Sports and Transcendence will make participants look at sports more meaningfully, noting the underlying themes and values at play, like secularism, individualism, and, most importantly, transcendence. Nixon will take you on a history-rich tour of ancient sports and the societal role they play, leading to the present day, and how sports have evolved to fit a more modern understanding of spectacle, nation, and self-improvement. Regardless of the sport or the society, Nixon will argue, emotion characterizes sports, providing an arena in which to share our humanity, revel in it, and transcend our petty differences.