore it reads like an avalanche of stances and not much more. Two, to pit the sport vs. supposed Xtn principles and their interpretative stances alone leaves out the socioeconomic reasons that most get into boxing and not other sports or even non-sporting careers. There has been extensive research into boxing and the material conditions that drive reasons for boxers to get into it. Absent any discussion of this, the reasons cited by the author of fighters crediting God for justifying boxing remain exclusively on the surface. An analysis of the materiality of boxing that meshes with certain religious justifications is necessary, at the least, to provide a fuller argument here.

Author Response

Comment  “For empirical research, are the results clearly presented?” Can be improved

Comment not understood as I did not think I had presented empirical data!

to pit the sport vs. supposed Xtn principles and their interpretative stances alone leaves out the socioeconomic reasons that most get into boxing and not other sports or even non-sporting careers. There has been extensive research into boxing and the material conditions that drive reasons for boxers to get into it.

That is an interesting research topic but my focus is on the spiritual/theological dilemma not the motivation in taking up boxing.  I have added a paragraph to explain this further and also to make the point that motivation does not solve the moral ethical problem of boxing. 

Interestingly – I work as a sports journalist and have interviewed hundreds of athletes over the years - the only person who ever told me that they had gone into professional sport for the money was an American sprinter, who wanted to work in finance. In her last year at high school she was offered a sports scholarship, covering her entire tuition and other costs if she ran for the college. She had no ambitions to be a professional athlete but saw it as a sensible way to fund her studies. In her final year she ran the fastest time in America that year and was offered a six figure sum by Nike to run as a Nike athlete. She did so for a few years now runs her own finance business. My point is simply that it is not just working class boys who may have a financial motivation for entry sport.

the paper--it relies way to heavily on quotes from others without descriptive annotation/analysis from the author throughout the paper. Therefore it reads like an avalanche of stances and not much more.

I have only come across 3 serious studies of Christianity and boxing, one was written in 1951, another in the 1960s on one in 2015. I am the first person to try pull together the opinions of Christian professional boxers. I don't see my paper in any way as being the last word but a step on the road to a better understanding of boxing from a Christian perspective. Frankly I think the reader is better served from having extensive quotations from Christian professional boxers than from my feeble analysis. Hopefully others will contribute where I am lacking

  the reasons cited by the author of fighters crediting God for justifying boxing remain exclusively on the surface.

Don't really understand this comment

 An analysis of the materiality of boxing that meshes with certain religious justifications is necessary, at the least, to provide a fuller argument here.

I thought I had done that!

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear author(s), I enjoyed reading this paper which is well-researched and structured. The topic is also important and original, with very little past work. Please consider the following corrections/revisions:

Good aspects of the paper

A comprehensive review of the available literature.

Key themes identified and discussed.

Some good critical analysis of an often paradoxical and polarising topic.

Great section on Catholics and boxing. 

Things to revise/correct/reflect upon

1. This article is essentially a 'review' essay (line 29), and thus, this should be noted in the title. For example: Christianity and Boxing: A Review Essay and Position Statement.

 2. line 32., suggest this article is 'single-authored', while line 42 and the 2 affiliations at the head of page one suggest otherwise?

3. line 38., Multiple times in the text of this article the reference citations should be at the end of the sentence -  much easier / clearer sentence flow to read. Also, frequently the surname of the cited author is replicated (e.g., see line 67) line 67 should starts Hoffman (2020, p.42) suggests... . Please go through the whole manuscript and make these changes it will flow much better for the reader.

3. There are many verbatim quotes that need a corresponding page number.

4. Web-links should never appear in the body of the text (e.g., 64-65). Please go through the whole manuscript and make these changes.

5. The paragraph that comprises lines 104-11, has no reference source.

6. line 120., Add that Prof Gordon Marino is also a boxing coach.

7. line 139., reference citation style incorrect.

8. Line 227., correct spacing.

9. While all the verbatim quotes used are relevant and often evocative, there are many used to construct the text; some paragraphs comprise mainly verbatim quotes. Different journals having differing opinions on this literary style (so do talk to the editor to see what there position is) but the key thing to ask yourself, is, are the quote(s) all necessary to the argument (any repetition?); is there appropriate commentary, explanation and critical analysis surrounding the quote(s)?  

10. line 33., suggest you collected data from a one-to-one interview, while in the text there is never any further reference to this data? Or a methods section, which would be needed if you were to include empirical data. If the interview simply informed the argument you create, you need to state this clearly.

11. lines 227 and 247, grammar/spacing needs correcting.

12. Lines 211-216., disjoined text - avoid lone sentences (not paragraphs).

13. Section 4.5, God's Prescence. I don't think this accurately describes the text in the section: God's Will  and Worship?

14. Line 518., Watson and Bolt (2015) not cited in reference list.

15. Line 581: In my reading, while Watson and Brock land with that conclusion, they also caveat their conclusion by saying that in God's economy there some some potential moral goods to come from this sport.

16. line 742., boxing is not the 'only' sport to have the aim as to intentionally hurt their opponent - what about MMA/Cage fighting?

17. Section 8.3., there is evidence to suggests that using head-guards is not any safer, as brain trauma still occurs - that is, the brain bashes against the inside of the skull, regardless. Need to add this and find evidence.

18.line line 789-795., mention of author's interviews but no data/reference/method to support (see my point 10 above).

19. Line 895-896., ethical argument needs tightening up/nuancing here. In rugby/NFL there may be intentional violence, but that is not the 'aim of the game' it is not 'within the roles'. A clear difference to boxing.

20. The Conclusion is good but areas for further research and scholarship need adding. For instance: qualitative empirical studies of boxing with coaches/trainers/referees, women, children/adolescents etc. Or 'expert interviews' with boxers coaches/trainers/referees. Or, theological studies that examine the links between money and boxing, as key driver of what many see as organised violence.

Also see and integrate some fascinating stuff in the following recent press article, which could be another area for further research (the suffering of boxers and initiatives to help and support them): The Times (Sport), 21/09, pp. 10-11, I've Had Boxers Crying on the Phone - we need sport to help', Rich Broadbent. 

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf