The Grand Experiment: Jerome Dwight Davis and the Young Men’s Christian Association’s War Prisoner Aid Sports Programing for German POWs in Canadian Camps During World War Two
| Autor: | van Waas, Courtney Hope |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
YMCA
History of Religion Canadian History morality Other Kinesiology Jerome Dean Davis Young Men’s Christian Association practical theology Canadian Committee for YMCA War Prisoner Aid Religion Social History World Committee of Young Men’s Christian Associations World Committee of Young Men’s Christian Associations War Prisoner Aid Jerome Dwight Davis War Prisoner Aid belief Military History |
| Zdroj: | Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository |
| ISSN: | 1939-1943 |
| Popis: | Jerome Davis, head of the Young Men’s Christian Association War Prisoner Aid program, was a devout Congregationalist dedicated to providing for the basic sport and recreation endeavours of German Prisoners of War interned in Canadian POW camps during the Second World War. Having worked with German Prisoners of War in Russia during the First World War, Davis firmly believed that WWII Allies the world over needed to change their generally antagonistic point of view towards German POWs, indeed, a point of view that required “moral revisionism.” Davis believed that the vilification and demeaning status of German POWs was not only wrong, but short-sighted and counterproductive. Davis’ family upbringing reflected a substantial Congregational bearing. His service in WW II continued to reflect the same philosophical/religious principles: principles of religious morality and practical theology that followed three basic steps: (1) the concern for and practical reasoning towards POW life and treatment; (2) the organization and administration needed in the mass provision of sporting goods; and (3) a theological deduction based upon scriptures that facilitated his sporting mission. To Davis, Christ’s commands: “do unto others” and “to the least of my people,” underscored his thought and practice. Salvation of German POW souls was a secondary goal subservient to providing boredom relief, escape prevention, and dissolving hard-line Nazi mistrust of religious organizations in general. Davis’ desire to provide sport equipment and help in sport programming organization for German POWs was a reflection of his life’s direction and commitment to “service.” Jerome Davis desired to reach German POWs through sport and Christian love. Stark statistics conveyed within this dissertation tell merely half of Davis’ story. From 1939-1943 Davis’ energy, vigor, and commitment to cause, communicated a deeper understanding as to why the Canadian YMCA War Prisoner Aid program proved a success |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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