| This research investigates in what ways and in what manners the human search for play manifests elements of creation-fall-redemption. The theory of this research is that the desire for play is a creational element in the human heart. This element was corrupted in the Fall; however, as the image of God, man has not lost the redemptive desire nor the element of reflecting his Creator and the eternality of creation. The desire for play as it is seen in the world is a result of this creational aspect combined with sinful distortions but still reflective of the eternal elements of God and his creation.;After establishing a governing biblical foundation for the role of play in human life, the researcher analyzes play as a human sub-creation and evaluates how it analogically reflects God's creational design. He also demonstrates how play, though distorted by the Fall, still points to elements of redemption and eternity imbued in man's heart.;The exploration of play is limited to the realm of sport, with occasional references to other forms. Because of its global significance and intercultural aspect, the researcher deals specifically with the Soccer World Cup 2010. This event is the major manifestation of the world's most popular sport.;The author utilizes semiotics to uncover structures of meaning and the message of the story the World Cup tells through its various media representations. This results in the discovery of valuable insights in the realm of sport in relation to man's creation, fall, and redemption. The researcher demonstrates that the World Cup works as a subcreation that attracts man in both bad and good ways, serving as a sphere in which man expresses sinful desires in several areas. On the good side, it mimics aspects of God's creational and redemptive plan for the world. These findings concerning play, and sports in particular, are significant for the church as it seeks to relate to this huge part of contemporary culture and fulfill its missiological task. |
